Question

Shay did not turn in her time sheet at work. She says she simply forgot, but her manager has to write up a report anyway. Which of the following words could her manager use to show this problem in the most positive way? (5 points)

Definite falsehood


Honest mistake


Neglectful behavior


Serious infringement

Answer 1

B) Honest mistake

It’s important to note that words can have a negative connotation, and they can have a positive connotation. When we look at all the possible answers, all of them actually have negative words within them. However, only one of them (Option B) has a positive word—“honest.” Thus, out of all answers, Option B is the least negative because “honest” sort of balances out the negative connotation word, “mistake.”

Answer 2

The correct answer is B.

If the manager seeks to write the report in the most positive way, he should use the phrase "honest mistake."

This phrase acknowledges that Shay did make a mistake but did not do it with bad intent. It reflects that the event was merely an isolated accident.