Aim or Goal, when to use

Question

Who can tell me when to use Aim or Goal?

Exapmle:

The aim/goal is to salvage the wreck.
We left with the aim/goal to succeed in our quest
Our companies aim/goal is to reach the customer fast

When use AIM and when use GOAL???

Please Help?

Henk

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

'Goal' tends to focus more on the end, while 'aim' tends to focus slightly on the means, but they seem functionally synonymous to me here, Henk.

The second sentence would be better by changing to 'the aim/goal of succeeding'.

Henk · Answer

Dear Mr. Micawber,

Thank you so much for your help.
I am so very glad to find this forum, although the whole concept, how it all works, I have to find out later.

I now found the Track button on top of my writing window. It let me know that you wrote an answer to my question and even sent me the text by e-mail. This is so very nice.

I never understood the letters e.g. but I found an English dictionary on this computer and now I understand why I could not figger out the abridgement for "For example" and "In example" (I don't know when to use which) The letters e.g. looks like short for a latin language as i.e. Thank you so much. Now I am not affrait to use the abridgements.

Thank you also for the goal or aim explanation. It is nice to learn so much.

About the terms in my workfield; I know of course a lot but it is some times hard to use them in a sentence. Our language namely shifts words compared to English.

Like e.g. "I like to sit on the chair" would be in Dutch "I like on the chair to sit" and so forth.

Because I feel very comfortable with your knowledge I would like to ask you for one favour more if you please?

I just finished a translated webpage in English and it tells a very, very sad and delicate story about a project that we had in 1997 and 1998. If I made small mistakes, it is not so bad but because there are parents of two of their deceased children involved, I have to know if I made a bad mistake that can hurt their and others feelings.

Are you willing to read the small story on our website and see if you notice bad mistakes?
If not, I can understand and still thank you so much for your help.

The page is http://www.metaldec.nl/eng/jason.html and I just finished the translation from Dutch to English.

With kind regards,

Henk

Mister Micawber · Answer

'E.g.' means 'for example' and 'i.e.' means 'that is' (clarification following).

It's very late here in Japan now, but if no one else has done so in the meantime, I will check your webpage tomorrow.

Henk · Answer

Dear Mr. Micawber,

Thank you again very much and I am so happy you want to check it.
I know there must be many mistakes on the English website but as long as they are accaptable, it is not a crime.

I wish you a very good night and hope to hear from you again.
Good luck with your teaching and other things.

Kindest regards,

Henk

Mister Micawber · Answer

Hi Henk,

I just read through the story. You have done a very good job, and the deaths and family feelings are very sympathetically and delicately presented, so no need for you to worry on that point. It is also an interesting tale. You have an interesting occupation.

There are no major problems, but only a few small grammar mistakes. I was unable to paste and copy your text because of the copyright, but if you are willing to post a copy here, I'll make some repairs for you.

MM

Henk · Answer

Dear Mr. Micawber,

Thank you so very much again for your kindness and help.
I am very glad that there are no major mistakes in this story because I was afraid to hurt the people involved in this project.

It is a so very sad story. At least the parents at the moment find their peace in the video tape that we made for them. On this tape the wreck is bathing in sunlight and that is very uncommon for 135 meters deep and covered by so many fish. When we worked there (I have beed there for 3 weeks and later on for 2 months) it was always like that and we rarely saw the wreck itself due to the vast amounts of fish. Dolphins where playing over the wrecksite, hunting the fish. When te parents saw this, they finally said; OH, is this how it is? They bow their heads to the ground and cried and said; we could never give them a more beautifull grave then this; full of life and Joy. But somehow, especially the fathers wish is that we, some day, are able to retrieve his child from the sea floor to bring her back home. The Greek parents chose it was the best way like it is now. They have a different culture and religion. The father of Emmy once told me that while his daughter was still alive, she asked him; dady, when something bad happens to me in Greece when I start my new life there, will you make sure to bring me home? Of course he promised, not knowing this situation in advance so he is really a broken man now. The brother however knows for sure his sister told him many times that when she had to day, she would like to be burried in the sea because she loved it so much as I do too. Oh dear Mr. Micawber, this story is so very long so I better stop.

As I write you this, I still have trouble to keep my feelings under control. It is so strange. Sometimes I think the parents now, after so many years, have more piece in their hearts then I have, because I failed, although it was all out of my hands. I have seen with my own eyes that there is nothing more worse in life (from my point of view) then to loose a child.

I am sorry dear Mr. Micawber for my explenation but when I write about this so very special and tragic story, I always write to much I think. Maybe you like to know all this so you know why I asked you to look at this pages?

I took away the protection so I hope you will change the mistakes for me? I am so glad for this and thankfull. It concerns the page I mentioned and a related page with a very limited amount of text. This is directly translated from one of the many newspaper artickles so I could not change much due to the fact that it has to be an exact copy, other wise it would not be appropriate? I only hope I did not make a mistake in the translation.

The pages are:

http://www.metaldec.nl/eng/jason.html
http://www.metaldec.nl/eng/smittak.html

Thank you again for so much effort and I wish you a pleasent day in Japan.
I wish to see it one day.

Henk

Mister Micawber · Answer

No need to feel hesitant, Henk. It is indeed a very unique and affecting narrative, and I am glad you have shared it with us here.

I copied your two stories onto Wordpad, and did a thorough edit-- there were actually a lot of little points, so you will have to compare the two versions carefully to notice all the minor changes.

How do you want the Wordpad document? I will e-mail it to you if you give me your address; or I can post it here. Please advise.

Best regards,
MM

Henk · Answer

Thank you so much again and for your understanding dear Mr. Micawber.

Please send it to my e-mail address at Email Removed

I will let you know about the changes and will be very carefull.
Thank you again and if I can do something for you in return, please say so.

With great respect,

Henk

Mister Micawber · Answer

Sent it off just now, Henk-- let me know if you didn't receive it.

Happy to be of service.

Henk · Answer

Dear Mr. Micawber,

I received yesterday the corections in the translation and was extremely happy with it.
When I copied and paste your corrections and read it again, some sentences read more smooth then before. I happen to shift parts of sentences from left to richt and the other way arround. Then all these subtile changes; one has to know all these things and that is so hard to learn well. Even in my own language I'm not good at this.

I was wondering dear sir, why you didn't use the word "feet" in the 2 sentences "enter the wreck at a depth of 443" and "usable up to a depth of 1150" while in the rest of the text you use foot or feet. I folowed the conversation on the forum subject about foot or feet and I think I understood it in a way but why say the ship was 28-foot and not 28 foot???

Then why the marks - (don't know the name) in "29-year-old Emmy Nijssen"?
The marks I don't understand as in the feet story and why not just "29 year old"?
Can you explain why it is "for many years now" and "for one year now"??? When the years are plural, one has to put a "S" behind year. But with numbers not??? I thought it was "1 year" and "2 years" or "1 meter" and "2 meters"???

If you like dear sir, please explain if you have some time left in the comming weeks?
It is not as important as the special website but I like to learn English so much.

Thank you very much for all you have done for me and I am so proud because now I am able to present the story to many people that at the time assisted me so much but only understood English and many, never new the story. Only parts of it and that was enough for them to help us.

I hope that you will stay here on this website for many years and help many people who, just like me, are willing to learn English better then before.

With the deepest respect I send you my best regards,

Henk

PS: I am away today to a Marine fair (hope it is interesting) so I only can answer tomorrow. By the time I am back at the office (or IN the office???) you are in bed.

Aim or Goal, when to use

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