'administration for manager' vs. 'of manager'

[Stone]

English Error, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #12 "At the Finance Company Again", question 2

My job is to handle the day to day administration at my area manager who has got ten offices to run.

(a) is
(b) at
(c) run

English Error, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #12 "At the Finance Company Again", answer 2

My job is to handle the day to day administration for my area manager who has got ten offices to run.

Correct entry: for
The error was: (b) at

You have found the error but your entry is incorrect.
My job is to handle the day to day administration of my area manager who has got ten offices to run.
_________________________

Dear Sir

why not "of" here

Thanks a lot in advance

Stone

[Fan of Arabian horses]

Hi Stone!

I often dispute with prepositions too. But here, i think , it has to do with the subordinate clause.

Your area manager?s main duty is to keep ten offices running and your job is to help him in that way you handle the day to day administration.

Your suggestion sounds like a complaint: It is his duty to handle the day to day administration but that lazy bone don?t do anything. So i must do that.

I would enjoy a professional opinion regarding this theme!

Regards

Michael

[Yankee]

Hi Stone, Hi Fan of Arabian horses,

You can administer things, work, medicine, etc.

But you definitely cannot administer a person! It also doesn't make any sense. Unfortunately, that's exactly what "the day to day administration of my area manager" means and that's why the word "of" is wrong.

Hope that helps.
Amy

[Fan of Arabian horses]

Hi yankee!

Your explanation makes perfectly sense! You only can adminster things you can put away into any kind of deposit or resting room.

But here in Germany there are words like "Sch?lerverwaltung" ?administration of pupil` or "Gefangenenverwaltung" ?administration of prisoners? or "Personalverwaltung" ?administration of personal?. Might them be correct translated with pupil office, prisoner office or personal office?
I never thought through that words. But the meaning of this words is that the enumerated people become adminstered there. Of course, not the people in person will be rested here but their documents. So might be the German words incorrect? Or is the difinition of the English administration different from the German Verwaltung anyway?
And what about prisoners? They are people although rested in jails!

Would you please let me know your opinion about that?

Regards

Michael

[Yankee]

Hi Michael

Good comments! Good questions!

I don't think I would ever create a sentence with something like "the administration of the students", but rather something like "the school board", "the school administration" or possibly "the administration of student activities/affairs", etc.

To be honest, "the administration of people" (i.e. plural) doesn't sound as quite bad to me as "the administration of one person" (i.e. singular). But I still don't like either one. On the other hand, it IS possible to talk about, for example, "the Bush Administration"...

If you translate the German word "Verwaltung" as "management", then it would be perfectly OK to talk about the management of people/employees, etc.

The German word 'Verwaltung' has several different English translations. 'Administration' is one. 'Management' is another. And there are more. Do you know "Leo", the online dictionary? Just look at all the possible German translations for the English word 'administration'!

Look for "Verwaltungsrat" in Leo. Not only will you find "administration", but also "board" in the translations.

The translation of a word usually depends on the context. This is where doing lots of reading and listening can help. And also lots of practice here!

Bye for now
Amy