Match criticism to the conduct
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
Later, the manager distinguished a real seating problem from nitpicking about whether a reusable mug matched the kitchen's paint. She chose to reprimand the tenant after he repeatedly insulted colleagues despite a clear request to stop. The conduct was reproachable because it knowingly made a shared space hostile, not because his taste differed from anyone else's. A fair response required the manager to identify what deserved criticism and avoid accumulating irrelevant complaints merely to make her case sound larger.
During the follow-up conversation, the tenant called every objection nitpicking, but the manager explained why repeated personal insults were substantial concerns. To reprimand him fairly, the manager named the behavior, described the expected change, and avoided criticizing harmless choices of clothing or lunch. Calling the insults reproachable expressed justified disapproval of those actions rather than declaring the whole person incapable of improvement. The next gathering gave everyone a concrete opportunity to see whether the shared expectations were being followed.
Before you move on
Look away from the passage. Can you explain each focus word in your own words?
Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.