Thursday 25 February 2016

Writing- Cause and effect- Connectors

Connectors showing cause and result

Connectors or linkers are words or groups of words that help us connect words, phrases or sentences. Thanks to them, we can express relationships between ideas and improve our expression by making longer, more complex sentences. For example, take these two sentences:
Our teacher was ill. We had to put off the exam.
The first sentence is the cause of the second, and the second is the result of the first. The idea would be understood more easily if we could express the relation between both sentences. Thus, we could say:
Our teacher was ill, therefore we had to put off the exam.
We had to put off the exam because our teacher was ill.
As you can see, these two examples sound better than the first two sentences, thanks to the use of the connectors therefore and because.

Connectors can be used to show contrast, purpose, sequence, etc. but today we will be concentrating on the linking words that show cause or result.

CAUSE
  • Conjunctions followed by a complete sentence:
    • Because: it usally follows the main clause: Everybody likes her because she's very kind and friendly.
    • As and since are very similar. As is less formal than since. They are used when the reason is well known. The clauses that start with these words often begin the sentence:
      As I was very tired, I went to bed early.
       Since you are not interested, I won't tell you about it.
      (As and since can also be used as time connectors).
    • For suggests that the reason is given as an afterthought. For-clauses never come at the beginning of the sentence. For is mainly used in literary texts, therefore, it is very formal.
       We listened eagerly, for he brought news of our families.
  • Connectors followed by a noun, a noun phrase, a pronoun or a gerund:
    • Because ofThey have had problems raising cash because of the credit crunch.
    • Due to and owing to are considered by many speakers as exact equivalents, but this is not so, because due to is adjectival (it follows a noun or pronoun), whereas owing to is adverbial (it complements a verb). Compare these examples:
      The game was cancelled owing to torrential rain. 
      The cancellation of the game was due to torrential rain.
      If you are doubtful as to which of these you can use, here's a trick: try to substitute due to with “caused by” and see if it works. *The game was cancelled caused by torrential rain.* doesn't sound correct, so it's not possible to use due to in this case. On the other hand, The cancellation of the game was caused by torrential rain, sounds fine.
      Owing to is interchangeable with because ofThe game was cancelled because of torrential rain.
    • On account of: The nurse had to keep the baby in another room on account of my illness.
    • Thanks to suggests that there is some cause for gratitude, though it can be used sarcastically. She was given a scholarship thanks to her excellent grades.

      RESULT or CONSEQUENCE
  • Thus (very formal): He was the eldest son, and thus, heir to the title.
  • Therefore (formal, used mainly in written English): She is only seventeen and therefore not eligible to vote.
  • As a resultThere has been a rise in the number of accidents. As a result, the government has decided to lower the speed limitAs a result of is followed by a noun, pronoun or gerund. Can you rewrite the previous example using as a result of?
     As a result of the rise in the number of accidents, the government... 
  • So (less formal): There was nothing on TV, so I decided to go to bed.
  • That's whyCold temperatures kill mosquitos. That's why you won't see them in winter.
  • For this reasonThe Colonel was confident that war was impending, and for this reason he hurried his preparations to leave the country.
  • Consequently (used especially in written English): This poses a threat to the food chain, and consequently to human health.

Tuesday 23 February 2016

Telephoning

Telephone: language expert

Introduction

A lot of people find it difficult to make phone calls in a foreign language – and that's understandable. You can't see the person you are talking to, their voice might be unclear, and you might find it difficult to find the right words.
Multi-word verbs

One thing you can do to improve your telephone skills is to learn some of the multi-word verbs that are commonly used in telephone conversations. Most of them are featured in this module. Hold on means 'wait' – andhang on means 'wait' too. Be careful not to confuse hang on with hang upHang up means 'finish the call by breaking the connection' – in other words: 'put the phone down.' 
Another phrasal verb with the same meaning as hang up is ring off.  Theopposite of hang up / ring off is ring up – if you ring somebody up, you make a phone call.  And if you pick up the phone, (or pick the phone up) you answer a call when the phone rings.
"Hang on a second..."
If you are talking to a receptionist, secretary or switchboard operator, they may ask you to hang on while they put you through – put throughmeans to connect your call to another telephone. With this verb, the object (you, me, him, her etc.) goes in the middle of the verb: put you through.
But if you can't get through to (contact on the phone) the person you want to talk to, you might be able to leave a message asking them to callyou backCall back means to return a phone call – and if you use an object (you, me, him, her etc.), it goes in the middle of the verb: call youback.
Level of formality

Another thing to think about when talking on the telephone is formality. It's important to use the right level of formality – if you are too formal, people might find it difficult to feel comfortable when they talk to you. On the other hand, if you are too informal, people might think you are rude!
Generally speaking, if you are talking to someone in a business context, you should use couldcanmay or would when you make a request: 'Could I speak to Jason Roberts, please?' 'Can I take a message?' 'Would next Wednesday be okay?'. You should also use please and thank youor thanks very much whenever you ask for, or receive, help or information.
a man on the phone
It's important to show politeness by using words like would, could, please, thank youetc. But it's also okay to use some of the features of informal/spoken English - short forms, phrasal verbs and words like okay andbye - in other words - everyday English! So phrases like I'm off to a conference..., no problem, bye! and hang on a moment and I'll put you through are perfectly acceptable, as long as the overall tone of the conversation is polite.
One last tip - it's better to ask for help or clarification when you're having a telephone conversation, than to pretend you understand something that you didn't. It's perfectly acceptable to use phrases like'Could you repeat that, please?' 'Could you speak a little more slowly, please?' and 'would you mind spelling that for me please?'Using phrases like these will help make sure that you have a successful phone call, and may save you from lots of problems later on. You could always say that the line's very bad today if you can't hear very well. And it's also a good idea to practise words, phrases and vocabulary before you make the call!
Telephone: Challenge

Useful telephone vocabulary and phrases in English.

Making contact :
  • Hello / Good morning / Good afternoon ...
  • This is John Brown speaking
  • Could I speak to ......... please?
  • I'd like to speak to ..... .....
  • I'm trying to contact ..........
Giving more information:
  • I'm calling from Tokyo / Paris / New York / Sydney ...
  • I'm calling on behalf of Mr. X ...
Taking a call :
  • X speaking.
  • Can I help you?
Asking for a name / information :
  • Who's calling please?
  • Who's speaking?
  • Where are you calling from?
  • Are you sure you have the right number / name?
Asking the caller to wait :
  • Hold the line please.
  • Could you hold on please?
  • Just a moment please.
Connecting :
  • Thank you for holding.
  • The line's free now ... I'll put you through.
  • I'll connect you now  / I'm connecting you now.
Giving negative information :
  • I'm afraid the line's engaged. Could you call back later?
  • I'm afraid he's in a meeting at the moment.
  • I'm sorry. He's out of the office today. /
    He isn't in at the moment.
  • I'm afraid we don't have a Mr./Mrs./Ms/Miss. ... here
  • I'm sorry.  There's nobody here by that name.
  • Sorry.  I think you've dialled the wrong number./

    I'm afraid you've got the wrong number.
Telephone problems :
  • The line is very bad ...  Could you speak up please?
  • Could you repeat that please?
  • I'm afraid I can't hear you.
  • Sorry. I didn't catch that.  Could you say it again please?
Leaving /
Taking a message :
  • Can I leave / take a message?
  • Would you like to leave a message?
  • Could you give him/her a message?
  • Could you ask him/her to call me back?
  • Could you tell him/her that I called?
  • Could you give me your name please?
  • Could you spell that please?
  • What's your number please?
  

Friday 19 February 2016

Giving presentations

When Preparing for Your Presentation

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    Research about your topic. It is very essential to know your topic very well. Learn things about your subject. Remember, it is a presentation, meaning presenting information to an audience, not reading your report.
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    Keep your introduction short and strong. After introducing yourself in front, start your introduction to your presentation with a short concise idea about your topic. Show your objectives or a bird's eye view of your report. Then, make it strong with a spark of interest and camaraderie with the audience and teacher.
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    Keep text to a minimum; because if you don't, people will tend to read it instead of listening to you.
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    Check the font style and font size. Make sure that people can read it from a distance. Avoid creative and fancy fonts.
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    Use pictures, graphs, and charts to get your ideas across. Avoid complicated charts. Keep visual ideas simple.
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    Familiarize yourself about your visual aids. You don't want to stumble on your work and get confused with it.
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    Rehearse. Practice at least three days before the day of presentation. If you are going to present a complicated topic, preparing a week before the day is ideal.
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    Think positive.
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    Speak slowly, do not talk so fast that no one knows what you are saying. Pause when you need to take a breath.
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    The class will get hooked if your presentation excites them. Give a warm welcome at the beginning of your presentation to get the class' attention. Have your presentation (the visual aids or power point presentation) simple and sound, and keep your talk alive and sure.
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    Maintain friendly and calm eye contact. If you look to your audience eyes, they will feel that you know what you are doing and that you feel comfortable. Don't just stare and talk on your visual aid. Talk to the class.
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    Do not agonize over mistakes – don't say you're sorry. If you did a mistake, don't let your audience notice it. If you forgot to say something important, make a smart way to insert it through your delivery. You may say, "In addition to our previous point, before I forget to share it. . .", "One more thing is . . ."
    • Instead of saying sorry, say "I mean. . .", ". . . rather."
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    Smile, laugh and joke, if appropriate. A little humor can go along way, but don't overdo it. Make sure it is related to your topic and not offensive.
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    To make sure everyone understands what you're talking about, ask if anyone has any questions at the end of every slide.
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    End strong.
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    The most important thing is to make sure your presentation is interesting to your class.
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    Evaluate your own presentation after delivering it. Ask your classmates or teacher if you did well.

Monday 1 February 2016

Listening practice

Free time Complete the registration form with Tyrone's information. 

BROWNTON SWIMMING POOL REGISTRATION FORM  
Name: Tyrone     Surname:
Age: 
Interested in (sport):
http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/listening-skills-practice/free-time