Impact of Information Technology on Accounting Systems

Question: Discuss about the Impact of Information Technology on Accounting Systems. Answer: Introduction The research in the academia and practice has hugely emphasized on the changing role of the accounting function has resulted from the advent of the changes in the Information technology over the last decade (Franks, 2014). The adoption of the IT tools and the techniques used for the accounting has substantively changed and enhanced on the way many companies operate in Australia. It has improved on the timely aspect, the qualitative and comprehensive delivery of the services to the clientele they serve. (Franks, 2014)The evolvement of the Information Technology has increased the efficiency of the financial transactions processing as the adoption of the computerized packages generated the improvement to the quality and the quantity of the information that is made available more so to the management for the decision-making. Besides, the use of the IT equipment and the facilities that are developed over time has necessitated on the assembling of the integrated application by the manufact urers of the software (Jones, 2016). The use of the accounting software to the management of the accounting information evolved many decades ago and in the recent times, it has become an integral part of many organizations in Australia. It is also significant to note that the degree of the implementation differs from one business to another, the size, and the industry (Jones, 2016). The deployment of the accounting software in these organizations has become an integral to every strategy of the corporate. Moreover, the acquisition of this software to supporting the processes of the financial transactions in business today is vital for the company to attain success and it depend mostly on the feasibility of how the corporate is aligned, their enterprises and the level of operations of their strategies. (Lim, 2013) The aspect of aligning IT and the business plan is a fundamental key to success in any business seeking competitive advantage. It is also important to understand that the deployment of this software does not com e without the prohibitive cost of the implementation process (Klooster, Allen and Owen, 2014). On this research, it would cover the history of the accounting software in Australia, the development, and the adoption. Moreover, the paper will also explore on the leaders in the market and what makes them have a competitive advantage. The challenges the customers also encounters on the use of this software and the provision of suggestions and recommendations. Literature review The completive environment in which the companies are operating in is becoming more and more challenging. Many of the companies are increasing on the data to use the complicated and advanced accounting software in Australia to react appropriately to the external market pressure. Many businesses in Australia mostly use various accounting packages so of these are MYOB, Xero, Intuit QuickBooks, Saasu, and Reckon (Chen and Yang, 2013). The QuickBooks is one of the widely used accounting software by the small business owners in Australian. The major aspect contributing to the popularity of this software is the price, which is standard, and the overall levels of the features it has. Individuals thus use this to track their business on the income, expenses and the profits. (Ossadnik and Kaspar, 2013) The MYOB is the top rated and the best accounting software in Australia. The platform of this software was designed from scratch to perform the accounting functions and to help the business own ers increase on their profitability to make better decisions on a real-time view of the financial operation of the firm. For the retailers that operate in Australia, the MYOB accounting software is more than the store register. The design of the software has an interface, which can point the sale transactions that can be integrated into the whole business operations. (Chen and Yang, 2013). Besides, the interface for the software can work both online and offline which makes the design to be superb. On the Reckon software, is essentially used by the medium-sized businesses in Australia like; accountants, bookkeepers. The use of the software provides businesses to perform the point of sale transactions since it can link one sales operations and the desktop software suite through the POS system (Schiff and Szendi, 2014). The use of the software is for the small business, and it has comprehensive features that suit a given type of business. On the Saasu accounting software, it is claimed to be the future of the accounting. The use of this software the Australian company can prompt be able to perform on the cash flow cashing with just a click, and there is no need for the extra setup or synchronizing of the software. Another software is Xero, which has the capabilities of the real-time data. (Alamin, Yeoh, Warren and Salzman, 2015)This software is the most sought out in that it has over half a million subscribers who are using their platform. The software is designed to over online invoicing, and the business owner receives an update when the customer opens the bill. The software has an advanced process of reconciliation that allows one to import and categorize on the bank transactions (Ren and Gu, 2014). Market leaders and competitive advantages The market leaders in the accounting software in Australia are Saasu and Xero since they are cloud-based software market. The use of the cloud software gives the middle sized and the larger SMEs in Australia to be able to implement enterprise software at a fraction of the deployment and the costs of the ownership. (Tang, Yan and Kang, 2013) In Australia, many of the organization from small to large are now replacing the traditional accounting software with the online cloud accounting software. According to research, twenty-seven percent of the business and sixty-7 percent of accounting firms in Australia have already migrated to the use of the online cloud accounting software. The competitive advantage of the utilization of this cloud-based software is essentially due to its features of enhanced security, increased functionality and the reduced cost of IT. The use of the online accounting is simplified due to the aspect of access to the data from any of the location and the remote wo rking capabilities. (Lam, 2015) The Xero software is the one that is mostly regarded as the market leader since it has a platform that focuses on eliminating the inefficiencies in the processes of accounting. In the use of these, software does not involve the manual processes; it can automatically pull the data from the bank feeds, the reconciliation, and can categorize the transactions within seconds (Tang, Yan and Kang, 2013). Challenges encountered by the users of accounting software The accounting software, which gives the users problems are the ones that are regarded as outdated and not friendly to the user. Some of the challenges they encounter are as below. One of the challenges is a lack of the security (Kowalewski and Niedzielska, 2015). The users of the accounting software are worried that their data may be accessible to the third party even though the availability of the firewall is there to solve this problem. Another challenge is the inefficiency. The users of the software want things to be done quicker with less time consuming. Some of the accounting software products are usually not user-friendly and do not enable the users to optimize fully on them. (Kowalewski and Niedzielska, 2015)They may lack features; there are issues of compatibility and the capabilities to adequately perform a given task. There is also the aspect of the difficulty of customizing on the software. Due to the issue of the restrictions of the system, the users of the software are not able to customize based on their preference. Some of this software are difficult and cluttered to understand. Lastly, there is an issue of the compatibility of the software (Lim , 2013). Many of the users are sometimes so frustrated because their accounting software is not compatible with the programs they are using. One such example is when the customer is not able to import or retrieve the information from the other programs since their accounting software does not have the capacity. Recommendations on using the accounting software All the companies from medium and large have experience problem associated with accounting software use from time to time. The rational aspect of these societies is to know how to solve the problem when they arise. Many of the users are worried about the issue of lack of security on this system especially when a third party get access to their private information. The best thing to tackle on the issue is to invest in securing this software. The companies need to have firewalls that are updated and security protocol to prevent a breach of the system. There is also need of having a system that is up to date and user-friendly. (Lam, 2015) With the advancement of the cloud-based computing software, there is a need to adopt these on the organization to have the competitive edge and to be more efficient in delivering the services. Customer needs to have the system that they can customize to their preference and a system that is compatible with their programs. There is a need to adopt the s oftware that is user-friendly and efficient in the delivery of the services. I would recommend many organizations especially those in Australia to take the cloud-based accounting software to have a competitive advantage over others. This softwares are efficient in that they reduce any inefficiencies in the processes of accounting. References Alamin, A., Yeoh, W., Warren, M. and Salzman, S., 2015, January. An empirical study of factors influencing accounting information systems adoption. In Proceedings of the Twenty-Third European Conference on Information Systems. ECIS. Chen, J. and Yang, D.C., 2013. The development of the computerization of accounting. Perspectives on Accounting and Finance in China (RLE Accounting), 8, p.229. Franks, J., 2014. LibGuides: Graduate Accounting Empirical Research: Statistical Software. Jones, D. and Jones, M., 2016. Using QuickBooks Accounting Software to Improve Financial and Production Records for Better Decision Making. In 2016 Annual Meeting, February 6-9, 2016, San Antonio, Texas (No. 229772). Southern Agricultural Economics Association. Klooster, D.A., Allen, W. and Owen, G., 2014. Integrated Accounting. Cengage Learning. Kowalewski, M. and Niedzielska, J., 2015. A Study of the Financial Accounting Software Used by Small Enterprises in Olsztyn. Olsztyn Economic Journal, (10 (3)), pp.233-245. Lam, G., 2015. The Online Accounting Software Guide: An In-depth Analysis of Today's Leading Cloud Accounting Applications. Lim, F.P.C., 2013. Impact of Information Technology on Accounting Systems. Asia-PasificJornal of Multimedia Services Convergent with Art, Humanities and Socialgy, 3(2), pp.93-106. Ossadnik, W. and Kaspar, R., 2013. Evaluation of AHP software from a management accounting perspective. Journal of Modelling in Management, 8(3), pp.305-319. Ren, M. and Gu, W.L., 2014. Research on the Applications of Cloud Computing in the Accounting Modernization. In Applied Mechanics and Materials (Vol. 687, pp. 2756-2759). Trans Tech Publications. Schiff, A. and Szendi, J., 2014. Helping Small Business Entrepreneurs Avoid Critical Mistakes in QuickBooks Accounting Software. The Entrepreneurial Executive, 19, p.169. Tang, X., Yan, C. and Kang, Y., 2013. The Internal Control of Computerized Accounting in Information Era. In 2012 International Conference on Information Technology and Management Science (ICITMS 2012) Proceedings (pp. 437-442). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Arguable Essay Topics Fundamentals Explained

Arguable Essay Topics Fundamentals Explained Even if you think in a specific argument very strongly, if you lack the evidence to show your point, then your argument might just be as great as lost. When it has to do with writing an argumentative essay, the most significant matter to do is to select a topic and an argument which you can really get behind. You might decide to write on the issue you've already formed an opinion about. When you are requested to opt for a great topic for your argument, start with something you're familiarized with. Perhaps you simply do not know the subject well enough, and that's the reason you can't locate the idea for your history essay. One of the greatest approaches to change anybody's mind is with an emotional investment. There's no concrete evidence, but there are tons of strong opinions. Canadian students must deal with precisely the same problem of picking engaging argumentative essay topics as the remainder of the world. Top Choices o f Arguable Essay Topics In the end, it is possible to find somebody who will write essays for money at the most economical rates for you. Your aim must be to present an issue prior to your reader by analyzing all the angles connected with that topic. The second thing that you ought to take care of once you choose the title is to maintain in mind five kinds of argument claims. By reading our samples, you receive a general idea about the subject and draw a generalized picture of the issue. The introduction should offer general information which will be included in the post. Deciding upon a simple topic may prove to be an incorrect track because you may have difficulties finding credible sources to support your views. Argumentative essays are a few of the best that you can write as a student. Thus, for your coursework, you are going to want to have the very best ideas. If you're searching for a good agriculture research paper topic, have a look at the top nine topics given below. If you need assistance with research paper, you may use essay writing services. The Honest to Goodness Truth on Arguable Essay Topics An argumentative essay is a certain kind of academic writing. Argumentative writings is a particular kind of a paper. You SHOULD be certain that your thesis fits one of these varieties of claims. The thesis will provide you with a guideline on the best way to go about with writing the essay. At the conclusion of these list, you will discover links to a range of argumentative paragraphs and essays. Since you may see, there's a plethora of different argumentative paper titles it is possible to utilize. The multiple topics could be found, for instance, in the dissertation abstracts international database. You don't need to lose grades because of incorrect essay format. The True Meaning of Arguable Essay Topics If you decide to earn a claim of fact or definition, make sure that you opt for a DEBATABLE fact or definition. Relevant Topics that are related to your society will engage the reader in the most effective possible way. There are a lot of things to argue when it has to do with the law. An argumentative essay requires you to choose a topic and have a position on it. You will be assigned a topic, or your professor will allow you to select your own. Researching the topic will permit you to find out more about what fascinates you, and should you pick something y ou really like, writing the essay will be more enjoyable. You could possibly be given the topic straight away by your professor, or maybe you be free to decide on the topic yourself. Argumentative essay topics are so important since they are debatableand it's vital to at all times be critically contemplating the world around us. It's important to select debatable argumentative essay topics since you need opposing points you may counter to your own points. The key to select a fantastic topic for an argumentative essay is to select a subject where there's a lot of debates on topics or stances. Taking into account that lots of persuasive essays concern controversial topics, before writing, you might want to sit down and think of what your opinion on the topic actually is. The Arguable Essay Topics Stories Studies have demonstrated that children shouldn't be allowed more than two hours of screen time each day. Deciding upon an emotional topic is also an excellent idea. Remain realistic and select a topic you are able to research. Another reason is to observe how well students argue on various views and demonstrate understanding of the studied subject. Things You Should Know About Arguable Essay Topics The cost of an essay rides on the total amount of effort the writer has to exert. Instead of just immediately writing about your argumentative essay topic, you should first think about what it is you're likely to put back on your paper through a procedure of brainstorming and pre-writing. The writing process is going to be a pleasure, and your reader will delight in reading your bit of academic writing. Our crew of professional writers with the crucial experience and writing skills is always prepared to fulfill your demands and exceed your expectations.

The Three Structural Aspects of the Paper Topics Analysis of the Shermans March to the Sea

The Three Structural Aspects of the Paper Topics Analysis of the Sherman's March to the SeaThis is a paper topics analysis of the Sherman's March to the Sea by Warren G. Harding. The structure of this paper is as follows: 'This paper discusses three dominant themes in the story of Sherman's March to the Sea. Themes of compromise, teamwork, and leadership are also discussed.'The first theme is the idea of peace and its peaceful resolution. It is this idea that first stirred the discussion of the author. During his six months in Japan he had repeatedly faced threats of armed confrontation with China. During this period the United States had declared war on Japan for its invasion of Manchuria and the United States government was deeply in debt.The second theme, teamwork is about the idea of getting along in a world that was filled with conflicting interests and ideals. The author acknowledges that he is not an expert in Japan but that he was able to relate the idea of the conflict to th e United States. In Japan, it seemed there was no way of reconciling Chinese, Japanese, and American cultures. Therefore, it was necessary to find ways to bridge these cultural gaps to create the most desirable global community.The third theme is about leadership, which is about the power of first impressions and getting the country to take sides in a conflict. The author says that the United States has not been all that successful in establishing the 'first impression' of itself. He thinks that it is difficult to convince people of the need for peace unless they see the peaceful resolution in an international situation. The Japanese had done a great job of having a first impression that was favorable and that helped in winning over the minds of the American public.When looking at the problems of the Japanese government and its role in promoting peace through study groups and dialogue with theUnited States, he thinks that it could have done much more to solve the problem of the Asia n continent. Japan had made several mistakes, but he believes that Japan could have been more effective if it had not put so much emphasis on the importance of win-win negotiation and coalition building. Japan's weak political structure did not allow it to play a major role in promoting peace.The author states that the success of any successful government can be judged by the methods of the government. In other words, we must look at the methods of the government and make sure it uses effective methods of getting along.All three topics in this paper topics analysis are interrelated. It is apparent that the issues that Japan had to deal with were unlike those that the United States or any other nation had to face. Nevertheless, it was the Japanese who managed to come out on top.

What a Stephen King Essay is All About

What a Stephen King Essay is All AboutThe quote 'The best essay will always be written at the lowest level of consciousness' was coined by Stephen King, the well-known author who has written 'Salem's Lot,' 'It,' 'Carrie,' 'Misery,' 'The Shining,' 'Cujo,' 'Pet Sematary,' 'Carrie' and many more. Stephen King is a true genius when it comes to writing short stories and novels. And he has proven his ability to successfully write both long and short essay.The very first thing you need to do is to make a list of all the topics that you are going to cover in your essay. Even though Stephen King claims that the best essay will always be written at the lowest level of consciousness, we have to admit that he has not always been on the right track. He writes some of his essays in a witty and amusing manner, but if you do not really concentrate on the topic in your essay, you might just end up writing something that does not deserve to be published in the internet. The point is that you have to f ocus your attention on what you are writing.A writer would write about any topic without being organized, for example, Stephen King would write his essay about pirates. He would write his essay about pirates because he loves pirates and wants to tell everyone about them. The reason he would like to tell people about pirates is because pirates are really cool guys. Pirates are personable and funny. So he always writes his essay in such a way that he is able to showcase the character of the pirates and let them shine.Stephen King would also mention the 'I' word frequently in his essay. Stephen King would say, 'I am proud of my country.' It is important to give tribute to your country, so you have to mention the 'I' word very often in your essay. You must also use the 'I' word for describing your characters.So the other thing that we can easily note from Stephen King's essay is that the writer should give the reader an insight into his character. A very famous quote that Stephen King h as used is 'Keep your characters human, even when you're writing a story about magical beings.' As you can see, this is really true. Writing an essay is not like writing a fiction story.Stephen King never uses any humor in his essay. Even though he wrote some of his essays about pirates were really cool guys, Stephen King made sure that his readers understood that he is making fun of pirates. And he makes fun of them in such a way that the reader feels the way that he feels. Stephen King writes in a funny way to make his readers feel as if they were actually there, experiencing the events that happened in his story. You can easily notice this in Stephen King's essays.So, what is the benefit of reading Stephen King's essays? The reader gets to hear stories and experiences that he has had in his life and if he likes them, he can share them with his friends or family members. And this is why many Stephen King fans get to know that the author is not kidding when he says that the best es say will always be written at the lowest level of consciousness. So, we can definitely agree that you should read the works of Stephen King every now and then to learn more about what his story is all about.

How to Use a Sample Student Essay As a Writing Tip

How to Use a Sample Student Essay As a Writing TipA sample student essay is a powerful tool for making your reader see what they are getting into when they read a piece of work. This is especially true if the reader knows some about you, is a close friend or someone who is involved in your life. They have no doubt seen the same lines over. By presenting your article using an example like this, you help the reader see the content you want them to read.So how do you use a sample student essay? You are going to want to put your statement sentence right at the beginning. A statement sentence is a very simple sentence that starts with a bolded initial, followed by an initial hyphen, followed by a middle initial and a final capitalized initial. Most college students get this right and the rest of the writing gets dropped. If you're still having trouble, let me give you some examples.Sample paragraph - I thought that my husband was the perfect man to marry me. Our lives would have been so m uch better if we had started out together. The reason we fell in love is because he was the best man at my sister's wedding and she felt he could do it the best.Using the sample has helped the learning curve quite a bit. You will not find this style in most other writing samples. It also is far more unique than a few other tips for writing.Another way to use this example as a student essay tip is to change the word 'I' into 'we'we' into 'you'. Instead, of 'I feel'I am', you will want to use 'I Feel', 'I Am', or 'I Know' to keep the line between casual and light.Another student essay tip is to create your own title. You can use words like, I feel, I am, or 'I know' depending on whether you are saying something in a personal or professional context. You can also use the adjective to describe the person instead of the noun.So now you know how to use a sample student essay to help you with your writing. Remember that the final product you will see is much different from this article. Us e the tips above to make sure you don't make any mistakes while you write your next piece of work.

Introduction Of The Sarbanes Oxley Act Accounting Essay Essay Example

Introduction Of The Sarbanes Oxley Act Accounting Essay Essay Today, the development of concern confronts multiple challenges and jobs because some public companies, including non-profit organisations, tend to fraud and manipulate with information every bit good as fiscal resources to better their public presentation and to keep their positive public image. At the same clip, the ignorance of basic regulations and norms of concern moralss leads to downfall of big organisations. In this regard, it is deserving adverting the instance of Enron which really stimulated legislators to modulate public companies accounting to increase their transparence and dependability. In such a state of affairs, legislators seemingly attempted to protect investors and stakeholders from possible losingss caused by deceitful actions of some individuals playing taking parts in public presentation of public companies. In footings of new regulatory policies the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was implemented in 2002 to protect investors and better public companies answerability. We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction Of The Sarbanes Oxley Act Accounting Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction Of The Sarbanes Oxley Act Accounting Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction Of The Sarbanes Oxley Act Accounting Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer On analysing the debut of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, it is necessary to take into consideration the context in which the act was implemented and grounds why it was implemented. In this respect, the Enron dirt played the cardinal function in the execution of the act. The Enron dirt has revealed legion jobs that exists in the modern American concern every bit good as political relations. At the same clip, the nucleus of all the jobs of Enron ballads in the outlook of top executives and such big corporations every bit Enron every bit good as smaller 1s. In actuality, the discord for net income and maximization of net incomes become the dominant factors which define the policy of companies and their schemes. In such a context, it is possible to gauge that such a chase of maximal net income is based on the rule that ends justify agencies. On the other manus, the negative experience of Enron absolutely proves the extent to which this rule is erroneous and to what black effects the dis cord for maximal net incomes can take. In such a state of affairs, it is obvious that the dominating A ; acirc ; ˆ?bottom line A ; acirc ; ˆA? outlook of corporations should be wholly changed and corporations should be witting of high hazards of their discord for maximal net incomes. On analysing the current state of affairs and modern concern environment, it is necessary to underscore that fast and immense net income goes in front of ethical issues and moral concerns in the modern concern. As a consequence, basic moral and ethical norms are easy violated when a corporation receives a opportunity to increase its net incomes systematically. In fact, today, moralss and morality are inferior, while net income is superior and it is really hard to alter such a outlook. However, it is necessary to get down moving right now to alter the state of affairs for better. In this regard, it is possible to urge debut of ethical codifications which could specify basic ethical norms and rules modulating the relationship within corporations between executives and employees every bit good as the policy of corporations and its external dealingss with its client and concern spouses. However, the creative activity of ethical codifications is instead a benevolent action which does non take to existent legal duty of corporations for its unfair or unethical policies. At the same clip, it is obvious that Enron has violated non merely ethical but besides legal norms. Therefore, the Enron dirt could be prevented if governmental bureaus performed their maps efficaciously. The province control over the policy of the company and the correspondence of its actions to the bing legal norms could minimise the hazard of the failure of Enron. Furthermore, the force per unit area from the portion of the province in the signifier of a rigorous control could increase the duty of top executives of Enron and, therefore, it could forestall the ruin of the corporation and the dirt which accompanied the ruin. In such a manner, it is possible to reason that the current profit-oriented outlook can be changed on the status that actions are undertaken in two dimensions. On the one manus, corporations should alter their policies and organisational civilization and go ethically more responsible that may necessitate the debut of ethical codifications in corporations. On the other manus, the function of the province is really important since the province is the major regulator which should command the legality of policies of corporations. In such a manner, the Enron dirt revealed the ineffectualness of bing ordinances and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was supposed to better the state of affairs. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act enhances fiscal coverage of public organisations, including non-profit organisations. The legislators attempted to do fiscal describing more crystalline and prevent any hazard of fraud or uses. For this intent, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act introduced the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board which should supervise and command fiscal coverage of a public company. In add-on, the act stressed the independency of hearers that maximized the effectivity and objectiveness of scrutinizing minimising the hazard of mistakes and misunderstanding of fiscal facts. The act increased the corporation duty for the truth and completeness of corporate fiscal studies. The act enhanced fiscal revelations and defined the behavior of securities analysts to increase the assurance of investors in transparence and dependability of public organisations. In such a state of affairs, a non-profit organisation should besides better its accounting system to run into the Sarbanes-Oxley Act A ; acirc ; ˆâ„ ¢s demands. In this regard, it should be said that the non-profit organisation should present alterations to run into the demands of the act. To set it more exactly, the non-profit organisation has to make the public company oversight board which should include independent professionals who can supervise and command fiscal coverage of the non-profit organisation to turn out the populace that the non-profit organisations maps in conformity to bing legal norms. In add-on, the board will be a auxiliary component of control to forestall the hazard of frauds in fiscal coverage of the organisations. Furthermore, the non-profit organisation may necessitate to alter its hearers and extent their entree to the organisation A ; acirc ; ˆâ„ ¢s fiscal coverage and accounting. In such a manner, it will be possible to maximise the indep endency of hearers and to show the transparence of the organisation. Furthermore, the non-profit organisation should concentrate on the development of an effectual accounting system and fiscal coverage to do it more crystalline and governable. Therefore, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 purposes at the bar of frauds and sweetening of fiscal coverage of public companies, including non-profit organisations. The latter may necessitate to present alterations mentioned above to run into demands of the act.

5 Types of Punctuation Problems

5 Types of Punctuation Problems 5 Types of Punctuation Problems 5 Types of Punctuation Problems By Mark Nichol Each of the following sentences omits or misuses punctuation, resulting in possible confusion when a word or phrase is attached to a main clause or a transition occurs. Discussion and revision explain and resolve each error. 1. He has no clue period. What is a clue period? There is no such thing. The person in question has no clue, and the speaker or writer emphasizes the point by appending the word period to the sentence to suggest finality; this tag word must be separated from the main clause by a comma to clarify its nonessential nature: â€Å"He has no clue, period.† 2. It was the kind of dialogue sitcom writers aspire to create, only it was a real conversation. Only is an interjection, so it must be set off from the independent clause that follows. However, a stronger form of punctuation must precede it so that only does not appear to be parenthetical because it is bracketed by a pair of commas: â€Å"It was the kind of dialogue sitcom writers aspire to create- only, it was a real conversation.† 3. The reality is no industry is exempt from at least assessing the implications of the new standard. A phrase like â€Å"the reality is† sets up the main clause of the sentence, so it must be set off from the statement: â€Å"The reality is, no industry is exempt from at least assessing the implications of the new standard.† (Alternatively, that can replace the punctuation: â€Å"The reality is that no industry is exempt from at least assessing the implications of the new standard.†) 4. She was one of just a handful of delegates who were willing to speak to the media as many fear for the safety of family still living in North Korea. As could be misunderstood to mean â€Å"while,† so a comma must be inserted between the main clause and the dependent clause to clarify that it is standing in for because: â€Å"She was one of just a handful of delegates who were willing to speak to the media, as many fear for the safety of family still living in North Korea.† 5. The adoption of the technology hasn’t moved more quickly because there remains a general lack of understanding about it. This sentence presents a miscue- the potential for reader misunderstanding because the uninterrupted nature of the sentence implies that an explanation of why the technology adoption has moved more quickly will follow. To clarify that no such information is forthcoming, break the sentence before the conjunction: â€Å"The adoption of the technology hasn’t moved more quickly, because there remains a general lack of understanding about it.† (Better yet, invert the sentence and adjust the wording of the main clause as needed: â€Å"Because there remains a general lack of understanding about the technology, its adoption has been slow.†) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Arrive To vs. Arrive At"Confused With" and "Confused About"75 Synonyms for â€Å"Hard†