Lesson 30: Presentation #1
The presentation will start at 10am Friday.
Remember this is a power point presentation (either save it on a memory stick or on a CD)
The presentation will be 20 minutes each then we will have a questioning period.
Then we will have a discussion about that presentation....what is good about that presentation and what can be improved...
remember no READING paragraphs.....only index cards....paragraphs are only for backup....
remember to introduce yourself in the beginning....
remember always have a backup plan....don't rely too much faith on technology......If plan A doesn't work...move to plan B
REMEMBER TO REHEARSE....and be confident ...
GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL....
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Lesson 29: Preparation for Presentation #3
Part 1: Look at your progress…and class time to work on project
Brainstorm Ideas
Organized Agendas
Expansion
Paragraphs
Editing/ Proofreading
Important points on index card
Practice and Rehearsal
Presentation (on Friday)
Part 2: Trouble Spot in Writing
When someone complains that a person “can’t write,” they are most often referring to errors that person makes in grammar and usage. Below are the top 25 writing hot spots.
The 25 Top Writing Errors
Grammar and Usage
1. Lack of clarity
2. Redundancy (unnecessary words)
3. Problems with subject-verb agreement
4. Lack of parallel structure
5. Wrong verb tense
6. Mixed metaphors
7. Dangling modifiers
8. Misplaced modifiers
9. Incorrect idioms
10. Biased language
11. Incorrect voice (active versus passive voice)
Sentences
12. Fragments (incomplete sentences)
13. Run-ons (two sentences run together)
Spelling
14. Missing letters
15. Extra letters
16. Transposed letters
17. Incorrect plurals
18. Errors in confusing word pairs (such as weather/whether)
Punctuation
19. Missing commas or extra commas
20. Missing or misused apostrophes
21. Misused exclamation marks
22. Misused semicolons
Capitalization
23. Proper nouns not capitalized
24. Errors in titles
Proofreading
25. Missing words
Let go over them one by one….
1. Lack of clarity
Incorrect: Prehistoric people used many inorganic substances difficult to find at archaeological sites, which included clay and rock.
Correct: Prehistoric people used many inorganic substances, including clay and rock, which are difficult to find at archaeological sites.
Sentences can be confusing for many different reasons. In the previous example, too many phrases come between the pronoun and its antecedent. As a result, the pronoun reference gets confusing.
If you’re having trouble constructing logical and cohesive sentences,
here’s the quick and dirty lowdown:
_ One sentence = one complete thought. Don’t cram too much into one sentence.
_ The more complex your ideas, the shorter and more simple your sentences should be.
_ Check that all parts of the sentence are logically related. Are they in the same tense, for example?
_ Reread your sentences to make sure all pronouns refer to their antecedents and are placed as close as possible to them.
_ Check that you have punctuated your sentences correctly.
2. Redundancy (unnecessary words)
Incorrect: If you reread your work, you will find upon serious reconsideration that a great deal of repetition can be avoided by careful editing and revising and attentive re-evaluation. Scrupulous editing can also help you make your writing less wordy.
Correct: If you reread your work, you will find that a great deal of repetition can be avoided by careful editing.
Long-winded writing may sound educated and impressive, but it actually turns off your audience because it wastes their time. Say what you need to say concisely. Since your writing will be more intelligible, it will communicate its message directly.
3. Problems with subject-verb agreement
Incorrect: Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
Correct: Verbs have to agree with their subjects.
Agreement means that sentence parts match, singular to singular and plural to plural.
Since the subject verbs is plural, it takes a plural verb, agree.
This is confusing because we add -s or -es to make the third-person singular form of most verbs but add -s or -es to make the plural form of most nouns. For example, he starts is singular, but six papers is plural. Both end in s.
4. Lack of parallel structure
Not parallel: To avoid getting hit by lightning, never seek protection under a tree, lying down on wet ground, or staying on a bike.
Parallel: To avoid getting hit by lightning, never seek protection under a tree, lie down on wet ground, or stay on a bike.
Parallel structure means putting ideas of the same rank in the same grammatical structure.
Your writing (and speech) should have parallel words, phrases, and clauses.
_ Parallel words share the same part of speech (such as nouns, adjectives, or verbs) and tense (if the words are verbs).
_ Parallel phrases create an underlying rhythm in your speech and writing.
_ Parallel clauses also give your writing balance.
5. Wrong verb tense
Incorrect: President John Quincy Adams owns a pet alligator, which he kept in the East Room of the White House.
Correct: President John Quincy Adams owned a pet alligator, which he kept in the East Room of the White House.
The tense of a verb shows its time. English has six verb tenses. Each of the six tenses has two forms: basic and progressive (also known as “perfect”). In the example here, the action takes place in the past, so the past tense must be used.
6. Mixed metaphors
Incorrect: Take the bull by the toe.
Correct: Take the bull by the horns.
Metaphors are figures of speech that compare two unlike things to explain the less familiar object. When used correctly, metaphors make your writing more descriptive and precise. In most instances, metaphors use words for more than their literal meaning.
Here, for example, we’re not literally talking about grabbing a bull by the horns; rather, we’re figuratively talking about seizing an opportunity.
For a metaphor to be effective, it must compare images or objects that go together. Here, for instance, we would grab a bull’s horns, not its toes. When two clashing images are combined in one comparison, we get a mixed metaphor, which confuses readers.
7. Dangling modifiers
Incorrect: Flying over the countryside, cars and houses looked like toys.
Correct: As we flew over the countryside, cars and houses looked like toys.
A modifier is a word or phrase that describe a subject, verb, or object. (To “modify” is to qualify the meaning.). The modifier is said to “dangle” when the word it modifies has been left out of the sentence. Dangling modifiers confuse your readers and obscure your meaning because the sentence doesn’t make sense.
Correct a dangling modifier by adding the word or words that have been left out. Here, the subject we was added and flying was changed to flew so the sentence makes sense.
And while we’re dangling, let’s look at another mangled construction, dangling participles.
A participle is a verb ending in -ing. It is dangling when the subject of the participle and the subject of the sentence don’t agree. For example:
Incorrect: Rushing to finish the paper, Bob’s printer broke.
The subject is Bob’s printer, but the printer isn’t doing the rushing.
Correct: While Bob was rushing to finish the paper, his printer broke.
One way to tell whether the participle is dangling is to put the clause with the participle right after the subject of the sentence: “Bob’s printer, rushing to finish the paper, broke.”
You can easily hear that it doesn’t sound right.
Note: Not all words that end in -ing are participles. For example: “Completing the task by Tuesday is your next assignment.” The word completing functions as a noun, not a verb.
(Nouns ending in -ing are called gerunds.)
8. Misplaced modifiers
Incorrect: My parents bought a kitten for my sister they call Paws.
Correct: My parents bought a kitten they call Paws for my sister.
A misplaced modifier is a phrase, clause, or word placed too far from the noun or pronoun it describes. As a result, the sentence fails to convey your exact meaning. As this sentence is written, it means that the sister, not the kitten, is named Paws. That’s because the modifier they call Paws is in the wrong place in the sentence. To correct a misplaced modifier, move the modifier as close as possible to the word or phrase it describes.
9. Incorrect idioms
Incorrect: It’s raining cats and puppies.
Correct: It’s raining cats and dogs.
The phrase “It’s raining cats and dogs” is an idiom, an expression that has a figurative rather than literal meaning. Expressions such as “make a big deal out of it,” “on the double,” and “down and out” are idioms. If you decide to use idioms in your writing, be sure to use the correct phrase.
For instance, it’s idiomatic to say, “She talked down to him.”
It’s not idiomatic to say, “She talked under to him.”
Idiomatic prepositions are very common and just as hard to use.
In general, avoid idioms in any writing aimed for a foreign audience, since nonnative speakers often find idioms difficult to decipher.
10. Biased language
Incorrect: That old geezer is taking my parking space!
Correct: That man is taking my parking space!
Avoid language that denigrates people because of their age, gender, race, or physical condition. This is especially crucial in business, where such language could result in a lawsuit.
11. Incorrect voice (active versus passive voice)
Passive voice: The meeting was attended by the executive.
Active voice: The executive attended the meeting.
English has two voices: active and passive. A verb is active when the subject performs the action. A verb is passive when its action is performed upon the subject. The active voice is clearer and
more concise than the passive voice.
Even though the active voice is stronger than the passive voice, you should use the passive voice in these two situations:
_ To avoid placing blame (“A mistake was made” rather than “You made a mistake.”)
_ To avoid identifying the doer of the action (“The letter was sent” rather than “Nicole sent the letter.”)
12. Fragments (incomplete sentences)
Fragment: If you want to be clearly understood.
Correct: Don’t write sentence fragments if you want to be clearly understood.
Every sentence must have three things:
_ A subject: the “doer” of the action. The subject will be a noun or pronoun.
_ A verb: what the subject does.
_ A complete thought.
The fragment in this example is missing a subject and a verb. As a result, the group of words does not express a complete thought.
13. Run-ons (two sentences run together)
Run-on: Daddy longlegs spiders are more poisonous than black widows, daddy longlegs spiders cannot bite humans because their jaws won’t open wide enough.
Correct: Daddy longlegs spiders are more poisonous than black widows, but daddy longlegs spiders cannot bite humans because their jaws won’t open wide enough.
or
Daddy longlegs spiders are more poisonous than black widows; however, daddy longlegs cannot bite humans because their jaws won’t open wide enough.
A run-on sentence occurs when two complete sentences (“independent clauses”) are incorrectly joined. Sentences can only be joined with a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet) or a semicolon—a comma doesn’t cut the mustard.
Part 1: Look at your progress…and class time to work on project
Brainstorm Ideas
Organized Agendas
Expansion
Paragraphs
Editing/ Proofreading
Important points on index card
Practice and Rehearsal
Presentation (on Friday)
Part 2: Trouble Spot in Writing
When someone complains that a person “can’t write,” they are most often referring to errors that person makes in grammar and usage. Below are the top 25 writing hot spots.
The 25 Top Writing Errors
Grammar and Usage
1. Lack of clarity
2. Redundancy (unnecessary words)
3. Problems with subject-verb agreement
4. Lack of parallel structure
5. Wrong verb tense
6. Mixed metaphors
7. Dangling modifiers
8. Misplaced modifiers
9. Incorrect idioms
10. Biased language
11. Incorrect voice (active versus passive voice)
Sentences
12. Fragments (incomplete sentences)
13. Run-ons (two sentences run together)
Spelling
14. Missing letters
15. Extra letters
16. Transposed letters
17. Incorrect plurals
18. Errors in confusing word pairs (such as weather/whether)
Punctuation
19. Missing commas or extra commas
20. Missing or misused apostrophes
21. Misused exclamation marks
22. Misused semicolons
Capitalization
23. Proper nouns not capitalized
24. Errors in titles
Proofreading
25. Missing words
Let go over them one by one….
1. Lack of clarity
Incorrect: Prehistoric people used many inorganic substances difficult to find at archaeological sites, which included clay and rock.
Correct: Prehistoric people used many inorganic substances, including clay and rock, which are difficult to find at archaeological sites.
Sentences can be confusing for many different reasons. In the previous example, too many phrases come between the pronoun and its antecedent. As a result, the pronoun reference gets confusing.
If you’re having trouble constructing logical and cohesive sentences,
here’s the quick and dirty lowdown:
_ One sentence = one complete thought. Don’t cram too much into one sentence.
_ The more complex your ideas, the shorter and more simple your sentences should be.
_ Check that all parts of the sentence are logically related. Are they in the same tense, for example?
_ Reread your sentences to make sure all pronouns refer to their antecedents and are placed as close as possible to them.
_ Check that you have punctuated your sentences correctly.
2. Redundancy (unnecessary words)
Incorrect: If you reread your work, you will find upon serious reconsideration that a great deal of repetition can be avoided by careful editing and revising and attentive re-evaluation. Scrupulous editing can also help you make your writing less wordy.
Correct: If you reread your work, you will find that a great deal of repetition can be avoided by careful editing.
Long-winded writing may sound educated and impressive, but it actually turns off your audience because it wastes their time. Say what you need to say concisely. Since your writing will be more intelligible, it will communicate its message directly.
3. Problems with subject-verb agreement
Incorrect: Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
Correct: Verbs have to agree with their subjects.
Agreement means that sentence parts match, singular to singular and plural to plural.
Since the subject verbs is plural, it takes a plural verb, agree.
This is confusing because we add -s or -es to make the third-person singular form of most verbs but add -s or -es to make the plural form of most nouns. For example, he starts is singular, but six papers is plural. Both end in s.
4. Lack of parallel structure
Not parallel: To avoid getting hit by lightning, never seek protection under a tree, lying down on wet ground, or staying on a bike.
Parallel: To avoid getting hit by lightning, never seek protection under a tree, lie down on wet ground, or stay on a bike.
Parallel structure means putting ideas of the same rank in the same grammatical structure.
Your writing (and speech) should have parallel words, phrases, and clauses.
_ Parallel words share the same part of speech (such as nouns, adjectives, or verbs) and tense (if the words are verbs).
_ Parallel phrases create an underlying rhythm in your speech and writing.
_ Parallel clauses also give your writing balance.
5. Wrong verb tense
Incorrect: President John Quincy Adams owns a pet alligator, which he kept in the East Room of the White House.
Correct: President John Quincy Adams owned a pet alligator, which he kept in the East Room of the White House.
The tense of a verb shows its time. English has six verb tenses. Each of the six tenses has two forms: basic and progressive (also known as “perfect”). In the example here, the action takes place in the past, so the past tense must be used.
6. Mixed metaphors
Incorrect: Take the bull by the toe.
Correct: Take the bull by the horns.
Metaphors are figures of speech that compare two unlike things to explain the less familiar object. When used correctly, metaphors make your writing more descriptive and precise. In most instances, metaphors use words for more than their literal meaning.
Here, for example, we’re not literally talking about grabbing a bull by the horns; rather, we’re figuratively talking about seizing an opportunity.
For a metaphor to be effective, it must compare images or objects that go together. Here, for instance, we would grab a bull’s horns, not its toes. When two clashing images are combined in one comparison, we get a mixed metaphor, which confuses readers.
7. Dangling modifiers
Incorrect: Flying over the countryside, cars and houses looked like toys.
Correct: As we flew over the countryside, cars and houses looked like toys.
A modifier is a word or phrase that describe a subject, verb, or object. (To “modify” is to qualify the meaning.). The modifier is said to “dangle” when the word it modifies has been left out of the sentence. Dangling modifiers confuse your readers and obscure your meaning because the sentence doesn’t make sense.
Correct a dangling modifier by adding the word or words that have been left out. Here, the subject we was added and flying was changed to flew so the sentence makes sense.
And while we’re dangling, let’s look at another mangled construction, dangling participles.
A participle is a verb ending in -ing. It is dangling when the subject of the participle and the subject of the sentence don’t agree. For example:
Incorrect: Rushing to finish the paper, Bob’s printer broke.
The subject is Bob’s printer, but the printer isn’t doing the rushing.
Correct: While Bob was rushing to finish the paper, his printer broke.
One way to tell whether the participle is dangling is to put the clause with the participle right after the subject of the sentence: “Bob’s printer, rushing to finish the paper, broke.”
You can easily hear that it doesn’t sound right.
Note: Not all words that end in -ing are participles. For example: “Completing the task by Tuesday is your next assignment.” The word completing functions as a noun, not a verb.
(Nouns ending in -ing are called gerunds.)
8. Misplaced modifiers
Incorrect: My parents bought a kitten for my sister they call Paws.
Correct: My parents bought a kitten they call Paws for my sister.
A misplaced modifier is a phrase, clause, or word placed too far from the noun or pronoun it describes. As a result, the sentence fails to convey your exact meaning. As this sentence is written, it means that the sister, not the kitten, is named Paws. That’s because the modifier they call Paws is in the wrong place in the sentence. To correct a misplaced modifier, move the modifier as close as possible to the word or phrase it describes.
9. Incorrect idioms
Incorrect: It’s raining cats and puppies.
Correct: It’s raining cats and dogs.
The phrase “It’s raining cats and dogs” is an idiom, an expression that has a figurative rather than literal meaning. Expressions such as “make a big deal out of it,” “on the double,” and “down and out” are idioms. If you decide to use idioms in your writing, be sure to use the correct phrase.
For instance, it’s idiomatic to say, “She talked down to him.”
It’s not idiomatic to say, “She talked under to him.”
Idiomatic prepositions are very common and just as hard to use.
In general, avoid idioms in any writing aimed for a foreign audience, since nonnative speakers often find idioms difficult to decipher.
10. Biased language
Incorrect: That old geezer is taking my parking space!
Correct: That man is taking my parking space!
Avoid language that denigrates people because of their age, gender, race, or physical condition. This is especially crucial in business, where such language could result in a lawsuit.
11. Incorrect voice (active versus passive voice)
Passive voice: The meeting was attended by the executive.
Active voice: The executive attended the meeting.
English has two voices: active and passive. A verb is active when the subject performs the action. A verb is passive when its action is performed upon the subject. The active voice is clearer and
more concise than the passive voice.
Even though the active voice is stronger than the passive voice, you should use the passive voice in these two situations:
_ To avoid placing blame (“A mistake was made” rather than “You made a mistake.”)
_ To avoid identifying the doer of the action (“The letter was sent” rather than “Nicole sent the letter.”)
12. Fragments (incomplete sentences)
Fragment: If you want to be clearly understood.
Correct: Don’t write sentence fragments if you want to be clearly understood.
Every sentence must have three things:
_ A subject: the “doer” of the action. The subject will be a noun or pronoun.
_ A verb: what the subject does.
_ A complete thought.
The fragment in this example is missing a subject and a verb. As a result, the group of words does not express a complete thought.
13. Run-ons (two sentences run together)
Run-on: Daddy longlegs spiders are more poisonous than black widows, daddy longlegs spiders cannot bite humans because their jaws won’t open wide enough.
Correct: Daddy longlegs spiders are more poisonous than black widows, but daddy longlegs spiders cannot bite humans because their jaws won’t open wide enough.
or
Daddy longlegs spiders are more poisonous than black widows; however, daddy longlegs cannot bite humans because their jaws won’t open wide enough.
A run-on sentence occurs when two complete sentences (“independent clauses”) are incorrectly joined. Sentences can only be joined with a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet) or a semicolon—a comma doesn’t cut the mustard.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Lesson 28: Preparation for presentation 2
Part 1: Look at your progress
Part 2: The language of charts
Types of Charts:
Pie chart Bar chart/graph Line graph
Describing Movement:
Increase/Decrease
Recover/Recovery
Go up/Go down
Jump/Slump
Rise/Fall
Surge/Plummet
Improve(ment)/Declined
Reach (a point)/Approach
Types of Movement:
Slight/Slightly
Gradual/Gradually
Sharp/Sharply
Dramatic/Dramatically
Major/Minor
Movement over Time:
There was a gradual decline in sales. (noun usage)
Sales declined gradually. (verb usage)
Enrollment increased by 4% in 1997.
There was a 4% increase in enrollment in 1997.
Immigration rose to 800,000 in 1999. (to a point/number)
Immigration rose by 20,000 in 1999. (by increment)
There was a 20% rise in immigration. (percentage)
Taxes remained the same from 2000 to 2001.
Taxes continued at 15% for two years.
Static (non-movement) Description :
Sales stood at $1,400,000 in 1998.
Profits were $27,000 in 1999.
There was a loss of $21,000 in 2001.
Part 4: The language of picture and graphic
· Let me use a graphic to explain this.
· The graphic shows that ...
· As you can see (in the picture) ...
· In the next / following picture, you can see ...
· Here is another picture.
· The next picture shows how ...
· Let the pictures speak for themselves.
· I think the picture perfectly shows how / that ...
· Now, here you can see ...
Part 5: Use of equipment
Easily your most important piece of equipment is...YOU! Make sure you're in full working order, and check your personal presentation carefully - if you don't, your audience will!
The overhead projector (OHP) displays overhead transparencies (OHTs or OHPTs). It has several advantages over the 35mm slide projector:
The whiteboard (more rarely blackboard or greenboard) is a useful device for spontaneous writing - as in brainstorming, for example. For prepared material, the OHP might be more suitable.
Part 1: Look at your progress
Part 2: The language of charts
Types of Charts:
Pie chart Bar chart/graph Line graph
Describing Movement:
Increase/Decrease
Recover/Recovery
Go up/Go down
Jump/Slump
Rise/Fall
Surge/Plummet
Improve(ment)/Declined
Reach (a point)/Approach
Types of Movement:
Slight/Slightly
Gradual/Gradually
Sharp/Sharply
Dramatic/Dramatically
Major/Minor
Movement over Time:
There was a gradual decline in sales. (noun usage)
Sales declined gradually. (verb usage)
Enrollment increased by 4% in 1997.
There was a 4% increase in enrollment in 1997.
Immigration rose to 800,000 in 1999. (to a point/number)
Immigration rose by 20,000 in 1999. (by increment)
There was a 20% rise in immigration. (percentage)
Taxes remained the same from 2000 to 2001.
Taxes continued at 15% for two years.
Static (non-movement) Description :
Sales stood at $1,400,000 in 1998.
Profits were $27,000 in 1999.
There was a loss of $21,000 in 2001.
Part 4: The language of picture and graphic
· Let me use a graphic to explain this.
· The graphic shows that ...
· As you can see (in the picture) ...
· In the next / following picture, you can see ...
· Here is another picture.
· The next picture shows how ...
· Let the pictures speak for themselves.
· I think the picture perfectly shows how / that ...
· Now, here you can see ...
Part 5: Use of equipment
Easily your most important piece of equipment is...YOU! Make sure you're in full working order, and check your personal presentation carefully - if you don't, your audience will!
The overhead projector (OHP) displays overhead transparencies (OHTs or OHPTs). It has several advantages over the 35mm slide projector:
- it can be used in dayligh
- the user can face the audience
- the user can write or draw directly on the transparency while in use
The whiteboard (more rarely blackboard or greenboard) is a useful device for spontaneous writing - as in brainstorming, for example. For prepared material, the OHP might be more suitable.
The flipchart consists of several leaves of paper that you 'flip' or turn over. Some people prefer the flipchart to the whiteboard, but its use is limited to smaller presentations.
The Slide projector - which must be used in a darkened room - adds a certain drama. Some slide projectors can be synchronised with audio for audio-visual (AV) presentations. These projectors are typically used for larger presentations. The majority take 35mm slides or transparencies (as seen here), but projectors for 6x6cm slides are also available.
Transparencies are projected by an overhead projector or a slide projector onto a screen - in this case a folding screen which can be packed up and transported.
The notebook computer is increasingly being used to display graphics during presentations. It is often used in conjunction with an overhead projector, which actually projects the image from the computer screen onto the wall screen.
Handouts are any documents or samples that you 'hand out' or distribute to your audience. Note that it is not usually a good idea to distribute handouts before your presentation. The audience will read the handouts instead of listening to you.
Part 6: Active Voice vs. Passive Voice
Verbs are also said to be either active (The executive committee approved the new policy) or passive (The new policy was approved by the executive committee) in voice. In the active voice, the subject and verb relationship is straightforward: the subject is a be-er or a do-er and the verb moves the sentence along. In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence is neither a do-er or a be-er, but is acted upon by some other agents or by something unnamed (The new policy was approved).
We find an overabundance of the passive voice in sentences created by self-protective business interests, who use the passive voice to avoid responsibility for actions taken. Thus "Cigarette ads were designed to appeal especially to children" places the burden on the ads — as opposed to "We designed the cigarette ads to appeal especially to children," in which "we" accepts responsibility.
Part 7: Biased Language
Gender-specific Pronoun:
Most gender problems can be avoided without the use of the clunky he or she/ him or her construction by using the plural: "Students planning to graduate this spring should see their counsellor at once." An occasional he or she is all right, but after a while it becomes too demanding of the reader's attention, and the device becomes more important than the message. Where a singular pronoun is necessary, use either the masculine or feminine consistently enough to avoid confusion. (You can switch pronouns within an essay, but not within a paragraph.)
Avoid sexist-terminology:
A responsible, sensitive writer will never make demeaning assumptions about gender role. Whether words such as chairman and congressman are sexist and hurtful and whether their substitutes chairperson and members of congress are unnecessary and cumbersome is an argument that some people will still make, but if we can avoid the argument (and the possibility of hurt) with the use of reasonable substitutes, it's well worth it.
Referring to Groups of People:
When a writer wishes to or has to refer to a group of people to the exclusion of others, he or she must be cautious not to use language that is regarded as hurtful by the group being referred to. Nowadays, minority groups and special-interest groups have a great deal to say, and rightfully so, about the language used to refer to them.
One need to be sensitive, fair, and respectful can lead to all kinds of social and personal discoveries. One must be careful, too, in using ethnic and nationalist terms. As long as writers try to be sensitive to the feelings of minorities and special-interest groups and as long as writers consciously attempt to avoid divisive language that offends, stereotypes, belittles, or hurtfully excludes people, that is all that anyone can ask.
Part 8: Parallelism
This principle of parallel construction requires that expressions of similar content and function should be outwardly similar. The likeness of form enables the reader to recognize more readily the likeness of content and function. Unskillful writers often violate this principle, from a mistaken belief that they should constantly vary the form of their expressions. It is true that in repeating a statement in order to emphasize it writers may have needed to vary its form. But apart from this, writers should follow carefully the principle of parallel construction.
Formerly, science was taught by the textbook method, while now the laboratory method is employed.
Formerly, science was taught by the textbook method; now it is taught by the laboratory method.
The French, the Italians, Spanish, and Portuguese.
The French, the Italians, the Spanish, and the Portuguese.
In spring, summer, or in winter.
In spring, summer, or winter (In spring, in summer, or in winter).
It was both a long ceremony and very tedious.
The ceremony was both long and tedious.
A time not for words, but action.
A time not for words, but for action.
Grammar: Sentence Structure
Part of the speech exercise…
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Lesson 27: Preparation for Presentation
Part 1: Look at your progess
Part 2: Structure in your presentation
THE BEGINNING:
1 GREETING THE AUDIENCE
· Good morning, gentlemen.
· Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
· Hello. Thank you for being here.
· Thank you, Mr. Johnson, for that introduction.
2 ANNOUNCING THE PURPOSE OF YOUR TALK
· I am here today to talk about …
· My intention is to convince you that …
· The aim of my talk is show you that …
· The purpose of my presentation is to inform you about ...
· I'm going to talk about …
· I would like to talk about …
· The purpose of my presentation is……..
· My presentation would talk about…
3 PREVIEWING THE MAIN POINTS
· My talk today consists of three main points.
· I'd like to cover four main points in my talk today.
· I will address three separate issues in my talk today.
(other words you might want to use: sections, items, problems, questions,etc.)
4 ANNOUNCING THE MAIN ITEMS IN ORDER
· First … Second … Third … Last (but not least) …
· First of all … Next … Then … After that … Finally …
THE MIDDLE:
5 STARTING THE MAIN PART OF YOUR PRESENTATION
· I'd like to start by saying that …
· Let me begin by saying that …
· Okay, let's begin by looking at …
· To begin with, I'd like to discuss …
· I would like to start of by…
6 REFERRING TO VISUAL AIDS
· Let's take a look at the next foil (transparency / overhead / slide).
· As you can see from this chart, …
· We can see from this chart that …
· You will notice from this graph that …
· The table clearly shows that …
7 INTRODUCING A NEW POINT
· Now, I'd like to talk about …
· Next, let's turn to …
· Let's move on to …
8 GIVING AN EXAMPLE
· Let me give you an example.
· To show you what I mean, let's examine …
· For example, let's take a look at …
· To illustrate my point, consider …
· A case in point is …
9 GIVING A BALANCED VIEW
· On the other hand, …
· Nevertheless, …
· Still, …
· Having said that, …
10 ADDING A COMMENT
· By the way, let me say that …
· Incidentally, I'd like to say that …
· I might add that …
· Let me add a comment here.
11 MAKING A GENERALIZATION/ SUMMARIZATION
· On the whole …
· In general …
· Generally speaking …
· By and large …
· For the most part …
· Let me just summarize…
12 DRAWING A CONCLUSION FROM THE EVIDENCE
· From this, we can conclude that …
· From this, we can infer that …
· Based on this, we can draw the following conclusion / inference.
THE END:
13 REVIEWING THE MAIN POINTS
· I'd like to review the main points.
· I'd like to re-cap the main points.
· I'd like to go over the main points again briefly.
14 ENDING THE PRESENTATION
· In conclusion, …
· In conclusion let me say, …
· Let me conclude by saying, …
· Let me finish by saying, …
· In the end, …
15 INVITING QUESTIONS FROM YOUR LISTENERS
· I would be happy to answer any questions at this time.
· If there are any questions, I'll take them now.
· Are there any questions?
16 THANKING YOUR LISTENERS
· If there are no more questions, thank you for your attention.
· Thank you very much for your attention.
· Thank you for your attention.
· Thank you very much.
· Thank you.
Part 3: Transition Signals
Compare Paragraphs 1 and 2. Both give the same information, yet one is easier to follow because it contains transition signals like for example to lead the reader from one idea to the next.
Paragraph 1
A difference among the world's seas and oceans is that the salinity varies in different climate zones. The Baltic Sea in northern Europe is only one quarter as saline as the Red Sea in the Middle East. There are two reasons for this. In warm climates, water evaporates rapidly. The concentration of salt is greater than that in cold climate zones, where water evaporates slowly. In hot areas the surrounding land is dry and does not contribute much fresh water to dilute the salty seawater. The runoff created by melting snow in cold areas adds a considerable amount of fresh water to dilute the saline seawater.
(adapted from Oshima and Hogue, 1999)
Notice that the second paragraph is more coherent. Click on the transition signals in the paragraph below.
Paragraph 2
Another difference among the world's seas and oceans is that the salinity varies in different climate zones. For example, the Baltic Sea in northern Europe is only one quarter as saline as the Red Sea in the Middle East. There are two reasons for this. First of all, in warm climates, water evaporates rapidly; therefore, the concentration of salt is greater than that in cold climate zones, where water evaporates slowly. Secondly, in hot areas the surrounding land is dry and consequently does not contribute much fresh water to dilute the salty seawater. In contrast, the runoff created by melting snow in cold areas adds a considerable amount of fresh water to dilute the saline seawater.
(adapted from Oshima and Hogue, 1999)
Providing transitions between ideas is largely a matter of attitude. You must never assume that your readers know what you know. In fact, it's a good idea to assume not only that your readers need all the information that you have and need to know how you arrived at the point you're at, but also that they are not quite as quick as you are. You might be able to leap from one side of the stream to the other; believe that your readers need some stepping stones and be sure to place them in readily accessible and visible spots.
To indicate sequence or to order information :
on the other hand
balanced against
however
on the contrary
unlike
differing from
a different view is
despite
Part 1: Look at your progess
Part 2: Structure in your presentation
THE BEGINNING:
1 GREETING THE AUDIENCE
· Good morning, gentlemen.
· Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
· Hello. Thank you for being here.
· Thank you, Mr. Johnson, for that introduction.
2 ANNOUNCING THE PURPOSE OF YOUR TALK
· I am here today to talk about …
· My intention is to convince you that …
· The aim of my talk is show you that …
· The purpose of my presentation is to inform you about ...
· I'm going to talk about …
· I would like to talk about …
· The purpose of my presentation is……..
· My presentation would talk about…
3 PREVIEWING THE MAIN POINTS
· My talk today consists of three main points.
· I'd like to cover four main points in my talk today.
· I will address three separate issues in my talk today.
(other words you might want to use: sections, items, problems, questions,etc.)
4 ANNOUNCING THE MAIN ITEMS IN ORDER
· First … Second … Third … Last (but not least) …
· First of all … Next … Then … After that … Finally …
THE MIDDLE:
5 STARTING THE MAIN PART OF YOUR PRESENTATION
· I'd like to start by saying that …
· Let me begin by saying that …
· Okay, let's begin by looking at …
· To begin with, I'd like to discuss …
· I would like to start of by…
6 REFERRING TO VISUAL AIDS
· Let's take a look at the next foil (transparency / overhead / slide).
· As you can see from this chart, …
· We can see from this chart that …
· You will notice from this graph that …
· The table clearly shows that …
7 INTRODUCING A NEW POINT
· Now, I'd like to talk about …
· Next, let's turn to …
· Let's move on to …
8 GIVING AN EXAMPLE
· Let me give you an example.
· To show you what I mean, let's examine …
· For example, let's take a look at …
· To illustrate my point, consider …
· A case in point is …
9 GIVING A BALANCED VIEW
· On the other hand, …
· Nevertheless, …
· Still, …
· Having said that, …
10 ADDING A COMMENT
· By the way, let me say that …
· Incidentally, I'd like to say that …
· I might add that …
· Let me add a comment here.
11 MAKING A GENERALIZATION/ SUMMARIZATION
· On the whole …
· In general …
· Generally speaking …
· By and large …
· For the most part …
· Let me just summarize…
12 DRAWING A CONCLUSION FROM THE EVIDENCE
· From this, we can conclude that …
· From this, we can infer that …
· Based on this, we can draw the following conclusion / inference.
THE END:
13 REVIEWING THE MAIN POINTS
· I'd like to review the main points.
· I'd like to re-cap the main points.
· I'd like to go over the main points again briefly.
14 ENDING THE PRESENTATION
· In conclusion, …
· In conclusion let me say, …
· Let me conclude by saying, …
· Let me finish by saying, …
· In the end, …
15 INVITING QUESTIONS FROM YOUR LISTENERS
· I would be happy to answer any questions at this time.
· If there are any questions, I'll take them now.
· Are there any questions?
16 THANKING YOUR LISTENERS
· If there are no more questions, thank you for your attention.
· Thank you very much for your attention.
· Thank you for your attention.
· Thank you very much.
· Thank you.
Part 3: Transition Signals
Compare Paragraphs 1 and 2. Both give the same information, yet one is easier to follow because it contains transition signals like for example to lead the reader from one idea to the next.
Paragraph 1
A difference among the world's seas and oceans is that the salinity varies in different climate zones. The Baltic Sea in northern Europe is only one quarter as saline as the Red Sea in the Middle East. There are two reasons for this. In warm climates, water evaporates rapidly. The concentration of salt is greater than that in cold climate zones, where water evaporates slowly. In hot areas the surrounding land is dry and does not contribute much fresh water to dilute the salty seawater. The runoff created by melting snow in cold areas adds a considerable amount of fresh water to dilute the saline seawater.
(adapted from Oshima and Hogue, 1999)
Notice that the second paragraph is more coherent. Click on the transition signals in the paragraph below.
Paragraph 2
Another difference among the world's seas and oceans is that the salinity varies in different climate zones. For example, the Baltic Sea in northern Europe is only one quarter as saline as the Red Sea in the Middle East. There are two reasons for this. First of all, in warm climates, water evaporates rapidly; therefore, the concentration of salt is greater than that in cold climate zones, where water evaporates slowly. Secondly, in hot areas the surrounding land is dry and consequently does not contribute much fresh water to dilute the salty seawater. In contrast, the runoff created by melting snow in cold areas adds a considerable amount of fresh water to dilute the saline seawater.
(adapted from Oshima and Hogue, 1999)
Providing transitions between ideas is largely a matter of attitude. You must never assume that your readers know what you know. In fact, it's a good idea to assume not only that your readers need all the information that you have and need to know how you arrived at the point you're at, but also that they are not quite as quick as you are. You might be able to leap from one side of the stream to the other; believe that your readers need some stepping stones and be sure to place them in readily accessible and visible spots.
To indicate sequence or to order information :
first, second etc.
followed by
at this point
next, last, finally
previously, subsequently
after that
initially
and then
next, before, after
concurrently
simultaneously
meanwhile
To introduce an example:
in this case
for example
for instance
on this occasion
to illustrate
to demonstrate
this can be seen
when/where . . .
take the case of
To indicate time:
immediately
thereafter
formerly
finally
prior to
previously
then
soon
during
at that time
before, after
at this point
To logically divide an idea:
first, next, finally
firstly, secondly, thirdly
initially, subsequently, ultimately
To compare:
similarly
by comparison
similar to
like, just like
whereas
balanced against
To contrast:
on the other hand
balanced against
however
on the contrary
unlike
differing from
a different view is
despite
To introduce an additional idea:
in addition
also
finally
moreover
furthermore
one can also say
and then
further
another
To introduce an opposite idea or show exception:
however
on the other hand
whereas
instead
while
yet
but
despite
in spite of
nevertheless
even though
in contrast
it could also be said that
To give an example:
for example
to illustrate
for instance
in this case
to demonstrate
take the case of
To indicate a result/ cause of something:
therefore
thus
consequently
as a consequence
as a result
hence
To summarise or conclude:
in summary
in conclusion
in brief
as a result
on the whole
summing up
as shown
ultimately
therefore
consequently
thus
in other words
to conclude
to summarise
finally
Grammar:
Go over exercise
Go to sentence structure
Part of the Speech exercise
Identify the part of the speech on the highlighted words in the following sentences:
- I bought a beautiful dress at the mall.
- What did she ask you to do?
- I left my shoes under the kitchen table.
- If we finished our work quickly, we can go to the movies.
- On Saturdays, I work from nine to five.
- I want to go to a university in United States.
- I’m sure I have met your girlfriend before.
- Well, I don’t think I will be here to answer the phone.
- Andy knocked on the door but nobody answered.
- After lunch, let’s go out for a coffee.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Lesson 26: Presentation Structure
Part 1: Preparation
- Choose Topic
- Gather Information
- Research
- Select
- Organize
- Write
- Practice
- Revise
- Rehearse
- Present
Part 2: Stages in Presentation-Introduction
All presentations have a common objective. People give presentations because they want to communicate in order to:
· inform
· train
· persuade
· sell
A successful presentation is one of the most effective ways of communicating your message. And because English is so widely used in international business, a working knowledge of the vocabulary and techniques used in an English language presentation is a valuable asset.
Part 3: Stages in Presentation-Preparation
Can you name the 3 most important things when giving any presentation?
With good preparation and planning you will be totally confident and less nervous. And your audience will feel your confidence. Your audience, too, will be confident. They will be confident in you. And this will give you control. Control of your audience and of your presentation. With control, you will be 'in charge' and your audience will listen positively to your message.
Objective
Before you start to prepare a presentation, you should ask yourself: "Why am I making this presentation?" Do you need to inform, to persuade, to train or to sell? Your objective should be clear in your mind. If it is not clear in your mind, it cannot possibly be clear to your audience.
Audience
"Who am I making this presentation to?" Sometimes this will be obvious, but not always. You should try to inform yourself. How many people? Who are they? Business people? Professional people? Political people? Experts or non-experts? Will it be a small, intimate group of 4 colleagues or a large gathering of 400 competitors? How much do they know already and what will they expect from you?
Venue
"Where am I making this presentation?" In a small hotel meeting-room or a large conference hall? What facilities and equipment are available? What are the seating arrangements?
Time and length
"When am I making this presentation and how long will it be?" Will it be 5 minutes or 1 hour? Just before lunch, when your audience will be hungry, or just after lunch, when your audience will be sleepy?
Method
How should I make this presentation?" What approach should you use? Formal or informal? Lots of visual aids or only a few? Will you include some anecdotes and humour for variety?
Content
"What should I say?" Now you must decide exactly what you want to say. First, you should brainstorm your ideas. You will no doubt discover many ideas that you want to include in your presentation. But you must be selective. You should include only information that is relevant to your audience and your objective. You should exclude all other ideas. You also need to create a title for your presentation (if you have not already been given a title). The title will help you to focus on the subject. And you will prepare your visual aids, if you have decided to use them. But remember, in general, less is better than more (a little is better than a lot). You can always give additional information during the questions after the presentation.
Structure
A well organised presentation with a clear structure is easier for the audience to follow. It is therefore more effective. You should organise the points you wish to make in a logical order. Most presentations are organised in three parts, followed by questions:
Beginning:
Short introduction
welcome your audience
introduce your subject
explain the structure of your presentation
explain rules for questions
Middle:
present the subject itself
End:
Short conclusion
summarise your presentation
thank your audience
invite questions
Questions and Answers:
Notes
When you give your presentation, you should be - or appear to be - as spontaneous as possible. You should not read your presentation! You should be so familiar with your subject and with the information that you want to deliver that you do not need to read a text. Reading a text is boring! Reading a text will make your audience go to sleep! So if you don't have a text to read, how can you remember to say everything you need to say? With notes. You can create your own system of notes. Some people make notes on small, A6 cards. Some people write down just the title of each section of their talk. Some people write down keywords to remind them. The notes will give you confidence, but because you will have prepared your presentation fully, you may not even need them!
Rehearsal
Rehearsal is a vital part of preparation. You should leave time to practise your presentation two or three times. This will have the following benefits:
you will become more familiar with what you want to say
you will identify weaknesses in your presentation
you will be able to practise difficult pronunciations
you will be able to check the time that your presentation takes and make any necessary modifications
So prepare, prepare, prepare! Prepare everything: words, visual aids, timing, and equipment. Rehearse your presentation several times and time it. Is it the right length? Are you completely familiar with all your illustrations? Are they in the right order? Do you know who the audience is? How many people? How will you answer difficult questions? Do you know the room? Are you confident about the equipment? When you have answered all these questions, you will be a confident, enthusiastic presenter ready to communicate the subject of your presentation to an eager audience.
Class Activity: Brainstorm ideas for presentation
Grammar:
English is a very flexible language. A word’s meaning is derived not only fromhow it is spelled and pronounced but also from how it is used in a sentence. Asyou review the parts of speech, remember that the way a word is used in a sentence determines which part of speech it is.
For example:
Noun: I ate a fish for dinner.
Verb: We fish in the lake on every Tuesday.
Part of the Speech:
Noun
A noun is a word that names a person, place, or thing. Nouns come in these varieties: commonnouns, proper nouns, compound nouns, and collective nouns.
1. Common nouns name any one of a class of person, place, or thing.
Girl city food
2. Proper nouns name a specific person, place, or thing. Proper nouns are always capitalized.
Barbara New York City Rice-a-Roni
3. Compound nouns are two or more nouns that function as a single unit. A compound noun can be two individual words, words joined by a hyphen, or two words combined.
Individual words: time capsule
Hyphenated words: great-uncle
Combined words: basketball
4. Collective nouns name groups of people or things.
Audience family herd crowd
Pronoun
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun or another pronoun. Pronouns help you avoid unnecessary repetition in your writing and speech. A pronoun gets its meaning from the noun it stands for. The noun is called the antecedent.
Although Seattle is damp, it is my favourite city.
Verb
Verbs name an action or describe a state of being. Every sentence must have a verb. There are three basic types of verbs: action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs.
Action verbs tell what the subject does. The action can be visible (jump, kiss, laugh) or mental(think, learn, study).
The cat broke Louise’s china.
Louise considered buying a new china cabinet.
An action verb can be transitive or intransitive.
Transitive verbs need a direct object.
The boss dropped the ball.
The workers picked it up.
Intransitive verbs do not need a direct object.
Who called?
The temperature fell over night.
Linking verbs join the subject and the predicate. They do not show action. Instead, they help
the words at the end of the sentence name or describe the subject.
the most common linking verbs include: be, feel, grow, seem, smell, remain, appear,sound, stay, look, taste, turn, become. Look for forms of to be, such as am, are, is, was, were,am being, can be, have been, and so on.
The manager was happy about the job change.
He is a good worker.
Many linking verbs can also be used as action verbs.
Linking: The kids looked sad.
Action: I looked for the dog in the pouring rain.
Adverb
Adverbs are words that describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
Adverbs answer the questions: When? Where? How? or To what extent?
When? left yesterday begin now
Where? fell below move up
How? happily sang danced badly
To what extent? partly finished eat completely
Adjective
Adjectives are words that describe nouns and pronouns.
Adjectives answer the questions: What kind? How much? Which one? How many?
What kind? red nose gold ring
How much? more sugar little effort
Which one? second chance those chocolates
How many? several chances six books
Conjunction
Conjunctions connect words or groups of words and show how the words are related. There are three kinds of conjunctions: coordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, and subordinating conjunctions.
for and nor but or yet so
Preposition
Prepositions link a noun or a pronoun following it to another word in the sentence. Use this chart to help you recognize some of the most common prepositions:
about above across after against along
around as at before behind below
beneath beside between beyond but
by despite down during except for
from in inside into like near
on onto of off opposite out
outside over past since through to
toward under underneath until upon with
Interjection
Interjections show strong emotion. Since interjections are not linked grammatically to other
words in the sentence, they are set off from the rest of the sentence with a comma or an exclamation
mark.
For example:
Oh! What a shock you gave me with that gorilla suit.
Wow! That’s not a gorilla suit!
Sentence Structure:
Sentence
To be a sentence, a group of words must
_ Have a subject (noun or pronoun)
_ Have a predicate (verb or verb phrase)
_ Express a complete thought
A sentence has two parts: a subject and a predicate. The subject includes the noun or pronoun that tells what the subject is about. The predicate includes the verb that describes what the subject is doing.
Therefore, a sentence is a group of words with two main parts: a subject area and a predicate area. Together, the subject and predicate express a complete thought.
Being able to recognize the subject and the verb in a sentence will help you make sure that your own sentences are complete and clear. To check that you’ve included the subject and verb in your sentences, follow these steps:
_ To find the subject, ask yourself, “What word is the sentence describing?”
_ To find an action verb, ask yourself, “What did the subject do?”
_ If you can’t find an action verb, look for a linking verb.
Clause
A clause is a group of words with its own subject and verb. Like phrases, clauses enrich yourwritten and oral expression by adding details and making your meaning more exact. Clausesalso allow you to combine ideas to show their relationship. This adds logic and cohesion to your speech and writing.
There are two types of clauses: independent clauses (main clauses) and dependent clauses
(subordinate clauses and relative clauses).
_ An independent clause is a complete sentence because it has a subject and verb and
expresses a complete thought.
_ A dependent (subordinate) clause is part of a sentence, so it cannot stand alone.
Phrase
A phrase is a group of words that functions in a sentence as a single part of speech. A phrasedoes not have a subject or a verb, so it cannot stand alone as an independent unit—it canfunction only as a part of speech. As you write, you use phrases to add detail by describing.Phrases help you express yourself more clearly.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Lesson 25: Introduction to Presentation
At some time or other, most of us will have to give a presentation. The idea of speaking in public can be frightening enough if you're a native English speaker, but it's even more so if English is your second language.
In this first article on presentation skills, we show you how to take the stress out of giving presentations with eight tips to help you plan a perfect presentation.
1. Know your audience
To give an effective presentation, you need to know something about your audience. How good is their English? How much do they know about the subject of your talk? Why will they be interested in listening to you? It’s a good idea to find out who is attending your presentation so that you can make the information relevant and interesting to them. For example, a presentation on your company’s financial results to financial analysts will focus on results, reasons and analysis. A presentation on new auditing software will focus on the benefits and features of the software.
Also ask yourself what you want to achieve from your presentation. Sales presentations are different from information-giving presentations, for example. It’s always a good idea to work out what you want your audience to think or do at the end of your talk, as this will help you focus on the language and content of your presentation.
2. Use a strong opening statement or question to interest your audience
The first minute of your presentation is crucial. In this time you should interest your audience and give them a reason to listen to you. What you say in the first minute depends on your audience and their interests, but it must mean something important to them. Perhaps it is a problem that you know how to solve, or a fact or statistic that they need to know.
3. Don’t forget the physical details
You’ll need to make sure the room is big enough for the number of people attending, and that you have all the equipment you need. Find out when you are giving your presentation – your audience may be less attentive if it’s right before lunch or at the end of the week and you’ll need to make especially sure that the presentation is interesting if it’s at a difficult time.
4. Plan the content of your presentation
Planning helps you focus on your presentation goals, and minimises the chances of anything going wrong.
If you know who you are talking to and why you are talking to them, you can put yourself in your audience's position. You can decide what information to include and how to order it.
Aim to speak for no longer than 30 minutes, and leave time for questions and answers at the end. Remember that it’s difficult to absorb lots of new information, so don’t aim to include too much.
Many presentations are divided into five areas:
a) The introduction (Get someone else to introduce you to the audience. This gives you credibility as a speaker and means that you don't have to waste time telling people who you are and why you are there)
b) The overview
c) The main body of the presentation
d) Your summary
e) A question and answer session
Make brief notes about all the points you want to make in your presentation and make a plan. Organise your presentation into main points and supporting evidence.
During the presentation, remember that it is a good idea to refer back to your opening statement and remind your audience why they are listening to you.
5. Use index cards
Put your points on individual index cards to help you during the presentation. If you put the key words onto cards (1 card for 1 key word or point) you can refer to them at any time if you forget where you are in the presentation.
Use your index cards for any words that you might find difficult to remember, or words that are difficult to pronounce.
You can also use the index cards to write the links between points, such as:
· “this brings me to…”
· “now I’d like to move on to..”
· “Right…”
6. Keep visuals simple
Don't put too much information in visuals and only use them to illustrate information that would otherwise take too long to explain.
Simple graphic visuals such as pie charts and bar graphs work better than visuals with lots of labelling or words. Use colour and different fonts to help information stand out.
7. Practice makes perfect!
Practise your presentation as often as you can using your index cards. By practising, you will know how long it will take, and where the difficult areas are in your talk. The more you practise, the more confident you will feel!
8. Prepare questions and answers
You're likely to have questions at the end of your presentation, so try to think of some in advance, as well as possible answers. The more you prepare these, the better you'll feel able to deal with them
Stages in Presentation:
Overviews
After you give your opening statement, you should give a brief overview of your presentation. This includes what your presentation is about, how long you will take and how you are going to handle questions.
For example, a presentation to sales staff could start like this:"Welcome / "Hello everyone."
Opening statement
"As you all know, this company is losing its market share. But we are being asked to increasesales by 20 – 25%. How can we possibly increase sales in a shrinking market?"
Overview
"Today I am going to talk to you about how we can do this. My presentation will be in three parts. Firstly I am going to look at the market and the background. Then I am going to talk to you about our new products and how they fit in. Finally, I'm going to examine some selling strategies that will help us increase our sales by 20%. The presentation will probably take around 20 minutes. There will be time for questions at the end of my talk."
Useful language for overviews
· "My presentation is in three parts."
· "My presentation is divided into three main sections."
· "Firstly, secondly, thirdly, finally…"
· "I'm going to…
· take a look at…
· talk about…
· examine…
· tell you something about the background…
· give you some facts and figures…
· fill you in on the history of…
· concentrate on…
· limit myself to the question of…
· "Please feel free to interrupt me if you have questions."
· "There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation."
· "I'd be grateful if you could ask your questions after the presentation."
The main body of the presentation
During your presentation, it’s a good idea to remind your audience occasionally of the benefit of what you are saying.
· "As I said at the beginning…"
· "This, of course, will help you (to achieve the 20% increase)."
· "As you remember, we are concerned with…"
· "This ties in with my original statement…"
· "This relates directly to the question I put to you before…"
Keeping your audience with you
Remember that what you are saying is new to your audience. You are clear about the structure of your talk, but let your audience know when you are moving on to a new point. You can do this by saying something like "right", or "OK". You can also use some of the following expressions:
· "I'd now like to move on to…"
· "I'd like to turn to…"
· "That's all I have to say about…"
· "Now I'd like to look at…"
· "This leads me to my next point…"
If you are using index cards, putting the link on the cards will help you remember to keep the audience with you. In addition, by glancing at your index cards you will be pausing - this will also help your audience to realize that you are moving on to something new.
Language for using visuals
It's important to introduce your visual to the audience. You can use the following phrases:
· "This graph shows you…"
· "Take a look at this…"
· "If you look at this, you will see…"
· "I'd like you to look at this…"
· "This chart illustrates the figures…"
· "This graph gives you a break down of…"
Give your audience enough time to absorb the information on the visual. Pause to allow them to look at the information and then explain why the visual is important:
· "As you can see…"
· "This clearly shows …"
· "From this, we can understand how / why…"
· "This area of the chart is interesting…"
Summarizing
At the end of your presentation, you should summarise your talk and remind the audience of what you have told them:
· "That brings me to the end of my presentation. I've talked about…"
· "Well, that's about it for now. We've covered…"
· "So, that was our marketing strategy. In brief, we…"
· "To summarise, I…"
Relate the end of your presentation to your opening statement:
· "So I hope that you're a little clearer on how we can achieve sales growth of 20%."
· "To return to the original question, we can achieve…"
· "So just to round the talk off, I want to go back to the beginning when I asked you…"
· "I hope that my presentation today will help you with what I said at the beginning…"
Handling questions
At some time or other, most of us will have to give a presentation. The idea of speaking in public can be frightening enough if you're a native English speaker, but it's even more so if English is your second language.
In this first article on presentation skills, we show you how to take the stress out of giving presentations with eight tips to help you plan a perfect presentation.
1. Know your audience
To give an effective presentation, you need to know something about your audience. How good is their English? How much do they know about the subject of your talk? Why will they be interested in listening to you? It’s a good idea to find out who is attending your presentation so that you can make the information relevant and interesting to them. For example, a presentation on your company’s financial results to financial analysts will focus on results, reasons and analysis. A presentation on new auditing software will focus on the benefits and features of the software.
Also ask yourself what you want to achieve from your presentation. Sales presentations are different from information-giving presentations, for example. It’s always a good idea to work out what you want your audience to think or do at the end of your talk, as this will help you focus on the language and content of your presentation.
2. Use a strong opening statement or question to interest your audience
The first minute of your presentation is crucial. In this time you should interest your audience and give them a reason to listen to you. What you say in the first minute depends on your audience and their interests, but it must mean something important to them. Perhaps it is a problem that you know how to solve, or a fact or statistic that they need to know.
3. Don’t forget the physical details
You’ll need to make sure the room is big enough for the number of people attending, and that you have all the equipment you need. Find out when you are giving your presentation – your audience may be less attentive if it’s right before lunch or at the end of the week and you’ll need to make especially sure that the presentation is interesting if it’s at a difficult time.
4. Plan the content of your presentation
Planning helps you focus on your presentation goals, and minimises the chances of anything going wrong.
If you know who you are talking to and why you are talking to them, you can put yourself in your audience's position. You can decide what information to include and how to order it.
Aim to speak for no longer than 30 minutes, and leave time for questions and answers at the end. Remember that it’s difficult to absorb lots of new information, so don’t aim to include too much.
Many presentations are divided into five areas:
a) The introduction (Get someone else to introduce you to the audience. This gives you credibility as a speaker and means that you don't have to waste time telling people who you are and why you are there)
b) The overview
c) The main body of the presentation
d) Your summary
e) A question and answer session
Make brief notes about all the points you want to make in your presentation and make a plan. Organise your presentation into main points and supporting evidence.
During the presentation, remember that it is a good idea to refer back to your opening statement and remind your audience why they are listening to you.
5. Use index cards
Put your points on individual index cards to help you during the presentation. If you put the key words onto cards (1 card for 1 key word or point) you can refer to them at any time if you forget where you are in the presentation.
Use your index cards for any words that you might find difficult to remember, or words that are difficult to pronounce.
You can also use the index cards to write the links between points, such as:
· “this brings me to…”
· “now I’d like to move on to..”
· “Right…”
6. Keep visuals simple
Don't put too much information in visuals and only use them to illustrate information that would otherwise take too long to explain.
Simple graphic visuals such as pie charts and bar graphs work better than visuals with lots of labelling or words. Use colour and different fonts to help information stand out.
7. Practice makes perfect!
Practise your presentation as often as you can using your index cards. By practising, you will know how long it will take, and where the difficult areas are in your talk. The more you practise, the more confident you will feel!
8. Prepare questions and answers
You're likely to have questions at the end of your presentation, so try to think of some in advance, as well as possible answers. The more you prepare these, the better you'll feel able to deal with them
Stages in Presentation:
Overviews
After you give your opening statement, you should give a brief overview of your presentation. This includes what your presentation is about, how long you will take and how you are going to handle questions.
For example, a presentation to sales staff could start like this:"Welcome / "Hello everyone."
Opening statement
"As you all know, this company is losing its market share. But we are being asked to increasesales by 20 – 25%. How can we possibly increase sales in a shrinking market?"
Overview
"Today I am going to talk to you about how we can do this. My presentation will be in three parts. Firstly I am going to look at the market and the background. Then I am going to talk to you about our new products and how they fit in. Finally, I'm going to examine some selling strategies that will help us increase our sales by 20%. The presentation will probably take around 20 minutes. There will be time for questions at the end of my talk."
Useful language for overviews
· "My presentation is in three parts."
· "My presentation is divided into three main sections."
· "Firstly, secondly, thirdly, finally…"
· "I'm going to…
· take a look at…
· talk about…
· examine…
· tell you something about the background…
· give you some facts and figures…
· fill you in on the history of…
· concentrate on…
· limit myself to the question of…
· "Please feel free to interrupt me if you have questions."
· "There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation."
· "I'd be grateful if you could ask your questions after the presentation."
The main body of the presentation
During your presentation, it’s a good idea to remind your audience occasionally of the benefit of what you are saying.
· "As I said at the beginning…"
· "This, of course, will help you (to achieve the 20% increase)."
· "As you remember, we are concerned with…"
· "This ties in with my original statement…"
· "This relates directly to the question I put to you before…"
Keeping your audience with you
Remember that what you are saying is new to your audience. You are clear about the structure of your talk, but let your audience know when you are moving on to a new point. You can do this by saying something like "right", or "OK". You can also use some of the following expressions:
· "I'd now like to move on to…"
· "I'd like to turn to…"
· "That's all I have to say about…"
· "Now I'd like to look at…"
· "This leads me to my next point…"
If you are using index cards, putting the link on the cards will help you remember to keep the audience with you. In addition, by glancing at your index cards you will be pausing - this will also help your audience to realize that you are moving on to something new.
Language for using visuals
It's important to introduce your visual to the audience. You can use the following phrases:
· "This graph shows you…"
· "Take a look at this…"
· "If you look at this, you will see…"
· "I'd like you to look at this…"
· "This chart illustrates the figures…"
· "This graph gives you a break down of…"
Give your audience enough time to absorb the information on the visual. Pause to allow them to look at the information and then explain why the visual is important:
· "As you can see…"
· "This clearly shows …"
· "From this, we can understand how / why…"
· "This area of the chart is interesting…"
Summarizing
At the end of your presentation, you should summarise your talk and remind the audience of what you have told them:
· "That brings me to the end of my presentation. I've talked about…"
· "Well, that's about it for now. We've covered…"
· "So, that was our marketing strategy. In brief, we…"
· "To summarise, I…"
Relate the end of your presentation to your opening statement:
· "So I hope that you're a little clearer on how we can achieve sales growth of 20%."
· "To return to the original question, we can achieve…"
· "So just to round the talk off, I want to go back to the beginning when I asked you…"
· "I hope that my presentation today will help you with what I said at the beginning…"
Handling questions
Thank the audience for their attention and invite questions.
· "Thank you for listening - and now if there are any questions, I would be pleased to answer them."
· "That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thank you for your attention. I'd be glad to answer any questions you might have."
It’s useful to re-word the question, as you can check that you have understood the question and you can give yourself some time to think of an answer. By asking the question again you also make sure that other people in the audience understand the question.
· "Thank you. So you would like further clarification on our strategy?"
· "That's an interesting question. How are we going to get voluntary redundancy?"
· "Thank you for asking. What is our plan for next year?"
After you have answered your question, check that the person who asked you is happy with the answer.
· "Does this answer your question?"
· "Do you follow what I am saying?"
· "I hope this explains the situation for you."
· "I hope this was what you wanted to hear!"
If you don't know the answer to a question, say you don't know. It's better to admit to not knowing something than to guess and maybe get it wrong. You can say something like:
· "That's an interesting question. I don't actually know off the top of my head, but I'll try to get back to you later with an answer."
· "I'm afraid I'm unable to answer that at the moment. Perhaps I can get back to you later."
· "Good question. I really don't know! What do you think?"
· "That's a very good question. However, we don't have any figures on that, so I can't give you an accurate answer."
· "Unfortunately, I'm not the best person to answer that."
What can you say if things go wrong?
You think you've lost your audience? Rephrase what you have said:
· "Let me just say that in another way."
· "Perhaps I can rephrase that."
· "Put another way, this means…"
· "What I mean to say is…"
Can't remember the word?
If it's a difficult word for you - one that you often forget, or one that you have difficulty pronouncing - you should write it on your index card. Pause briefly, look down at your index card and say the word.
Using your voice
Don't speak in a flat monotone - this will bore your audience. By varying your speed and tone, you will be able to keep your audience's attention. Practise emphasising key words and pause in the right places - usually in between ideas in a sentence. For example "The first strategy involves getting to know our market (pause) and finding out what they want. (pause) Customer surveys (pause) as well as staff training (pause) will help us do this."
Don't forget - if you speak too fast you will lose your audience!
Top 10 presentation mistakes
Many articles and books have been written on the subject of presentations. Along with good meeting and good negotiating skills, the art of giving a presentation is one of the most fundamental if you want to get ahead in business. But all too often, a business presentation doesn’t have the effect on the audience that was intended. It’s not just what is wrong in terms of content or language, but sometimes the delivery, the use (or abuse) of visuals, a perceived lack of organization – or even a missing “WOW” factor turn a presentation into a dull, boring “speech”.
Top ten presentation mistakes:
1. Ignoring the “What’s in it for me?” factor
Any time you give a presentation, you should first think about why the audience is there. This “What’s in it for me?” factor is vital. Unless you involve and get your audience’s attention from the start, you’re going to lose their interest. Starting your presentation with a “hook” (a reason to listen to you) is one crucial step in making sure your audience pays attention.
2. Not practicing in front of a live audience
Even if you feel confident that you know your presentation word for word, nothing compares to real, live practice. Deliver your presentation to a colleague, a family member or a friend, and you will soon know which areas of your presentation cause you difficulty.
There is no substitute for practice. My first teacher-trainer told me she practised her first ever lesson to her dining room table and chairs. Although a lesson is obviously not a business presentation, the principles are similar. If you practise, you get a better idea of timing, a better feel for where you need to pause, and you become more aware of nervous habits. So much better if the person you’re practising to can also video you. It may be embarrassing at first, but all exceptional public speakers use video to help them give great presentations.
3. Forgetting the main principle of public speaking
Audiences have short attention spans. They’re likely to remember less than one half of what you tell them. Some audience members get bored, drift off in day dreams, or start thinking about other things. Then when a colleague asks what your presentation was about, they’re unable to give a good summary. Help your audience remember what your presentation is about with these three rules:
- Tell them what you are going to tell them
- Tell them
- Tell them what you have told them
Essentially, you tell them at the beginning what the presentation is about. Then you give your presentation. Finally, you summarise what you have said.
4. Using too many visuals
Visuals can be distracting. It is better to use fewer, but more self-explanatory visuals, than to overload your audience’s attention by giving them too many to look at. In my opinion, a good speaker can engage an audience better if he or she speaks directly to them. Use visuals only when the information you want to give is much better understood graphically. Choose your visual style carefully, and remember you can present information in a variety of ways, such as pie charts, graphs, tables and so on.
5. Not giving people time to look at visuals before commenting on them
Don’t fight with your visuals. As soon as you present a visual, your audience is going to look at it. Don’t distract them by talking while they are looking. By giving them a few seconds to absorb the information, you can then be sure to have their attention when you explain what is important or interesting about the information.
6. Using font that is too small
I was devastated to hear that during my first ever presentation (which I had worked so hard at!) the people at the back of the audience couldn’t see or read the slides. The font was just too small. Don’t underestimate how large the font will need to be, and if possible, try a visual in a similar sized room before you make all your slides or visuals. If the room is large, nothing less than 20 point will be visible to people at the back.
7. Using bad color combinations
Blue or black text on white = good
Red text on yellow = bad
Don’t make your audience strain to read what you have written. Some colour combinations just do not work. When in doubt, stick to a classic blue or black text on a white or cream background.
8. Not having a clear questions policy
Let your audience know at the beginning of your presentation how you are going to handle questions. It is probably easier and less stressful if you have questions at the end of the presentation. Then you can speak knowing that you won’t be distracted. A simple sentence such as “Please feel free to ask questions at the end of the presentation” is generally enough.
9. Speaking too fast
A sure sign of nervousness, if you speak too fast, you risk losing your audience. Don’t be afraid to pause for effect and to let your audience absorb information. On the other hand, don’t speak so slowly that the audience risk getting bored. Practicing your presentation before will help you find the optimum speed.
10. Bad or nervous posture
Body language is one of those almost undefinable factors that help us form an impression of someone. If you look relaxed, people will relax around you. If you look nervous (by standing stiffly or by making nervous gestures) your audience will not feel relaxed either. This can make the difference between a bad and a great presentation, so practice in front of the mirror to see how you look when you stand in front of people.
Here are some common mannerisms exhibited when giving a speech:Do you do any of them?
- Bite your fingernails
- Tap your feet
- Wave your hands/arms
- Play with your hair
- Move around a lot
- Speak too fast
- Speak too slowly
- Stiffen up
- Shake/Shudder
- Play with objects in pockets, etc.
- Make strange facial expressions
- Say "uh," "uhm"
- Tap on the table/podium
- Repeat yourself
- Breathe heavily
- Sweat
- Giggle
- Pause inappropriately
- Clam up/Become speechless
- Shift your eyes
- Move your head around
- Gesture inappropriately
Becoming aware of what you do is the first step to overcoming nervous mannerisms.
· Ask a friend to watch (or videotape) you when you give a speech.
· Have him/her tell you candidly about your mannerisms and presentation skills (both positive and negative).
· Practice your speech in front of a mirror, or ask your friend to observe you rehearse.
· Think positively about what you do well and focus on that rather than the negative.
· Be enthusiastic about what you have to say and share with others.
Grammar:
Future Tense Continued (I will):
1. Predict future happenings
Do you think he will get the job?
2. We use going to (not will) when there is something in the present situation that shows what will happen in the near future. The speaker feels sure about what will happen because of the situation now.
Look at those black clouds. It’s going to rain.
I feel terrible. I think I’m going to be sick.
Future Continuous Tense (I will be doing):
1. Say that you will be in the middle of doing something at a certain time in the future.
This time next week I’ll be on vacation. I’ll probably be lying on a beautiful beach.
John will be watching the hockey game tomorrow.
2. Talk about things that already planned or decided.
I will be going to the supermarket later. Can I get you something?
3. We use will (you) be-ing? To ask about people’s plan, especially when we want something or want someone to do something.
Will you be using your car this evening?
Will you be passing the supermarket on your way home?
Future Perfect Tense (I will have done):
1. Say that something will already have happened before a certain time in the future.
Next year is John and Mary’s 25th wedding anniversary. They will have been married for 25 years. (Now they have been married for 24 years).
We are late. I guess the movie will already have started by the we get to the theater.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Lesson 23: Preparation for Role Play
Part 1: Importance and Certainty
Degrees of Importance:
Emphatic Views:
· I particularly want to emphasize the fact that …
· It is essential to realize that…
· This issue is highly significant.
· I feel this is a vital issue.
· I consider this point of the utmost importance.
Neutral Views:
· I attach considerable importance to…
· Allow me to emphasize at this point that…
· We mustn’t underestimate the importance of…
· It is well worth noting that…
· Let me say again how much importance I attach to…
Tentative Views:
· I would like to remind you that…
· I wish to draw your attention to…
· We cannot overlook the fact that…
· I believe this warrants further discussion.
Playing Down a Point:
· These are minor issues when one considers…
· But this is only of secondary importance.
· But this is, after all, a relatively small point.
· I’m afraid I regard that as of relatively minor significance.
· I’m afraid I’m not totally convinced of the importance of…
Degrees of Certainty:
Certain:
· I’m certain that…
· It’s certain that…
· There’s no doubt that…
· Without doubt, …
· Undoubtedly, …
Probable:
· I’m almost certain that…
· It’s highly probable that…
· It’s quite likely that…
Possible:
· This could well…
· It’s possible that…
· It’s not out of the question that…
· It’s not impossible that…
· I think there is every possibility that …
Unlikely:
· It is highly improbable that…
· It I highly unlikely that…
· Theirs is very likelihood of…
Uncertain:
· I’m not certain that…
· I have doubts about…
· I doubt if…
· There is some doubt as to whether this…
· I’m uncertain about…
Listening Activity: listen and answer the followings
1. What is the landlord’s offer if he signed a two-year contract?
2. What is his counter-proposal to the landlord?
3. What is the landlord final offer?
I'm not what you would call the world's best negotiator, but sometimes it's necessary to engage in a tough negotiation. Take, for instance, the time I had to renew the lease on my apartment. This was back in college, when I was renting a small studio in the Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles. When my lease was up , the landlord and I sat down to hammer out the terms of a new lease.
"I'll tell you what I'm going to do," he said. "I'm going to give you a break on rent if you sign a two-year lease instead of just a one-year lease."
"Well," I said, "I don't know. What sort of break are we talking about here?‚"
"I'll give you a 5% rent increase instead of a 10% increase in exchange for you signing a two-year lease. It's win-win situation: you get a cut in rent, and I get the security of a two-year lease.‚"
At this point, I decided to make a counter-proposal . "How about this," I said, "You give me a one year lease with a six percent increase.‚"
"No, I can't make that sort of deal," he said. "But here's what I can do, and it's my final offer: I'll pay for your electricity for the first 6 months of the lease, along with the other terms I mentioned before.‚"
"You drive a hard bargain okay, it's a deal," I said. I guess I could have tried to bargain him down a bit more, but I was happy with our agreement. Now all I had to do was sign on the dotted line .
Activities and Preparation for Role-Play
Grammar:
Future Tense Continued (I will):
1. Predict future happenings
Do you think he will get the job?
2. We use going to (not will) when there is something in the present situation that shows what will happen in the near future. The speaker feels sure about what will happen because of the situation now.
Look at those black clouds. It’s going to rain.
I feel terrible. I think I’m going to be sick.
Future Continuous Tense (I will be doing):
1. Say that you will be in the middle of doing something at a certain time in the future.
This time next week I’ll be on vacation. I’ll probably be lying on a beautiful beach.
John will be watching the hockey game tomorrow.
2. Talk about things that already planned or decided.
I will be going to the supermarket later. Can I get you something?
3. We use will (you) be-ing? To ask about people’s plan, especially when we want something or want someone to do something.
Will you be using your car this evening?
Will you be passing the supermarket on your way home?
Future Perfect Tense (I will have done):
1. Say that something will already have happened before a certain time in the future.
Next year is John and Mary’s 25th wedding anniversary. They will have been married for 25 years. (Now they have been married for 24 years).
We are late. I guess the movie will already have started by the we get to the theater.
Part 1: Importance and Certainty
Degrees of Importance:
Emphatic Views:
· I particularly want to emphasize the fact that …
· It is essential to realize that…
· This issue is highly significant.
· I feel this is a vital issue.
· I consider this point of the utmost importance.
Neutral Views:
· I attach considerable importance to…
· Allow me to emphasize at this point that…
· We mustn’t underestimate the importance of…
· It is well worth noting that…
· Let me say again how much importance I attach to…
Tentative Views:
· I would like to remind you that…
· I wish to draw your attention to…
· We cannot overlook the fact that…
· I believe this warrants further discussion.
Playing Down a Point:
· These are minor issues when one considers…
· But this is only of secondary importance.
· But this is, after all, a relatively small point.
· I’m afraid I regard that as of relatively minor significance.
· I’m afraid I’m not totally convinced of the importance of…
Degrees of Certainty:
Certain:
· I’m certain that…
· It’s certain that…
· There’s no doubt that…
· Without doubt, …
· Undoubtedly, …
Probable:
· I’m almost certain that…
· It’s highly probable that…
· It’s quite likely that…
Possible:
· This could well…
· It’s possible that…
· It’s not out of the question that…
· It’s not impossible that…
· I think there is every possibility that …
Unlikely:
· It is highly improbable that…
· It I highly unlikely that…
· Theirs is very likelihood of…
Uncertain:
· I’m not certain that…
· I have doubts about…
· I doubt if…
· There is some doubt as to whether this…
· I’m uncertain about…
Listening Activity: listen and answer the followings
1. What is the landlord’s offer if he signed a two-year contract?
2. What is his counter-proposal to the landlord?
3. What is the landlord final offer?
I'm not what you would call the world's best negotiator, but sometimes it's necessary to engage in a tough negotiation. Take, for instance, the time I had to renew the lease on my apartment. This was back in college, when I was renting a small studio in the Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles. When my lease was up , the landlord and I sat down to hammer out the terms of a new lease.
"I'll tell you what I'm going to do," he said. "I'm going to give you a break on rent if you sign a two-year lease instead of just a one-year lease."
"Well," I said, "I don't know. What sort of break are we talking about here?‚"
"I'll give you a 5% rent increase instead of a 10% increase in exchange for you signing a two-year lease. It's win-win situation: you get a cut in rent, and I get the security of a two-year lease.‚"
At this point, I decided to make a counter-proposal . "How about this," I said, "You give me a one year lease with a six percent increase.‚"
"No, I can't make that sort of deal," he said. "But here's what I can do, and it's my final offer: I'll pay for your electricity for the first 6 months of the lease, along with the other terms I mentioned before.‚"
"You drive a hard bargain okay, it's a deal," I said. I guess I could have tried to bargain him down a bit more, but I was happy with our agreement. Now all I had to do was sign on the dotted line .
Activities and Preparation for Role-Play
Grammar:
Future Tense Continued (I will):
1. Predict future happenings
Do you think he will get the job?
2. We use going to (not will) when there is something in the present situation that shows what will happen in the near future. The speaker feels sure about what will happen because of the situation now.
Look at those black clouds. It’s going to rain.
I feel terrible. I think I’m going to be sick.
Future Continuous Tense (I will be doing):
1. Say that you will be in the middle of doing something at a certain time in the future.
This time next week I’ll be on vacation. I’ll probably be lying on a beautiful beach.
John will be watching the hockey game tomorrow.
2. Talk about things that already planned or decided.
I will be going to the supermarket later. Can I get you something?
3. We use will (you) be-ing? To ask about people’s plan, especially when we want something or want someone to do something.
Will you be using your car this evening?
Will you be passing the supermarket on your way home?
Future Perfect Tense (I will have done):
1. Say that something will already have happened before a certain time in the future.
Next year is John and Mary’s 25th wedding anniversary. They will have been married for 25 years. (Now they have been married for 24 years).
We are late. I guess the movie will already have started by the we get to the theater.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Lesson 22: The Critical Phase in Negotiation
Part 1: Review from last class…new material…..
Starting and outlining your position:
· I'd like to begin by saying…
· I'd like to outline our aims and objectives.
· There are two main areas that we'd like to concentrate on / discuss.
Agreeing:
· We agree.
· This is a fair suggestion.
· You have a good point.
· I can't see any problem with that.
· Provided / As long as you….. we will….
Disagreeing:
· I'm afraid that's not acceptable to us.
· I'm afraid we can't agree with you there.
· Can I just pick you up on a point you made earlier.
· I understand where you're coming from / your position, but…
· We're prepared to compromise, but…
· If you look at it from our point of view,…
· As we see it…
· That's not exactly as we see it.
· Is that your best offer?
Clarifying:
· Does anything I have suggested / proposed seem unclear to you?
· I'd like to clarify our position.
· What do you mean exactly when you say….
· Could you clarify your last point for me?
Asking Questions:
· Have you taken into account ___________________?
· Do you realize that ______________________?
· I was wondering if you’d thought of ___________________?
· Wouldn’t you agree that ____________________?
· Wouldn’t it be a good idea to ______________________?
· Why would you want to______________________?
· What would you do with_________________________?
· What is the reason for wanting to______________________?
· Why couldn't you_______________________?
· What would be wrong with doing this?
· Why would you object to_________________________?
Expressing Reservation:
· I have certain reservations about _____________________.
· I think we should give ourselves time to reflect on ___________.
· I’m rather worried about ____________________.
· Under no circumstances should we come to a hasty decision on this ________________________.
· I am afraid such a decision might lead to _____________.
· I feel that in view of ____________it would be sensible to _____________.
· I can’t help feeling that __________________.
Reassuring:
· There is no cause for concern as far as __________________is concerned.
· Let me assure you straightaway on that point.
· I can assure that___________________.
· We understand your concern about__________________ and we assure you that we will do everything in our power to __________.
· We share your concern about this, and you may rest assured that _________________.
· You need have no fear about________________________.
Adding Information:
· There are, if I may say so, certain points you should bear in mind __________________.
· There are other considerations. For example, ________________.
· If we look at it in another light ___________________.
· Seen from another angle, one could say ___________________.
· I wonder if you have considered _______________________.
Summarizing:
· Can we summarize what we've agreed so far?
· Let's look at the points we agree on.
· So the next step is…
· Can we summarize your position up to this point?
· Would you care to summarize your position up this point?
Part 2: Exploring the Zone of Bargaining and Options
Summarizing positions up to this point:
· Can we summarize your position up to this point?
· Would you care to summarize your position up this point?
Confirming a negotiating position:
· Is that an accurate summary of where you stand?
· Would you say that is a fair representation of your position?
Probing / Looking for options:
· Just for the sake of argument, what if ...
· Can I ask a hypothetical question? Suppose that ...
Part 3: Bargaining and Compromising
Signalling the start of bargaining:
· We've looked at what you have proposed, and we are ready to respond.
· After serious consideration, we are prepared to respond to your proposal.
Responding to a proposal:
· Regarding your proposal, our position is ...
· Our basic position is ...
· As far as your proposal is concerned, we think that ...
Making counter proposals:
· May we offer an alternative? We propose that ...
· We'd like to make an alternative proposal. We propose that ...
· From where we stand, a better solution might be ...
Making and qualifying concessions / Offering Compromise:
· We would be willing to ..., provided, of course, that ...
· We'd be prepared to .... However, there would be one condition.
· We are prepared to __________on condition that _____________.
· I think we could ____________provided that ____________________.
· We are ready to ___________on the understanding that ___________________.
· We are willing to ___________with the proviso that ___________.
· We are more ready to ____________as long as _______________.
· I believe we can ___________if _____________________.
Asking if it is acceptable:
· Is that acceptable?
· Would that be acceptable?
· Would that be satisfactory?
· Is that acceptable as a compromise solution?
· We hope this will be acceptable.
Adding a condition positively:
· We see no objection whatsoever, provided that___________.
· If we agreed, it would be conditional on __________________.
· Our agreement is conditional on ____________________.
· If we agreed, we hope you would reciprocate by __________________________.
· If you would be prepared to _________________then we could ______________________.
Adding a condition negatively:
· We’d be rather reluctant to ______________unless ____________.
· I don’t think we could ___________unless ________________.
· We wouldn’t be prepared to ______________unless _________________.
· We have certain reservation about __________________ and unless __________________________.
· Only if you __________________, would we be prepared to ________________________.
Accepting a Compromise / Accepting an Offer
· I think that would be perfectly acceptable.
· We see no objective to that.
· That seems to be a reasonable compromise.
· In a spirit of compromise, we would be willing to accept you offer.
· I think we could agree to your condition.
· I think we have an agreement.
· We are happy to accept this offer.
Rejecting a Compromise / Declining an Offer:
· We are not entirely convinced that this is a viable solution to the problem.
· Although we want to avoid a deadlock as much as you do, we find your offer unacceptable.
· You leave us with a little alternative but to __________________.
· In that case, we should very reluctantly have to __________________.
· You put us in a difficult situation.
· I'm afraid your offer doesn't go far enough.
· Unfortunately, we must decline your offer for the following reason(s) ___________________________.
· I'm sorry, but we must respectfully decline your offer.
Asking for further information:
· Would you like to elaborate on that?
· Could you go into more detail on that?
Identifying obstacles:
· The main obstacle to progress at the moment seems to be __________________________.
· The main thing that bothers us is ____________________.
· One big problem we have is ________________________.
Analyzing an obstacles:
· What exactly is the underlying problem here?
· Let's take a closer look at this problem.
· I would like to analyze this situation and get to the bottom of the problem.
Part 4: Closing
Checking:
· Let's just confirm the details, then.
· Let's make sure we agree on these figures (dates / etc.).
· Can we check these points one last time?
Delaying:
· We would have to study this. Can we get back to you on this later?
· We'll have to consult with our colleagues back in the office. We'd like to get back to you on it.
Accepting:
· We are happy to accept this agreement.
· This agreement is acceptable to us.
· I believe we have an agreement.
Hand out role-play activity
Grammar:
Go over exercise 21.4 and 22.3
Future Tense: I will
1. When we decide at the time of speaking
Oh, I left the door open. I will go and close it.
I’m too tied to walk home. I think I will take a taxi.
2. Offer to do something
The bag looks heavy. I will help you with it.
3. Agreeing or refusing to do something
The car won’t start.
I will bring you the books after school.
4. Promising to do something
I won’t tell John what you said. I promise.
I promise I will call you as soon as I get home.
5. Asking someone to do something
Will you close the door?
Will you please be quiet?
Part 1: Review from last class…new material…..
Starting and outlining your position:
· I'd like to begin by saying…
· I'd like to outline our aims and objectives.
· There are two main areas that we'd like to concentrate on / discuss.
Agreeing:
· We agree.
· This is a fair suggestion.
· You have a good point.
· I can't see any problem with that.
· Provided / As long as you….. we will….
Disagreeing:
· I'm afraid that's not acceptable to us.
· I'm afraid we can't agree with you there.
· Can I just pick you up on a point you made earlier.
· I understand where you're coming from / your position, but…
· We're prepared to compromise, but…
· If you look at it from our point of view,…
· As we see it…
· That's not exactly as we see it.
· Is that your best offer?
Clarifying:
· Does anything I have suggested / proposed seem unclear to you?
· I'd like to clarify our position.
· What do you mean exactly when you say….
· Could you clarify your last point for me?
Asking Questions:
· Have you taken into account ___________________?
· Do you realize that ______________________?
· I was wondering if you’d thought of ___________________?
· Wouldn’t you agree that ____________________?
· Wouldn’t it be a good idea to ______________________?
· Why would you want to______________________?
· What would you do with_________________________?
· What is the reason for wanting to______________________?
· Why couldn't you_______________________?
· What would be wrong with doing this?
· Why would you object to_________________________?
Expressing Reservation:
· I have certain reservations about _____________________.
· I think we should give ourselves time to reflect on ___________.
· I’m rather worried about ____________________.
· Under no circumstances should we come to a hasty decision on this ________________________.
· I am afraid such a decision might lead to _____________.
· I feel that in view of ____________it would be sensible to _____________.
· I can’t help feeling that __________________.
Reassuring:
· There is no cause for concern as far as __________________is concerned.
· Let me assure you straightaway on that point.
· I can assure that___________________.
· We understand your concern about__________________ and we assure you that we will do everything in our power to __________.
· We share your concern about this, and you may rest assured that _________________.
· You need have no fear about________________________.
Adding Information:
· There are, if I may say so, certain points you should bear in mind __________________.
· There are other considerations. For example, ________________.
· If we look at it in another light ___________________.
· Seen from another angle, one could say ___________________.
· I wonder if you have considered _______________________.
Summarizing:
· Can we summarize what we've agreed so far?
· Let's look at the points we agree on.
· So the next step is…
· Can we summarize your position up to this point?
· Would you care to summarize your position up this point?
Part 2: Exploring the Zone of Bargaining and Options
Summarizing positions up to this point:
· Can we summarize your position up to this point?
· Would you care to summarize your position up this point?
Confirming a negotiating position:
· Is that an accurate summary of where you stand?
· Would you say that is a fair representation of your position?
Probing / Looking for options:
· Just for the sake of argument, what if ...
· Can I ask a hypothetical question? Suppose that ...
Part 3: Bargaining and Compromising
Signalling the start of bargaining:
· We've looked at what you have proposed, and we are ready to respond.
· After serious consideration, we are prepared to respond to your proposal.
Responding to a proposal:
· Regarding your proposal, our position is ...
· Our basic position is ...
· As far as your proposal is concerned, we think that ...
Making counter proposals:
· May we offer an alternative? We propose that ...
· We'd like to make an alternative proposal. We propose that ...
· From where we stand, a better solution might be ...
Making and qualifying concessions / Offering Compromise:
· We would be willing to ..., provided, of course, that ...
· We'd be prepared to .... However, there would be one condition.
· We are prepared to __________on condition that _____________.
· I think we could ____________provided that ____________________.
· We are ready to ___________on the understanding that ___________________.
· We are willing to ___________with the proviso that ___________.
· We are more ready to ____________as long as _______________.
· I believe we can ___________if _____________________.
Asking if it is acceptable:
· Is that acceptable?
· Would that be acceptable?
· Would that be satisfactory?
· Is that acceptable as a compromise solution?
· We hope this will be acceptable.
Adding a condition positively:
· We see no objection whatsoever, provided that___________.
· If we agreed, it would be conditional on __________________.
· Our agreement is conditional on ____________________.
· If we agreed, we hope you would reciprocate by __________________________.
· If you would be prepared to _________________then we could ______________________.
Adding a condition negatively:
· We’d be rather reluctant to ______________unless ____________.
· I don’t think we could ___________unless ________________.
· We wouldn’t be prepared to ______________unless _________________.
· We have certain reservation about __________________ and unless __________________________.
· Only if you __________________, would we be prepared to ________________________.
Accepting a Compromise / Accepting an Offer
· I think that would be perfectly acceptable.
· We see no objective to that.
· That seems to be a reasonable compromise.
· In a spirit of compromise, we would be willing to accept you offer.
· I think we could agree to your condition.
· I think we have an agreement.
· We are happy to accept this offer.
Rejecting a Compromise / Declining an Offer:
· We are not entirely convinced that this is a viable solution to the problem.
· Although we want to avoid a deadlock as much as you do, we find your offer unacceptable.
· You leave us with a little alternative but to __________________.
· In that case, we should very reluctantly have to __________________.
· You put us in a difficult situation.
· I'm afraid your offer doesn't go far enough.
· Unfortunately, we must decline your offer for the following reason(s) ___________________________.
· I'm sorry, but we must respectfully decline your offer.
Asking for further information:
· Would you like to elaborate on that?
· Could you go into more detail on that?
Identifying obstacles:
· The main obstacle to progress at the moment seems to be __________________________.
· The main thing that bothers us is ____________________.
· One big problem we have is ________________________.
Analyzing an obstacles:
· What exactly is the underlying problem here?
· Let's take a closer look at this problem.
· I would like to analyze this situation and get to the bottom of the problem.
Part 4: Closing
Checking:
· Let's just confirm the details, then.
· Let's make sure we agree on these figures (dates / etc.).
· Can we check these points one last time?
Delaying:
· We would have to study this. Can we get back to you on this later?
· We'll have to consult with our colleagues back in the office. We'd like to get back to you on it.
Accepting:
· We are happy to accept this agreement.
· This agreement is acceptable to us.
· I believe we have an agreement.
Hand out role-play activity
Grammar:
Go over exercise 21.4 and 22.3
Future Tense: I will
1. When we decide at the time of speaking
Oh, I left the door open. I will go and close it.
I’m too tied to walk home. I think I will take a taxi.
2. Offer to do something
The bag looks heavy. I will help you with it.
3. Agreeing or refusing to do something
The car won’t start.
I will bring you the books after school.
4. Promising to do something
I won’t tell John what you said. I promise.
I promise I will call you as soon as I get home.
5. Asking someone to do something
Will you close the door?
Will you please be quiet?
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Lesson 21: The Structure of Negotiation
Part 1: The Beginning
As we had talked about last time, the purpose of this stage is to get to know about your opponent’s.
So, in a meeting that involves negotiation, you can start off by welcoming your opponents.
· On behalf of________________, I would like to welcome you to _________________________.
· It’s my pleasure to welcome you to __________________.
· Welcome to ____________________.
· We are here today to ______________________________.
· The main objective / purpose of today’s meeting is ______________.
· We are looking to achieve ___________________________.
Distributing the roles:
· __________________is going to take minutes.
· _____________________would like to say a few words about_________________________.
Suggesting a procedure:
· I would like to begin by suggesting the following procedures (agenda).
· We have drawn up an agenda.
· Let’s just run through the agenda.
· There are _____________items on the agenda.
· I would like to take ______________first.
· We will deal with ______________first.
· We have put _______________last.
· Let’s leave _____________________until later.
· We can table that for discussion later.
· We will deal with ______________first.
· We will go round table.
· We aim to deal with item _____________.
· We aim to cover item ________________.
· We will have a question and answer period / session in the end.
· To start with, I think we should establish the overall procedure.
· As our first order of business, can we agree on a procedure?
Timing:
· That gives us __________hours.
· It will take _______hours.
· It won't take long.
· I need to be away by _______o'clock.
· How are you fixed for time?
Tip: Make sure that you check it with your opponent.
Checking for agreement:
· Does that fit in with your objectives?
· Is that compatible with what you would like to see?
· Does that seem acceptable to you?
· Is there anything that you would like to change?
· Is this okay with you?
NOTE Use of we/let's rather than I/you.
Where possible, it's more inclusive to say We'd like to... (rather than I'd like to...) or, Let's start by talking about ... (rather than I'd like to start by talking about...). Certainly if you are a member of a team, use we rather than I.
If both parties have different views about the agenda, then you will need to negotiate the agenda before moving onto the real discussion…
· Let's just identify the key issues.
· Shall we look at______________ first?
· Perhaps we should consider ______________ first?
· We see two/three important issue____________. Would you agree?
· If I understand correctly, you're interested in___________________
Before moving on to the discussion or the real negotiation, you would like to invite your opponents to interrupt if it is necessary.
· Please don’t hesitate to interrupt.
· Please feel free to ask questions.
· Let's deal with any questions immediately.
· I/We would like to know what you think.
Part 2: Into the Discussion
Then, we will move on to the discussion, which is talking and introducing the items on the agenda. This stage is very similar to meeting.
· I would now like to hand over to _______________, who is …
· I will now hand the floor over to _____________,who is….
· Now let me hand the meeting over to my colleague, _________________, who is…..
When the person is presenting, he or she may want to go back and review the previous session…
· At our last meeting, we discussed…..
· Perhaps you will recall our last discussion, we decided that…..
· Any questions from the last discussion?
Then you can move on to the next point:
· Can we now move on to the next subject, which is…..
· Let’s go on to the next subject, shall we?
During the presentation, opposition may sometimes interrupt, such as…
· May I ask please, what your proposal is in connection with our company?
· What in general terms are you looking for here?
If you do not want to be interrupted, you can say…
· May we leave that till later and first look at…
· Can we deal with_______________ first.
· Can I come back to that later?
If everything goes smoothly, you can move on to proposal after your presentation:
Remember to ask questions if you need something to be clarified.
General:
· I would be interested to know more about.
· Could you tell us something about…..?
Clarification:
· What exactly do you mean by…..?
· Could you be more specific…..?
· Could you clarify one point for me?
· I’m not sure I fully understand your point.
Checking and reviewing:
· So, you are saying…..?
· If I understand correctly, you are offering…..?
· Am I right in thinking your plan to…..?
As a presenter, you can….
Define a proposal more specifically:
· It involves…..
· It covers…..
· It includes…..
· It leaves out…..
And you can reassure the others by saying:
· Let me reassure you that…..
· I can promise you that…..
· Have no doubt that we will…..
For the opposition party, you can express your opinion about the proposal by supporting it or opposing it.
Proposal, recommendation & suggestion (strong)
· I strongly recommend that…..
· I suggest most strongly that…..
· I advise you most strongly to…..
· In my view, the only viable solution is …..
Proposal, recommendation & suggestion (neutral)
· I propose that…..
· My proposal is that…..
Proposal, recommendation & suggestion (tentative)
· I would propose that…..
· If I may make a suggestion, we could…..
· I would like to put forward a proposal that…..
· I wonder if I may suggest…..
· Wouldn’t it be a good idea to…..?
· Wouldn’t it be better to…..?
The opponent party in reverse can…..
Express total support:
· I am in favor of…
· I would certainly give my backing to…..
· I would certain endorse such a proposal.
· I see no objection to that.
· I would not be opposed to that.
Express partial support:
· My initial reaction is favorable, but…
· With certain reservations, I would support your proposal.
· I shouldn’t like you to think that I’m necessarily against this in any way, but I cannot help wondering…
Express total opposition:
· I am totally opposed to the proposal.
· I see no valid reason for supporting the proposal.
· Frankly, I think that’s out of the question.
· I’m afraid this proposal leaves a great deal to be desired.
Express opposition:
· I am opposed to the proposal.
· I’m afraid I cannot support the proposal.
· As it stands, I would not be able to give it my backing.
· Without substantial changes, I cannot give the proposal my support.
Express tentative opposition:
· On the fact of it, this seems quite a good suggestion, but…
· I can see many problems in adopting this.
· I’m not sure the proposal is feasible.
· This proposal is likely to present difficulties.
· I am not convinced that this proposal is really worthwhile.
A note on language style:
English speakers, especially Americans, like to express a certain amount of informality as soon as possible. Therefore, we quickly move to first names (although this is NOT a sign of intimacy or friendship). In addition, we quickly begin to use informal language. These facts are intended to signal cooperation among equal partners.
At the same time that we are moving toward informality in order to signal a willingness to cooperate, it is important to maintain an atmosphere of respect. How can we do this when using first names and informal expressions? We show respect in English in the following ways.
Use would like rather than want when making requests. It's more indirect and, therefore, is more polite and respectful.
I want to hear you talk about that first point again. (This could sound too much like a demand.)
I would like to hear you talk about that first point again. (This is safer.)
Use "should", "could", or "might" to remind or inform people about what to do next. Without such words, you could sound too much like a teacher or a policeman.
Use phrases like "I think" and "maybe" and "perhaps" to introduce suggestions. These words do not indicate uncertainty; they do express respect for the other person.
It's time to start the meeting now. (This COULD sound too authoritarian.)
I think we should start the meeting now. (This is safer.)
I'll give you some background information about that. (This is okay if your VOICE sounds helpful.)
Perhaps I could give you some background information about that. (This is safer.)
Use QUESTIONS to make suggestions. Keep in mind, however, that you are not asking for permission, but you are showing the other person respect by giving him or her a chance to disagree or interrupt before you go on.
So, can we go on to the next point now?
So, are we finished with that point? If so, let's go on to the next one.
NOTE: The better you get to know someone, the less important these strategies become. People who know each other well (and who respect each other) can be much more direct in saying what they want and what they think.
Activity:
Match the statements with the appropriate stages in negotiation.
1. The beginning
2. The exchange of proposals
3. The problem-solving stage
4. The finish
Grammar:
Give back exercise 3.2 and 17.3 and go over them with exercise 21.1
Continue with past prefect tense and past perfect continuous tense.
Part 1: The Beginning
As we had talked about last time, the purpose of this stage is to get to know about your opponent’s.
So, in a meeting that involves negotiation, you can start off by welcoming your opponents.
· On behalf of________________, I would like to welcome you to _________________________.
· It’s my pleasure to welcome you to __________________.
· Welcome to ____________________.
· We are here today to ______________________________.
· The main objective / purpose of today’s meeting is ______________.
· We are looking to achieve ___________________________.
Distributing the roles:
· __________________is going to take minutes.
· _____________________would like to say a few words about_________________________.
Suggesting a procedure:
· I would like to begin by suggesting the following procedures (agenda).
· We have drawn up an agenda.
· Let’s just run through the agenda.
· There are _____________items on the agenda.
· I would like to take ______________first.
· We will deal with ______________first.
· We have put _______________last.
· Let’s leave _____________________until later.
· We can table that for discussion later.
· We will deal with ______________first.
· We will go round table.
· We aim to deal with item _____________.
· We aim to cover item ________________.
· We will have a question and answer period / session in the end.
· To start with, I think we should establish the overall procedure.
· As our first order of business, can we agree on a procedure?
Timing:
· That gives us __________hours.
· It will take _______hours.
· It won't take long.
· I need to be away by _______o'clock.
· How are you fixed for time?
Tip: Make sure that you check it with your opponent.
Checking for agreement:
· Does that fit in with your objectives?
· Is that compatible with what you would like to see?
· Does that seem acceptable to you?
· Is there anything that you would like to change?
· Is this okay with you?
NOTE Use of we/let's rather than I/you.
Where possible, it's more inclusive to say We'd like to... (rather than I'd like to...) or, Let's start by talking about ... (rather than I'd like to start by talking about...). Certainly if you are a member of a team, use we rather than I.
If both parties have different views about the agenda, then you will need to negotiate the agenda before moving onto the real discussion…
· Let's just identify the key issues.
· Shall we look at______________ first?
· Perhaps we should consider ______________ first?
· We see two/three important issue____________. Would you agree?
· If I understand correctly, you're interested in___________________
Before moving on to the discussion or the real negotiation, you would like to invite your opponents to interrupt if it is necessary.
· Please don’t hesitate to interrupt.
· Please feel free to ask questions.
· Let's deal with any questions immediately.
· I/We would like to know what you think.
Part 2: Into the Discussion
Then, we will move on to the discussion, which is talking and introducing the items on the agenda. This stage is very similar to meeting.
· I would now like to hand over to _______________, who is …
· I will now hand the floor over to _____________,who is….
· Now let me hand the meeting over to my colleague, _________________, who is…..
When the person is presenting, he or she may want to go back and review the previous session…
· At our last meeting, we discussed…..
· Perhaps you will recall our last discussion, we decided that…..
· Any questions from the last discussion?
Then you can move on to the next point:
· Can we now move on to the next subject, which is…..
· Let’s go on to the next subject, shall we?
During the presentation, opposition may sometimes interrupt, such as…
· May I ask please, what your proposal is in connection with our company?
· What in general terms are you looking for here?
If you do not want to be interrupted, you can say…
· May we leave that till later and first look at…
· Can we deal with_______________ first.
· Can I come back to that later?
If everything goes smoothly, you can move on to proposal after your presentation:
Remember to ask questions if you need something to be clarified.
General:
· I would be interested to know more about.
· Could you tell us something about…..?
Clarification:
· What exactly do you mean by…..?
· Could you be more specific…..?
· Could you clarify one point for me?
· I’m not sure I fully understand your point.
Checking and reviewing:
· So, you are saying…..?
· If I understand correctly, you are offering…..?
· Am I right in thinking your plan to…..?
As a presenter, you can….
Define a proposal more specifically:
· It involves…..
· It covers…..
· It includes…..
· It leaves out…..
And you can reassure the others by saying:
· Let me reassure you that…..
· I can promise you that…..
· Have no doubt that we will…..
For the opposition party, you can express your opinion about the proposal by supporting it or opposing it.
Proposal, recommendation & suggestion (strong)
· I strongly recommend that…..
· I suggest most strongly that…..
· I advise you most strongly to…..
· In my view, the only viable solution is …..
Proposal, recommendation & suggestion (neutral)
· I propose that…..
· My proposal is that…..
Proposal, recommendation & suggestion (tentative)
· I would propose that…..
· If I may make a suggestion, we could…..
· I would like to put forward a proposal that…..
· I wonder if I may suggest…..
· Wouldn’t it be a good idea to…..?
· Wouldn’t it be better to…..?
The opponent party in reverse can…..
Express total support:
· I am in favor of…
· I would certainly give my backing to…..
· I would certain endorse such a proposal.
· I see no objection to that.
· I would not be opposed to that.
Express partial support:
· My initial reaction is favorable, but…
· With certain reservations, I would support your proposal.
· I shouldn’t like you to think that I’m necessarily against this in any way, but I cannot help wondering…
Express total opposition:
· I am totally opposed to the proposal.
· I see no valid reason for supporting the proposal.
· Frankly, I think that’s out of the question.
· I’m afraid this proposal leaves a great deal to be desired.
Express opposition:
· I am opposed to the proposal.
· I’m afraid I cannot support the proposal.
· As it stands, I would not be able to give it my backing.
· Without substantial changes, I cannot give the proposal my support.
Express tentative opposition:
· On the fact of it, this seems quite a good suggestion, but…
· I can see many problems in adopting this.
· I’m not sure the proposal is feasible.
· This proposal is likely to present difficulties.
· I am not convinced that this proposal is really worthwhile.
A note on language style:
English speakers, especially Americans, like to express a certain amount of informality as soon as possible. Therefore, we quickly move to first names (although this is NOT a sign of intimacy or friendship). In addition, we quickly begin to use informal language. These facts are intended to signal cooperation among equal partners.
At the same time that we are moving toward informality in order to signal a willingness to cooperate, it is important to maintain an atmosphere of respect. How can we do this when using first names and informal expressions? We show respect in English in the following ways.
Use would like rather than want when making requests. It's more indirect and, therefore, is more polite and respectful.
I want to hear you talk about that first point again. (This could sound too much like a demand.)
I would like to hear you talk about that first point again. (This is safer.)
Use "should", "could", or "might" to remind or inform people about what to do next. Without such words, you could sound too much like a teacher or a policeman.
Use phrases like "I think" and "maybe" and "perhaps" to introduce suggestions. These words do not indicate uncertainty; they do express respect for the other person.
It's time to start the meeting now. (This COULD sound too authoritarian.)
I think we should start the meeting now. (This is safer.)
I'll give you some background information about that. (This is okay if your VOICE sounds helpful.)
Perhaps I could give you some background information about that. (This is safer.)
Use QUESTIONS to make suggestions. Keep in mind, however, that you are not asking for permission, but you are showing the other person respect by giving him or her a chance to disagree or interrupt before you go on.
So, can we go on to the next point now?
So, are we finished with that point? If so, let's go on to the next one.
NOTE: The better you get to know someone, the less important these strategies become. People who know each other well (and who respect each other) can be much more direct in saying what they want and what they think.
Activity:
Match the statements with the appropriate stages in negotiation.
1. The beginning
2. The exchange of proposals
3. The problem-solving stage
4. The finish
Grammar:
Give back exercise 3.2 and 17.3 and go over them with exercise 21.1
Continue with past prefect tense and past perfect continuous tense.
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