工厂英语：任务状态，用“close”，还是“closed”？

Jason工厂英语，专为工厂及工厂从业人员提升英语水平。

今天收到的第一封邮件，是工厂的IPQC（in-process quality control, 在制过程质量控制）组长发出来的IPQC巡检不合格项记录表。

IPQC Daily Audit Report (Jun 09, 2023)

当前状态，有的是“Open”，有的是“Close”。我相信，大部分基层管理人员会说: “对啊，没问题啊，这样很清晰明了。”

然而，作为一名严谨的英文使用者，我要说这里至少犯了两层错误。

首先，与“未完成open” 相对的 “已完成”，不是close，而应该是closed。

“close” 这个词有两个词性：

1、 动词，读音为/kləʊz/，主要是指“关闭”这一动作。它的过去分词为“closed /kləʊzd/”，也可当作形容词用，意为“关闭的”。

2、 形容词，读音为/kləʊs/，主要是指“（空间或时间上）接近的，靠近的”。

第二，open和closed使用不精确，并不能准确地描述工作任务的完成状态。

清晰地表达一项任务的完成状况，建议用以下英语单词：

- Completed: “已完成”，表示任务已成功完成

- In progress/Ongoing: “进行中”，表示任务仍在进行，处于未完成状态

- Pending: “待进行”，表示任务还没有开始或处于中止等待状态

- Cancelled: “已取消”，表示任务已取消，无需完成

- Failed: “已失败”，表示任务经努力后无法成功达成预定目标。

以下英语问答，供有兴趣者深入了解：

To describe the completion status of an assigned task, which word is the correct one between "close" and "closed"? Why?

The correct word to use when describing the completion status of an assigned task is "closed." "Closed" is the past tense form of the verb "close," which makes it the appropriate term to use to indicate that the task has been completed or finished.

"Close" is the present tense of the verb, and it would not accurately convey the completion status of the task. Therefore, "closed" is the correct word to use to indicate that the task has been completed and is no longer active.

On the other hand, the word "close" can be used as an adjective to describe proximity or distance, it is not appropriate to use "close" to describe the completion status of corrective actions on a task list.

Corrective actions on a task list should be described using words that clearly indicate the status of the action, such as "completed," "resolved," or "closed out." These words provide more specific information about the status and outcome of the corrective action, which is essential for tracking progress and ensuring that tasks are completed successfully.

Using "close" as an adjective to describe completed corrective actions could be confusing and may not accurately convey the status of the action. Therefore, it is not recommended to use "close" in this context.

Is it the right way to mark the completion status of a task as "open" or "closed"? why?

No, it is not the sufficient way to mark the completion status of a task as "open" or "closed" as these terms do not accurately reflect the status of completion.

"Open" typically means that a task has been created and is waiting to be started or assigned to someone. It does not convey any information about the progress or completion status of the task.

"Closed" typically means that a task has been completed, but it does not provide any information about the progress or completion status during the course of the task.

It is better to use more descriptive terms like "completed", "in progress/ongoing", "pending", "cancelled", or "failed" to indicate the status of completion, as they provide clear information about the progress of the task and its status.

- Completed: Indicates that the task has been finished successfully

- In progress/Ongoing: Indicates that the task is still being worked on and is not yet finished

- Pending: Indicates that the task has not yet been started or is waiting for further action

- Cancelled: Indicates that the task has been cancelled and will not be completed

- Failed: Indicates that the task was attempted but was not successful in achieving its intended objective.