Unit 5

Content:

5.1.          Vocabulary: Words often Confused

5.2.          Words often Misspelt

5.3.          Common Errors in English

5.4.          Oral Presentation: Importance, Characteristics, Presentation Plan

5.5.          PowerPoint Presentation

5.6.          Visual Aids

5.1.          Vocabulary: Words often Confused

Words Often Confused

Below are commonly confused English words with their correct usage:

1. A While vs. Awhile
A while is a noun phrase consisting of a and while, whereas awhile is an adverb meaning “for a while.” A while usually follows the preposition for or in, whereas if you cannot put “for a while” into a sentence, you need to use a while.
•He went to the store for a while. (if you replace a while with for a while, it does not make sense -> He went to the store for a while.)
•You should sleep awhile. (if you replace awhile with for a while, it makes sense -> You should sleep for a while.)

2. Advice vs. Advise
Advice is a noun, whereas advise is a verb.
•She took my advice and took out a loan.
•I advised her to take out a loan.

3. Alot vs. A Lot vs. Allot
First of all, the “word” alot does not exist! A lot is frequently misspelled as one word, alot, but it is actually two words.
Memory tip: Think of a lot as meaning, I want a whole lot full of something. (a lot meaning a parking lot, a large area)
The word allot is a verb meaning to distribute.
•I have allotted this money to the charity.

4. Among vs. Between
Among is used to express a loose relationship of several items. Between expresses the relationship of one item to another item.
•I found a pen hidden among the papers on the desk.
•I found a pen hidden between two sheets of paper on the desk.

5. Apostrophes
Compare the following phrases:
•The girls are at home.
•The girl’s home.
•The girls’ home.
The meaning in the above phrases is changed dramatically based on the placement, if any, of the apostrophe. When talking about more than one person or object, there is no apostrophe.
•chairs (more than one chair)
•boys (more than one boy)
•suitcases (more than one suitcase)
The apostrophe with an s is added to show possession.
•The girl’s home. (the home belonging to the girl)
•The student’s notebook. (the notebook belonging to the student)
Likewise, an apostrophe is added after a plural word to show possession of that plural noun.
•The girls’ home. (the home belonging to more than one girl)
•The students’ notebook. (one notebook belonging to more than one student)
•The students’ notebooks. (more than one notebook belonging to more than one student)

6. Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure
Assure means “to tell someone that something will definitely happen.” Ensure means “to make sure of something.” Insure means “to buy an insurance policy.”
•She assured me that the house would not flood.
•She took steps to ensure that the house did not flood.
•She is glad the house was insured against flood damage.

7. Breathe vs. Breath
Breathe is a verb, and breath is the noun form of breath.
•It seems that he breathed his last breath.
This also applies to the verb bathe and the noun bath.

8. Capital vs. Capitol
Capital can mean either an uppercase letter, the seat of the government, or money. Capitol is the actual building where the government sits.
•I would like to visit the Capitol in the capital of the United States, Washington, D.C.

9. Complement vs. Compliment
 A complement completes something else, whereas a compliment is something nice you say to someone.
•His black suit was a nice complement to his black shoes.
•She complimented him on his shoes.

10. Effect vs. Affect
This one is straightforward–effect is a noun, and affect is a verb!
Memory tip for affect: A is for action, and verbs are about action. Affect is a verb, and it starts with A.
Memory tip for effect: Think of the phrase “cause and effect.” “Cause” ends with an E, and a cause leads to an effect!

11. Emigrate vs. Immigrate
Emigrate method “to transport faraway from a city or us of a,” while immigrate means “to move into a country from elsewhere.”
•my father emigrated from Venezuela.
•my mother immigrated to the united states.

12. Except vs. Accept
Besides is a preposition meaning “aside from,” and accept is a verb that means “to get hold of.”
•i don’t like all of my items, besides this one. (there is only one present that i love)
•why did i accept all of those gifts?

13. Further vs. Farther
Use farther for physical distance, and similarly for metaphorical distance.
•how a good deal farther do i need to drive?
•i would really like to enhance further in my profession.

14. Good vs. Well
The phrase accurate is an adjective, while the phrase nicely is an adverb.
•how are you today? I'm doing nicely.
•i sense properly these days.

15. Historic vs. Historical
Historical approach “famous,” whereas ancient way “related to history.”
•what a historical snowstorm!
•she determined to wear a ancient gown for the renaissance truthful.

16. “I feel bad”
Isn’t feel a verb, so shouldn’t the phrase after it's an adverb, badly? The answer is, no! Sense is a linking verb, linking the difficulty to the adjective that describes it. Consequently, the word after sense need to, in fact, be an adjective. I feel bad is the appropriate sentence.
•the cake smells scrumptious. (smells is a linking verb; scrumptious is an adjective)
•their talking is loud. (is is a linking verb; loud is an adjective)

17. I.e. vs. E.g.
I.e. and e.g. are both abbreviations of Latin phrases.
E.G. Is used to introduce a few examples, whereas i.e. Is used to intend “in different words.”
•after work, I’d like to test out the brand-new supermarket, i.E., key food.
•after work, I’d want to go to a grocery store, e.g., key food or Wald Baum’s.

18. Into vs. In to
Into is a preposition showing what something is internal. In and to are two words that just show up to be next to every other occasionally.
•he were given into the teach. (into is one unit – a preposition)
•i dropped in to look you. (drop in is one unit on its very own, and to see is some other unit)
•log in to the website by urgent this button. (log in is a phrasal verb)
•what is your login? (login is a noun)
The regulations above practice to onto and on to as properly.

19. Less vs. Fewer
Fewer is for rely nouns, and less is for mass nouns.

20. Lie vs. Lay
Compare these two sentences:

• You lie down on the sofa.
• You lay the book down on the table.
  The second one has a direct object (book), whereas the first sentence does not.

HOWEVER:

• Last week, you lay down on the couch.
• Last week, you laid the book on the table.
• You have lain on the couch for a few hours.
• You have laid the book on the table.

It just so happens that the past tense of the verb to lie is the same as the present tense of the verb to lay. You just have to memorize it!

21. Loose vs. Lose
Loose is an adjective, and lose is a verb.

• This shirt is too loose on me.
• How did you lose your phone?!

22. Numbers
In English, numbers greater than a thousand and up to 10 thousand may be written in two methods:
•one thousand
•1,000
Numbers above ten thousand can be written by using a comma within the following way:
•10,000
•247,533
Decimals and cash amounts may be written with the aid of the usage of a length inside the following manner:
•7.24 = seven and twenty-4 hundredths
•2.14 =  and fourteen hundredths
•$1.37 = one dollar and thirty-seven cents
•$359.08 = 3 hundred fifty-nine dollars and 8 cents

23. Parallel Structure
One of the most common errors in English is disrespecting parallel structure.
Here is an example:

• I like hiking, swimming, and biking.
• I like hiking, to swim, and biking.

The second sentence disrespects parallel structure. Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words in a sentence.

• I was asked to write my report quickly, thoroughly, and accurately.
• I was asked to write my report quickly, thoroughly, and in an accurate manner.

24. Principal vs. Principle
When most important is a noun, it refers to someone in rate of an business enterprise; when it is an adjective, it way “most crucial.” a precept is a firmly held perception.
•what did the predominant want to talk to you approximately?
•the predominant reason she desired to look me changed into to talk about my current tuition price.
•it’s not that i don’t have the cash, it’s just a be counted of principle.

25. Stationary vs. Stationery
Stationary means “not moving,” whereas stationery refers to paper and writing materials.

• Of course, the door will remain stationary if you don’t push it the right way!
• I love this stationery you printed your resume on!

26. Subject-Verb Agreement with Collective Nouns
If the sentence shows more individuality, you would use a plural verb; however, if the noun is acting as a unit, use a singular verb.

• The team is heading for practice.
• The team are eating with their families.

With a prepositional phrase, use a verb tense that corresponds to the subject.

• Nearly one in four people is Muslim. (one is the subject, so we use a singular verb, is)
• 25% of people are Muslim. (fractions and percentages can be singular or plural depending on the prepositional phrase that follows; people is plural, so we use are)

27. The “Bacon and Eggs” Rule
When we have nouns which are used so often together we consider them as a unique concept, we use a singular verb.
•Viscount St. Albans and eggs became served at brunch.
•macaroni and cheese is delicious.

Likewise, we use a singular verb when we talk about quantities or quantities.
•a thousand greenbacks is a lot of cash.
•ten miles is simply too far to walk.

Expressions with “certainly one of” are accompanied by means of a singular verb.
•considered one of my college students is a gymnast.
•one in every of my buddies is going to africa this summer season.

28. Title Capitalization
Here are some basic rules about how to capitalize titles:

• Always capitalize the first and last word.
• Capitalize nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
• Do NOT capitalize articles, prepositions (shorter than five letters), or coordinating conjunctions.

Here are some examples:

• A Year in Paris
• Pride and Prejudice
• Cheaper by the Dozen

Of course, for every rule there are exceptions, so it is best to look it up if you are unsure of something.

29. Who vs. Which vs. That
Who refers to people, whereas which and that check with agencies or items. That introduces an vital clause (which adds critical statistics to the sentence), while which introduces a nonessential clause (which adds supplementary, needless statistics).
•she is the only who drove me domestic the previous day. (who refers to someone)
•i do no longer like cereal that has chocolate in it. (we do no longer understand what type of cereal without the important clause)
•this cereal, which has chocolate in it, is not accurate for you. (we do not need the statistics in the nonessential clause)

30. Who vs. Whom
Who refers back to the issue of the sentence, while whom refers back to the item of a verb or preposition.
•who wants the remaining piece of pie? (who's the situation)
•whom do you agree with more? (you is the concern; whom is the item)
If you’re uncertain, attempt substituting who with he/she and whom with him/her to see in the event that they healthy.

5.2.          Words Often Misspelt

Figuring out how to spell words is one of the most helpful long-lasting abilities and it fabricates the fundamental establishment that all individuals will require all through their training and life when all is said in done. Figuring out how to spell is significant for other fundamental abilities, including reading and writing. In addition, being acceptable at spelling may affect the future vocations of understudies.

Spelling in English language can be very complicated. Words are often not spelled the way they are pronounced. There are silent letters and invisible letters in various words which make it difficult for one to use correct pronunciation while speaking and write the spelling correctly. Therefore, it is significant to be acquainted with various spelling rules in order to be good at writing in English.

Words Which are Often Misspelt

Commonly misspelt English words are some of the most used words that are unintentionally misspelt by users in day to day writing. Although it is difficult to determine which words are more prone to spelling mistakes, words with double consonants, multiple connected vowels, and long arduous words are more commonly misspelt compared to other words.

Below are some of the most commonly misspelt words in the English Language:

The first column represents the correct spelling of the word followed by the mistake commonly made by writers and the last column represents the misspelt form of the word used.

Rules for Correcting Misspelt Words

Following are some basic rules that one can follow if they found themselves in a spelling dilemma:

1. Rule 1: Double Consonants

Double consonants can often change the meaning and pronunciation of a word. It’s is difficult to figure out double consonants when a word is spoken, especially if the word has only one syllable. Double consonants can be usually found with words having suffixes added to them.

Example: She dropped her keys on the floor by accident.

Some words can be pronounced as either mono syllabic or bi syllabic.

Example: Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.

Here the word ‘blessed’ is pronounces as Bless-ed.

Whereas in the sentence below, blessed is pronounced as ‘blest’.

Example: He got blessed by both his father and mother.

2.     Rule 2: “I before E, except after C”

Although this rule got many exceptions it can be used as a general guideline. This rule states that if a word got both I and e in it, then I will come before e. But if the word also has a c before I and e, then the I will come after e.

I before E

Example: This game is a piece of cake.

Except After C

She received a suspicious package on her birthday.

3.     Rule 3: Plural Words

Some words can be changed into plural forms by adding suffixes like ‘s’ and ‘es’. The question remains where to use the ‘s’ suffix and where to use the ‘es’ suffix.

The rule is this: if a word ends in ‑s, ‑sh, ‑ch, ‑x, or ‑z, the suffix –es should be used.

Example: The Genie granted Aladdin three wishes but gave Jaffar only one wish.

For all other kinds of words the suffix ‘s’ can be used.

Example: Jake got three chocolates while Julie got only one chocolate.

There are also a number of words that don’t change spellings when their plural forms are used such as, Moose, fish, sheep.

Also there are a number of words that change their vowels when converted to plural forms such as foot-feet, goose-geese, mouse-mice etc.

4.     Rule 4: The Silent E

Usually the ‘e’ at the end of a word which is preceded by a consonant is silent. This however, does not affect the way the vowel before the last consonant is pronounced. It is essential to be careful while using ‘e’ at the end of a word as it might change the meaning of said word.

Example:

The monkey bit me. Keep your fingers out of the cage: the monkeys bite.

Here the tense of the word ‘bit’ changed after adding the suffix ‘e’.

The addition of ‘e’ might also create a completely different word such as in cut – cute.

While adding suffixes such as –ed, -er, or –est, the silent ‘e’ is usually dropped from the end.

Example: She had blue eyes. She had the bluest eyes I had ever seen.
 

5.     Rule 5: Suffixes to Words Ending With ‘y’

When a suffix is added to a word that starts with E (such as -ed, -er, or -est) to a word that ends in Y, the Y typically will change to an I.

Examples:  Baby – Babies, Cry – Cries, Family –Families.

If the suffix –ing is added to a word ending with ‘y’, the ‘y’ is not removed.

Examples: Carry – Carrying, Cry – Crying

If a word contains two consonants before the ‘y’ one should change the ‘y’ to ‘I’ before adding the suffix ‘ly’

Example: Happy – Happily, Lucky – Luckily.

5.3.          Common Errors in English

Common Errors with Articles

     The use of A/An with plural Or uncountable noun:

a fact = OK (singular)

a facts = INCORRECT (plural)

An information = INCORRECT (uncountable)

An advice = INCORRECT (uncountable)

a piece of advice = OK (“piece” is countable)

a pants / a glasses / a scissors = INCORRECT (plural)

a pair of pants/glasses/scissors = OK (“pair” is countable)

a rice = INCORRECT (uncountable)

a grain of rice = OK (“grain” is countable)

a work = INCORRECT (uncountable)

a job / a task / a project = OK (countable)

     The articles ‘A’ and ‘An’ always follow the sound, not the letter

a university (pronounced like you – ni – ver – si – ty)

An umbrella (pronounced like um – brel – la)

a hat (h is not silent)

An hour (h is silent)

An X-ray (pronounced like ex – ray)

An NGO(pronounced like en – gee – oh)

a non-governmental organization(when we say the full words, they start with the N sound)

     The use of A and An without a noun following it.

I am a Japanese. = INCORRECT(“Japanese” is an adjective, not a noun)

I am Japanese. = OK

He is an intelligent. = INCORRECT(“intelligent” is an adjective, not a noun)

He is intelligent. = OK

He is an intelligent man. = OK(now it’s OK because we have the noun “man” after “an intelligent”)

     The use of "The" for Singular or Plural and for Countable or Uncountable nouns, when something specific is being talked about (Not General)

I love pasta.(general)

I love the pasta at that restaurant.(specific)

That store sells furniture.(general)

The furniture in my living room is all new.(specific)

Vegetables are good for you.(general)

The vegetables at the market are always fresh.(specific)

I need advice. (general)

The advice you gave me was very helpful. (specific)

     Use of the article "The" for proper nouns:

• NAMES OF CONTINENTS/COUNTRIES*/STATES/CITIES/STREETS:

We’re traveling around Asia for three months.

I’d like to visit Russia.

Paris is my favourite city in Europe.

Have you ever been to California?

They live on Rosewood Avenue.

*Exceptions: the United States (the U.S.), the United Kingdom (the U.K.), the Philippines, the Czech Republic, the Central African Republic, the Marshall Islands

• COMPANIES & UNIVERSITIES*

My uncle works at Samsung.

Microsoft reported high profits this quarter.

She graduated from Harvard.

New York University is very large.

*Exceptions: If the university’s name BEGINS with “university,” then use “the”:

The University of Pennsylvania, the University of Miami

• LANGUAGES & HOLIDAYS

I’m studying Spanish.

He speaks Italian.

My whole family gets together at Christmas.

The office will be closed on New Year’s Day.

     "The" can be used while referring for certain places:

• DO NOT USE THE WITH INDIVIDUAL LAKES OR MOUNTAINS:

Mount Everest is the highest mountain the world.

We went sailing on Lake Ontario.

• USE THE WITH OCEANS, RIVERS, VALLEYS, DESERTS, MOUNTAIN RANGES, POINTS ON GLOBE:

The Pacific Ocean

The Amazon River

The San Fernando Valley

The Sahara Desert

The Swiss Alps, the Rocky Mountains

The North/South Pole, the Equator

• DO NOT USE THE WITH THE FOLLOWING PLACES:

I’m going home.

She’s at work.

He’s in jail.

We attend church.

My kids went to bed.

My brother’s in high school.

My sister’s in college.

• USE THE WITH THE FOLLOWING PLACES:

I went to the bank.

Let’s go to the movies.

He gets home from the office around 7.

My grandfather’s in the hospital.

I’ll stop by the post office after lunch.

I caught a taxi to the airport.

I’ll pick you up at the train station.

We’re waiting at the bus stop.

We took my son to the doctor.

I’m going to the dentist this afternoon.(in this case, “the doctor” and “the dentist” are short for “the doctor’s office” and “the dentist’s office”)

Common Errors with Prepositions

The use of prepositions in sentences can be a difficult task. Propositions are sometimes short and very common (e.g., at, in and on), and may have several uses depending on the context, which can make it difficult to know which preposition to use.

Below are some common errors to avoid with prepositions:

1. Temporal Errors

The use of 'in' and 'at' depends on the time of the day. For example, in sentences we always use the preposition “in” with “morning,” “afternoon,” and “evening.” But the preposition 'at' is used when talking about the night:

• Helen goes running in the morning.
• Tim goes running in the afternoon.
• Shirley goes running in the evening.
• Bob goes running at night.

b.     Spatial Errors (In and at vs. To)

The preposition 'to' can be used to discuss journeys (e.g., “I’m going to Tasmania”). But if the word “arrive,” is present in a sentence we use “in” or “at” to describe reaching a destination. For instance:

• She arrived in Tasmania just after lunch.
• He arrived at the restaurant five minutes late.

The use of “in” or “at” typically depends on the destination:

The preposition “in” for cities, countries or other large areas. While the preposition “at” is used for specific places (e.g., a library, a bar, or someone’s house).

c.      Time, Days, Months, and Years (At, On, and In)

Different prepositions are used in different contexts while referring to time in days, months and years.

If a time of the day is being referred, the correct term is “at”:

• The party starts at 9pm.

If a specific day or date is being referred, we use “on”:

• The party is on Saturday.

While referring to a month or year, the correct preposition is “in”:

• We’re having a party in April.

d.     Helping verbs

With auxiliary verbs such as “should” or “must.”, the preposition "of" is used.

• Exception: I should of gone to bed earlier. ✗

However, this is an error. The correct word here isn’t even a preposition.

Rather, the verb “have,” must be used which sounds a bit like “of” when spoken (hence the confusion). Thus, it should say:

I should have gone to bed earlier. ✓

e.     Present Continuous Tense

If something has been happening from a long time, we use “for” when referring to a length of time (e.g., a period of hours, days, or months):

• I’ve been writing for six hours.

But if a specific time is used as a point of reference, we use “since”:

• I’ve been writing since breakfast.

The difference here is that the first refers to a measure of time, while the second refers to a fixed point in the past when the activity began.

f.        Talking About and Discussing

“Talking” and “discussing” are similar activities, so people often treat these words as interchangeable. However, only the preposition “about” must be used after “talking.” For example:

• We’re talking about extreme sports. ✓
• We’re discussing extreme sports. ✓
• We’re discussing about extreme sports. ✗

Common Errors with Tenses

Rule 1

A past tense in the independent clause is always followed by a past tense in the subordinate clause.

Example: I found out that she was out of town.

However, there is an exception to this rule. When the independent clause in the past tense, the subordinate clause can be in the present tense if a universal truth is being stated by it. 

Example: The children were taught that honesty is the best policy.

Another exception to this rule is when the word ‘than’ is used in the sentence to introduce the subordinate clause. In this case, the subordinate clause can be used in any tense irrespective of the tense of the independent clause.

Rule 2

If the tense used with the independent clause is in the present or future tense, the tense of the subordinate clause can be in any tense based on what needs to be conveyed.

Example: She is saying that she is alright. She says she is fine.
 

Rule 3

If the independent clause is in the future tense, the subordinate clause is not used in the future tense instead a subordinating clause beginning with when, until, before, after etc. is used.

Example: I will call you when dinner is ready. I shall wait until you return.

Rule 4

When the subordinate clause is introduced with the conjunction ‘that’, the following rules must be followed,

• ‘May’ should be used in the subordinate clause when the independent clause is in the present tense.
• ‘Might’ should be used in the subordinate clause when the independent clause is in the past tense.

Example: We eat that we may live. She tried to live so that he might have a chance at life.

Rule 5

When some phrases such as If only, wish that, what if, it is time are used, the clauses that follow it are always in the past tense.

Example: I wish I could eat another ice cream.

Errors in Pronunciation

There is a great difference in how the words are spelled and the way they are pronounced in the English language. Therefore, it is difficult to ascertain the correct pronunciation of a word by just looking at it the way it is spelled. This often results in mispronunciation. Only by hearing the correct pronunciation from a native speaker one can truly understand how words are supposed to be articulated.

For example, consider the following words – through, cough, though, rough, bough. In these words the pronunciation of the letters –ough varies with each word.

Similarly read, need, believe, machine, receive, we, people, key, quay contain nine different spellings for the same vowel sound in the word “need”.

Below are some commonly made errors with respect to pronunciation and how to avoid them -

THE -ED SUFFIX ON REGULAR VERBS

The past tense of various verbs are formed by adding the suffix “-ed” to the base form of the verb. But Even though all regular verbs are formed the same way, they might be pronounced quite differently. Depending on the preceding syllable, the -ed suffix can be pronounced in three different ways: /id/, /d/, or /t/.

/ID/

This pronunciation is used when “-ed” is preceded by a “d” or a “t”.

Examples

Need   → needed

End      → ended

Start     → started

Want     → wanted

/T/

Regular verbs that end in a voiceless consonant sound have the /T/ pronunciation. Some common voiceless consonants include: /f/ /k/ /p/ /s/ /t/ /sh/ y /ch/.

Examples

/f/ laugh       → laughed

/p/ stop      → stopped

/sh/ wash       →washed

/k/ like       → liked

/s/ miss    → missed

/D/

Regular verbs having a voiced consonant sound have this pronunciation. Some common voiced consonants are: /b/ /g/ /v/ /z/ /m/ /n/ /l/ /th/ /r/.

Examples:

/b/ grab      → grabbed

/g/ beg      → begged

/n/ listen → listened

/l/ kill → killed

SILENT LETTERS

Silent letters are consonants that appear in a word but are not pronounced. It can be difficult for a non-native speaker to grasp which letters are silent in a word, therefore resulting in errors in pronunciation. For example, there are many English words where the “h” is not pronounced. The same applies to many other consonants. Let’s look at some examples.

Silent H

Although it should be kept in mind that the aspirated “h” in English is always pronounced. Here is a list of words that begin with a silent “h”.

Hour

Honour

Honest

Heir

Herbs

These words containing the silent 'h' usually have a vowel right after 'h' and the actual pronunciation begins from the said vowel.

Silent P

There are a number of words where the first 'p' is not pronounced leading to mispronunciation by non-native speakers. Here are those words:

Psychology

Psychiatrist

Pseudo

Pneumonia

Pneumatics

Psalms

Another commonly mispronounced word 'receipt', where the “p” is not at the beginning of the word, is followed by a consonant, but is not pronounced.

There are many other silent letters in English and the only way to recognize them is by practicing their usage. By a general rule, they are consonants followed by other consonants. For example: doubt , subtle , assign , design , knife , knight .

THE STRESS ON DERIVED WORDS

Sometimes the stress passes from a later syllable to the first syllable in some derived forms of verbs. Their visual similarity can be misleading and therefore should be paid close attention to.

Examples

Implant (v) implant (n)

Project (v) project (n)

Upgrade (v) upgrade (n)

5.4.          Oral Presentation: Importance, Characteristics, Presentation Plan

An oral presentation consists of a short talk on a specific topic. This is a strategy used especially in the academic fields and requires the exhibitor to be based on their reading or research. After this presentation, the discussion is usually opened.

Importance of Oral Presentation

Below are some reasons why Oral presentations are important in the workplace:

• Oral presentations are important because employees, supervisors and managers often use them as a way to convey ideas, sell a product or service, motivate people within their organization, present requests to banks to finance loans and for other business purposes.

• The primary purpose of any oral presentation is to convey important information to others. Possessing the skills needed to give an effective presentation is a way to show your communication and organization skills and your knowledge of the business you work for.

• Your audience will likely view you as a subject matter expert (SME) if u create a successful business presentation.

• Being able to create and present effective oral presentations can also help you advance your career by helping you develop leadership skills, making you stand out as a potential candidate for a promotion, proving your worth to your employer and gaining valuable experience you can highlight on your resume.

Characteristics

The main characteristics of the oral presentation have to do with the existence of a clear message, the correct identification of the target audience, the organization of information and the use of support material.

The main characteristics of an oral presentation include:

1. Has a clear purpose

An oral presentation can be held in front of the members of a business or governmental organization, or in a classroom, therefore, it is necessary that its purpose be clearly defined. This purpose is decided by the intention of the speaker to manifest his message. What the speaker wants the audience to think and feel depends on that purpose. The purpose of an oral presentation could also be to elucidate a process, to defend a perspective or point of view, to contrast opinions, to report historical events, among others.

2. Fits the audience

An exhibition must be prepared specifically for the audience it's aimed toward, so that the knowledge reaches the audience efficiently. The interlocutors should be clearly identified. It can be significantly useful know what your background is and what level of knowledge you have about the material being presented. Also, it is important to know what they expect to get from the presentation.

3. It has introduction, body and closure

The introduction aims to capture the interest of listeners, indicate the objectives of the presentation and explain how the presentation is organized. The body has a purpose to support the central argument or to specify the topic. It is typically categorized into sections that expose each point of evidence. Finally, the closing summarizes the key ideas of the talk.

4. Avoid unnecessary details

The phrase "less is more" must be fulfilled to create and effective presentation. It is a typical misconception on the part of presenters to try to speak too much. As a result, the main message may be lost. A clear and concise presentation is which is proactive and leads to a conversation during the question and answer session is preferable.

5. Use well-designed visual supports

Another of the characteristics of an oral presentation refers to the inclusion of visual aids. Although the speech is excellent, the speaker will be perceived as unprofessional if the visual aids are poorly executed. Then, in addition to containing important information, this material must be clear, clean, organized and vast enough for the general public to envision and interpret correctly.

6. Encourages public participation

The purposes of a presentation cannot be met if the audience is excluded or not involved. The presenter should see thereto that the audience interacts with him and with others. This interaction with the general public makes the exhibition more interesting and accessible to everyone involved. It is helpful to have strategies to engage the audience often and right from the beginning of the presentation.

7. Ends on time

This is one of the most important features of an oral presentation. If the presentation is not finished on time, the presenter may lose credibility. It also involves the risk of offending the public. Likewise, there are fewer opportunities to form a robust conclusion because attendees aren't listening or have already left.

Presentation Plan

A presentation plan includes the following steps:

Planning

A presentation is a formal talk given on a specific set of topics to inform and educate. They may be short or long, include slides or other visual aids, and be done individually or in a group.

Planning and structuring a presentation is similar to the process of writing an essay, except the speaker needs to be conscious of a live audience and use spoken language instead of written.

Importance of the Subject of Presentation

The first thing that must be kept in mind while making a presentation is the subject. Since content is central to any presentation, your content must be accurate, factual, and well-organized before there comes any kind of ornamentation to the main content. In an ideal world, you would have a thorough knowledge of your subject matter before you start to present, but we all know that doesn't happen every time. Our clients and supervisors give us assignments just outside our comfort zones, or we change jobs and have to learn new product lines, or a new issue comes up that we have to quickly learn, digest, and be able to explain to someone else.

Advances in presentation technology (like PowerPoints and multimedia) has made it easier to get distracted from the main content of the presentation. Many times, people spend hours working on slideshows and various little details in those slideshows when what really matters is the actual message. It's pretty easy to understand how this happens. Research is hard if you're working on a new subject. And if it's a familiar subject, you feel like you know it so well you don't even have to prepare.

However, keep in mind the great and famous presenters who shaped world history: Moses; Jesus; Gandhi; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Abraham Lincoln. What stands out about these speeches are the concepts expressed and the words used to express them. Most of these orators lived in a time before any kind of visual aids were available (except for Moses, who had the stone tablets) a lack of visuals forced speakers to focus on the message.

People will say that we live in an MTV-world, where everyone is so accustomed to bright colours and flashy packaging that they can't pay attention to anything else. But remember that glitz without substance is just like a tin-foil necklace--something to be tossed aside and forgotten at the earliest opportunity.

The Scope of the Presentation

After the subject of a presentation is defined, the second step is defining the scope of the presentation. The scope of a presentation refers to how much of the subject is covered in the presentation or how much detail the presentation will encompass.

Depending upon the objectives of your presentation and the time you have been allotted, the scope of your presentation can be divided into two types:

1) A broad scope with less detail, or

2) A narrow scope allowing for greater detail.

The broader the scope of a presentation, the harder it becomes to go into detail of each specific topic. Similarly of the scope of the presentation is narrow, it allows you to go in depth regarding specific topics. Depth and scope of a presentation to be decided before starting to create the actual presentation, otherwise a lot of time would be wasted.

Depth and scope decide a duration of the presentation, it is essential to have a balance of depth and scope as the audience often tends to find longer presentations tedious and boring. There is a well-known saying that states 'a successful presentation needs a good beginning and a good ending, and these should be as close together as possible'.

This sentiment is truer now than ever before. Most people have more work than they can comfortably deal with in a working week and they do not appreciate having their time wasted unnecessarily. Even a well-structured and well-delivered presentation will be unpopular if the audience feels that it went on too long.

Preparing and Outlining

While defining the scope of a presentation, it is essential to know what is to be included in the main content and what isn't. One way to achieve this objective is by making a preliminary outline of the key content in the presentation.

This preliminary outline is made up of a number of topics which support the main content of the presentation. The most difficult part of a presentation is to decide what to include and what to exclude from the presentation. Therefore, the main content of the presentation should be supported by 3-5 key points. If more than 5 points are presented the audience might not be able to keep up and might lose interest in the presentation.

To create an outline for a presentation:

• Note down all the topics that are to be covered in the presentation
• Brainstorm each topic for 10-15 minutes and come up with key points which can be put into a mind map.
• Do not spend more time on this activity because you will very quickly hit diminishing returns
• If you remember a certain key point later you can always add it to the list.

Using a mind-map can be very advantageous at the outlining stage of a presentation. Mind maps allow you to make associations, form links and group similar topics together.

To draw a mind map, take a black piece of paper and start the subject of the presentation at the centre. After that think of all the ideas and concepts associated with the subject and start writing it around the central idea. Try to be as inclusive as possible at this stage. Don't try to edit the list down, just write down everything that occurs to you and don't worry about where to begin, it doesn't matter.

A presentation Outline comprises of several stages:

● State your purpose and main idea and then use these elements to guide the rest of your

Planning.

● Organize your major points and sub-points in logical order, expressing each major

Point as a single, complete sentence.

● Identify major points in the body first, then outline the introduction and close.

● Identify transitions between major points or sections, then write these transitions in

Full-sentence form.

● Prepare your bibliography or source notes; highlight those sources you want to identify

By name during your talk.

● Choose a compelling title. It should be brief, action oriented, and focused on how the audience can benefit from the presentation.

● Add delivery cues, such as places where you plan to pause for emphasis or use visuals.

● Arrange your notes on numbered cards or use the notes capability in your presentation software.

Most speakers like to prepare both a simple and complex outline that provides them with all the necessary cues and reminders they will require to present their material.

Organising

Most presentations have three different sections: Introduction, The Middle, and Conclusion.

Rehearsing and Delivering Oral Presentations

Public speakers, politicians, and professional actors get nervous before they get on stage, why shouldn't you? Ironically, a certain level of 'nervousness' works to your advantage because it keeps you alert and boosts your performance. However, learning to channel that energy takes time and practice. Delivery can make or break a presentation, so start planning it early. Prepare your delivery as follows:

Handling Questions

Most presentations are followed up with a question and answer period. To some people this could be one of the most exciting parts of the presentation, whereas to others it can be their worst nightmare. In fact, there are some presenters who purposely avoid the question and answer period altogether. Below are some techniques on handling questions during and after a presentation:

1. Listen to the entire question. Listen to the whole question before you start to answer any questions. Too many of us start responding to an issue before the whole question is even asked. Not waiting to listen to the whole questions may result in you providing a response which had nothing to try to to with the question. Force yourself to concentrate to the whole question and confirm you understand the question.

2.     Pause and permit yourself time to value the question and listener. Repeat the question out load therefore the entire audience can hear it. It is important that everybody "hears" the question or the solution you provide might not add up to a number of the people. Repeating the question may allow you some overtime to gauge the question and formulate a response.

3.     Credit the Person for asking the question. You may say something like, "That was an excellent question" or, "Glad you asked that question" or maybe, "I get asked that question a lot". One word of caution. If you credit one person with raising an issue, make certain to credit everyone for raising an issue. You don't want people to feel their question wasn't as important.

4.     Respond to the Question honestly and the best you can. If you are do not know a solution to an issue, don't attempt to fake it. Be honest, and tell them you are doing not know but do promise to research the solution for them and do revisit to them.

5.     Bridge to subsequent question by asking them a question. "Does that answer your question?", "Is that the type of data you were looking for?". This is often critical. Once they answer you, "yes" you now have permission to travel on to subsequent person. This also gives them another opportunity to mention, "No" and permit them to clarify their question more by asking it again.

5.5.          PowerPoint Presentation

PowerPoint presentations are an excellent way to present information visually and highlight key points. It’s important to make an efficient PowerPoint that highlights key elements, communicates ideas and increases the audience’s retention on the subject matter. Learning what to incorporate and how to format PowerPoint slides can make your presentation more visually appealing.

What is a PowerPoint Presentation?

A PowerPoint presentation may be a collection of slides curated to inform an audience on a specific topic. PowerPoint is a part of various software designed for office use be Microsoft called Microsoft Office. PowerPoint presentations are often used for business or educational purposes. Slides within the PowerPoint include but are not limited to text, images, graphics and other elements that help illustrate the subject matter. It’s important to make an efficient PowerPoint so as to take care of your audience’s attention throughout your presentation.

You can use a PowerPoint presentation:

• To persuade an audience to shop for a product or accept your pitch
• To present statistical data in the form of graphs or charts
• To show a visual aspect of a project
• A PowerPoint presentation are often an efficient accompaniment for meetings, presentations or pitches for individuals or large groups.

How to Create a PowerPoint Presentation

You can create a PowerPoint presentation in Microsoft Office- PowerPoint. Below are the steps to be followed to create a PowerPoint Presentation:

1. Open Microsoft PowerPoint

2.     After opening the application, click “Blank Presentation” on the opening screen and edit it to your liking. You can also create a brand-new PowerPoint by clicking “File” to change to “Backstage View” then “New.” this will offer you the choice to settle on a blank presentation, choose a template or search templates.

3.     On the “Home” tab, click the “New Slide” button in the Slides group to create as many as needed for your presentation.

4.     To select a unique layout for subsequent slides, click the “Layout” button within the “Home” tab to display the gallery of slide layouts and choose the layout of your choosing.

5.     You can then add text, images and graphics to every layout using the toolbar.

6.     Once you’re ready to give your presentation, click on the “Slide Show” tab and click “From Beginning.”

7.     To go to the next slide, click anywhere on the slide or press the right arrow key.

8.     Once you’re finished with your PowerPoint, you can save it on your computer by pressing ‘Ctrl+s’ keys or clicking save under the file menu.

Techniques for creating a great PowerPoint presentation

When preparing a PowerPoint presentation, it’s a good idea to create with intention, cohesion and purpose. A slideshow should include a clean design and key visual elements to assist audience engagement. Here are several things to think about in your approach and an in-depth check out each of them:

1. Outline Your Presentation

The purpose of a PowerPoint is to focus on key information. Start by making an overview of what you’d like your presentation to appear like. Minimize the number of slides so as to take care of a clear message. Creating an outline before time will assist you in staying focused on what to present to your audience.

2.     Create an Easy Template

Once you have got an idea of what you’d like your presentation to incorporate, consider the visual elements that might correspond to your talking points. A well-designed presentation is vital for keeping your audience captivated.

Make your presentation stand out from the remainder by creating one of your own that's simple, refined and professional. Consistent backgrounds and slide formats will present your message with more transparency, as well. The content within each slide may vary, but the design elements should remain the same.

3.     Consistency with Fonts and Colours

Your audience’s interest and comprehension can be increased with a sleek template paired with consistent design elements. Choose fonts and colours that correspond with your subject material and make the data easily readable.

Fonts

• Limit your presentation to 2 to 3 fonts.
• Try using for sans serif fonts like Futura or Gill Sans that are easier to read on PowerPoint slides.
• Keep a large font size (at least size 24) that your audience can read from afar.
• Use bold type and multiple sizes for subheads, captions or to intensify overall importance.
• Avoid italicized type because it can be harder to read.

Colours

• Limit the types of colours you employ throughout your presentation.
• Choose a colour scheme that matches your subject matter. For instance, you may use greens and blues if presenting a subject associated with the environment.
• Use modern colours and pairings like teal and red, opposites like blue and yellow or a colour scheme palette like blue, green and cyan shades.
• Use contrasting colours in each slide (i.e. dark text on a light background and light text on a dark background).

4.     Focus on Your Key Points

When writing the text for your presentation, concentrate on the most essential material you want to cover. Your PowerPoint must guide the flow of your speech. Keeping your points simple will allow your audience to better comprehend your message. Make sure each sentence holds a purpose. Consider adding short and precise sentences to keep your presentation concise.

Many times, words can hinder more than they help when explaining a point. It’s also significant to keep in mind that visual elements such as photos, graphics, graphs and charts must be utilized in PowerPoint presentations in conjunction with the text.

5.     Utilize the Right Type of Chart When Necessary

Charts and graphs are a great way to display a statistical data set and add another visual element to a PowerPoint presentation. Choose a chart type that best explains your data. The following are suitable choices:

• Pie charts: For comparing percentages.
• Horizontal bar graphs: For comparing quantities.
• Vertical bar graphs: For showing changes in quantity over time.
• Line graphs: For showing trends over time.

6.     Use Transitions with Caution

If you use too many transitions between slides, it may easily distract your audience and make it more challenging to understand your message. If you’re using transitions, use no more than two types of effects, choose simple transitions and don’t use them between every slide.

7.     Avoid Sound Effects

Sound effects can obstruct your presentation and distract others from your message. Your audience can easily lose focus with sound effects that are unrelated to your presentation. Use music only when extremely necessary to highlight a point and try to avoid irrelevant sound effects altogether.

8.     Use Audio and Video if Necessary

Audio-visual aids are a great way to gain the audience’s attention and will make the subject matter simpler to comprehend. These multimedia elements can often state your thoughts more easily and will separate any string of text-filled slides. Try to use audio and video that adds value to your presentation and does not digress from your overall message.

9.     Use Quality Images

Images are a great way to separate the monotony of text and statistical content in a presentation. When adding photographs or graphics to your presentation, make sure the resolution is large enough to fit within the confines of your layout and not be blurry at the same time. If needed, use open-source websites such as Gettyimages.com for high-quality images to add to your presentation.

10. Review Your Presentation upon Completion

Once you think you have completed your presentation and covered every topic, review your slides from the beginning.

A well-edited PowerPoint will add credibility and value to your work. Read through every slide as if you’re seeing it for the first time, check for redundancy and remove anything that doesn’t add value. Simplify your wording and proofread for spelling and grammar.

A PowerPoint’s purpose is to highlight key points in your message. Rehearse your presentation, time yourself and use the slides to navigate through your speech. Know your subject material and when you feel ready to present, do so confidently.

5.6.          Visual Aids

Spoken words are ephemeral: as soon as they come out of our mouth they evaporate into air. Because of this limitation, speeches often need strong visual support – handouts, chalkboards, flip chart, slides, computers, charts, tables, film, etc.

The importance of visual aids:

• Increase audience interest
• Illustrate key points
• Signal transition from one part of the presentation to the next
• Increase impact of message
• Help listeners retain information
• Help you; present ideas without depending on notes
• For those not familiar with your language or accent, turn the incomprehensible to understandable.

Guidelines to make effective visuals:

1. If you feel that the audience needs explanations for your visual aids explain to them lest they should misunderstand it.
2. Organize the visual aids as a part of the presentation. Fit them into the plan.
3. Emphasize the visual aids. Point to them with bodily action and with words.
4. Talk to the audience, not to the visual aids. Make sure that lecterns, pillars, charts, and such don’t block anyone’s view. Take care not to stand in anyone’s line of vision.
5. Refrain from removing the aid before the audience has an opportunity to absorb the material.
6. Don’t talk about the visual aid after you have put it aside.
7. Use enough visuals to make your points clear, but don’t overdo it.
8. Don’t use too many lines or figures on one aid, make sure that it’s visible to one and all from all the corners of room.
9. It should not be very light that the audience finds it too hard to see. Too small an illustration will not be visible to those in the back of the audience.
10. Keep them at an inconspicuous place, if aids are too many, or they may distract the attention of the audience.
11. Be familiar with the basic operation of the electronic devices which you would use for your presentation.

Below are the principles on how to use visual aids in presentations:

Unit 5

Content:

5.1.          Vocabulary: Words often Confused

5.2.          Words often Misspelt

5.3.          Common Errors in English

5.4.          Oral Presentation: Importance, Characteristics, Presentation Plan

5.5.          PowerPoint Presentation

5.6.          Visual Aids

5.1.          Vocabulary: Words often Confused

Words Often Confused

Below are commonly confused English words with their correct usage:

1. A While vs. Awhile
A while is a noun phrase consisting of a and while, whereas awhile is an adverb meaning “for a while.” A while usually follows the preposition for or in, whereas if you cannot put “for a while” into a sentence, you need to use a while.
•He went to the store for a while. (if you replace a while with for a while, it does not make sense -> He went to the store for a while.)
•You should sleep awhile. (if you replace awhile with for a while, it makes sense -> You should sleep for a while.)

2. Advice vs. Advise
Advice is a noun, whereas advise is a verb.
•She took my advice and took out a loan.
•I advised her to take out a loan.

3. Alot vs. A Lot vs. Allot
First of all, the “word” alot does not exist! A lot is frequently misspelled as one word, alot, but it is actually two words.
Memory tip: Think of a lot as meaning, I want a whole lot full of something. (a lot meaning a parking lot, a large area)
The word allot is a verb meaning to distribute.
•I have allotted this money to the charity.

4. Among vs. Between
Among is used to express a loose relationship of several items. Between expresses the relationship of one item to another item.
•I found a pen hidden among the papers on the desk.
•I found a pen hidden between two sheets of paper on the desk.

5. Apostrophes
Compare the following phrases:
•The girls are at home.
•The girl’s home.
•The girls’ home.
The meaning in the above phrases is changed dramatically based on the placement, if any, of the apostrophe. When talking about more than one person or object, there is no apostrophe.
•chairs (more than one chair)
•boys (more than one boy)
•suitcases (more than one suitcase)
The apostrophe with an s is added to show possession.
•The girl’s home. (the home belonging to the girl)
•The student’s notebook. (the notebook belonging to the student)
Likewise, an apostrophe is added after a plural word to show possession of that plural noun.
•The girls’ home. (the home belonging to more than one girl)
•The students’ notebook. (one notebook belonging to more than one student)
•The students’ notebooks. (more than one notebook belonging to more than one student)

6. Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure
Assure means “to tell someone that something will definitely happen.” Ensure means “to make sure of something.” Insure means “to buy an insurance policy.”
•She assured me that the house would not flood.
•She took steps to ensure that the house did not flood.
•She is glad the house was insured against flood damage.

7. Breathe vs. Breath
Breathe is a verb, and breath is the noun form of breath.
•It seems that he breathed his last breath.
This also applies to the verb bathe and the noun bath.

8. Capital vs. Capitol
Capital can mean either an uppercase letter, the seat of the government, or money. Capitol is the actual building where the government sits.
•I would like to visit the Capitol in the capital of the United States, Washington, D.C.

9. Complement vs. Compliment
 A complement completes something else, whereas a compliment is something nice you say to someone.
•His black suit was a nice complement to his black shoes.
•She complimented him on his shoes.

10. Effect vs. Affect
This one is straightforward–effect is a noun, and affect is a verb!
Memory tip for affect: A is for action, and verbs are about action. Affect is a verb, and it starts with A.
Memory tip for effect: Think of the phrase “cause and effect.” “Cause” ends with an E, and a cause leads to an effect!

11. Emigrate vs. Immigrate
Emigrate method “to transport faraway from a city or us of a,” while immigrate means “to move into a country from elsewhere.”
•my father emigrated from Venezuela.
•my mother immigrated to the united states.

12. Except vs. Accept
Besides is a preposition meaning “aside from,” and accept is a verb that means “to get hold of.”
•i don’t like all of my items, besides this one. (there is only one present that i love)
•why did i accept all of those gifts?

13. Further vs. Farther
Use farther for physical distance, and similarly for metaphorical distance.
•how a good deal farther do i need to drive?
•i would really like to enhance further in my profession.

14. Good vs. Well
The phrase accurate is an adjective, while the phrase nicely is an adverb.
•how are you today? I'm doing nicely.
•i sense properly these days.

15. Historic vs. Historical
Historical approach “famous,” whereas ancient way “related to history.”
•what a historical snowstorm!
•she determined to wear a ancient gown for the renaissance truthful.

16. “I feel bad”
Isn’t feel a verb, so shouldn’t the phrase after it's an adverb, badly? The answer is, no! Sense is a linking verb, linking the difficulty to the adjective that describes it. Consequently, the word after sense need to, in fact, be an adjective. I feel bad is the appropriate sentence.
•the cake smells scrumptious. (smells is a linking verb; scrumptious is an adjective)
•their talking is loud. (is is a linking verb; loud is an adjective)

17. I.e. vs. E.g.
I.e. and e.g. are both abbreviations of Latin phrases.
E.G. Is used to introduce a few examples, whereas i.e. Is used to intend “in different words.”
•after work, I’d like to test out the brand-new supermarket, i.E., key food.
•after work, I’d want to go to a grocery store, e.g., key food or Wald Baum’s.

18. Into vs. In to
Into is a preposition showing what something is internal. In and to are two words that just show up to be next to every other occasionally.
•he were given into the teach. (into is one unit – a preposition)
•i dropped in to look you. (drop in is one unit on its very own, and to see is some other unit)
•log in to the website by urgent this button. (log in is a phrasal verb)
•what is your login? (login is a noun)
The regulations above practice to onto and on to as properly.

19. Less vs. Fewer
Fewer is for rely nouns, and less is for mass nouns.

20. Lie vs. Lay
Compare these two sentences:

• You lie down on the sofa.
• You lay the book down on the table.
  The second one has a direct object (book), whereas the first sentence does not.

HOWEVER:

• Last week, you lay down on the couch.
• Last week, you laid the book on the table.
• You have lain on the couch for a few hours.
• You have laid the book on the table.

It just so happens that the past tense of the verb to lie is the same as the present tense of the verb to lay. You just have to memorize it!

21. Loose vs. Lose
Loose is an adjective, and lose is a verb.

• This shirt is too loose on me.
• How did you lose your phone?!

22. Numbers
In English, numbers greater than a thousand and up to 10 thousand may be written in two methods:
•one thousand
•1,000
Numbers above ten thousand can be written by using a comma within the following way:
•10,000
•247,533
Decimals and cash amounts may be written with the aid of the usage of a length inside the following manner:
•7.24 = seven and twenty-4 hundredths
•2.14 =  and fourteen hundredths
•$1.37 = one dollar and thirty-seven cents
•$359.08 = 3 hundred fifty-nine dollars and 8 cents

23. Parallel Structure
One of the most common errors in English is disrespecting parallel structure.
Here is an example:

• I like hiking, swimming, and biking.
• I like hiking, to swim, and biking.

The second sentence disrespects parallel structure. Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words in a sentence.

• I was asked to write my report quickly, thoroughly, and accurately.
• I was asked to write my report quickly, thoroughly, and in an accurate manner.

24. Principal vs. Principle
When most important is a noun, it refers to someone in rate of an business enterprise; when it is an adjective, it way “most crucial.” a precept is a firmly held perception.
•what did the predominant want to talk to you approximately?
•the predominant reason she desired to look me changed into to talk about my current tuition price.
•it’s not that i don’t have the cash, it’s just a be counted of principle.

25. Stationary vs. Stationery
Stationary means “not moving,” whereas stationery refers to paper and writing materials.

• Of course, the door will remain stationary if you don’t push it the right way!
• I love this stationery you printed your resume on!

26. Subject-Verb Agreement with Collective Nouns
If the sentence shows more individuality, you would use a plural verb; however, if the noun is acting as a unit, use a singular verb.

• The team is heading for practice.
• The team are eating with their families.

With a prepositional phrase, use a verb tense that corresponds to the subject.

• Nearly one in four people is Muslim. (one is the subject, so we use a singular verb, is)
• 25% of people are Muslim. (fractions and percentages can be singular or plural depending on the prepositional phrase that follows; people is plural, so we use are)

27. The “Bacon and Eggs” Rule
When we have nouns which are used so often together we consider them as a unique concept, we use a singular verb.
•Viscount St. Albans and eggs became served at brunch.
•macaroni and cheese is delicious.

Likewise, we use a singular verb when we talk about quantities or quantities.
•a thousand greenbacks is a lot of cash.
•ten miles is simply too far to walk.

Expressions with “certainly one of” are accompanied by means of a singular verb.
•considered one of my college students is a gymnast.
•one in every of my buddies is going to africa this summer season.

28. Title Capitalization
Here are some basic rules about how to capitalize titles:

• Always capitalize the first and last word.
• Capitalize nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
• Do NOT capitalize articles, prepositions (shorter than five letters), or coordinating conjunctions.

Here are some examples:

• A Year in Paris
• Pride and Prejudice
• Cheaper by the Dozen

Of course, for every rule there are exceptions, so it is best to look it up if you are unsure of something.

29. Who vs. Which vs. That
Who refers to people, whereas which and that check with agencies or items. That introduces an vital clause (which adds critical statistics to the sentence), while which introduces a nonessential clause (which adds supplementary, needless statistics).
•she is the only who drove me domestic the previous day. (who refers to someone)
•i do no longer like cereal that has chocolate in it. (we do no longer understand what type of cereal without the important clause)
•this cereal, which has chocolate in it, is not accurate for you. (we do not need the statistics in the nonessential clause)

30. Who vs. Whom
Who refers back to the issue of the sentence, while whom refers back to the item of a verb or preposition.
•who wants the remaining piece of pie? (who's the situation)
•whom do you agree with more? (you is the concern; whom is the item)
If you’re uncertain, attempt substituting who with he/she and whom with him/her to see in the event that they healthy.

5.2.          Words Often Misspelt

Figuring out how to spell words is one of the most helpful long-lasting abilities and it fabricates the fundamental establishment that all individuals will require all through their training and life when all is said in done. Figuring out how to spell is significant for other fundamental abilities, including reading and writing. In addition, being acceptable at spelling may affect the future vocations of understudies.

Spelling in English language can be very complicated. Words are often not spelled the way they are pronounced. There are silent letters and invisible letters in various words which make it difficult for one to use correct pronunciation while speaking and write the spelling correctly. Therefore, it is significant to be acquainted with various spelling rules in order to be good at writing in English.

Words Which are Often Misspelt

Commonly misspelt English words are some of the most used words that are unintentionally misspelt by users in day to day writing. Although it is difficult to determine which words are more prone to spelling mistakes, words with double consonants, multiple connected vowels, and long arduous words are more commonly misspelt compared to other words.

Below are some of the most commonly misspelt words in the English Language:

The first column represents the correct spelling of the word followed by the mistake commonly made by writers and the last column represents the misspelt form of the word used.

Rules for Correcting Misspelt Words

Following are some basic rules that one can follow if they found themselves in a spelling dilemma:

1. Rule 1: Double Consonants

Double consonants can often change the meaning and pronunciation of a word. It’s is difficult to figure out double consonants when a word is spoken, especially if the word has only one syllable. Double consonants can be usually found with words having suffixes added to them.

Example: She dropped her keys on the floor by accident.

Some words can be pronounced as either mono syllabic or bi syllabic.

Example: Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.

Here the word ‘blessed’ is pronounces as Bless-ed.

Whereas in the sentence below, blessed is pronounced as ‘blest’.

Example: He got blessed by both his father and mother.

2.     Rule 2: “I before E, except after C”

Although this rule got many exceptions it can be used as a general guideline. This rule states that if a word got both I and e in it, then I will come before e. But if the word also has a c before I and e, then the I will come after e.

I before E

Example: This game is a piece of cake.

Except After C

She received a suspicious package on her birthday.

3.     Rule 3: Plural Words

Some words can be changed into plural forms by adding suffixes like ‘s’ and ‘es’. The question remains where to use the ‘s’ suffix and where to use the ‘es’ suffix.

The rule is this: if a word ends in ‑s, ‑sh, ‑ch, ‑x, or ‑z, the suffix –es should be used.

Example: The Genie granted Aladdin three wishes but gave Jaffar only one wish.

For all other kinds of words the suffix ‘s’ can be used.

Example: Jake got three chocolates while Julie got only one chocolate.

There are also a number of words that don’t change spellings when their plural forms are used such as, Moose, fish, sheep.

Also there are a number of words that change their vowels when converted to plural forms such as foot-feet, goose-geese, mouse-mice etc.

4.     Rule 4: The Silent E

Usually the ‘e’ at the end of a word which is preceded by a consonant is silent. This however, does not affect the way the vowel before the last consonant is pronounced. It is essential to be careful while using ‘e’ at the end of a word as it might change the meaning of said word.

Example:

The monkey bit me. Keep your fingers out of the cage: the monkeys bite.

Here the tense of the word ‘bit’ changed after adding the suffix ‘e’.

The addition of ‘e’ might also create a completely different word such as in cut – cute.

While adding suffixes such as –ed, -er, or –est, the silent ‘e’ is usually dropped from the end.

Example: She had blue eyes. She had the bluest eyes I had ever seen.
 

5.     Rule 5: Suffixes to Words Ending With ‘y’

When a suffix is added to a word that starts with E (such as -ed, -er, or -est) to a word that ends in Y, the Y typically will change to an I.

Examples:  Baby – Babies, Cry – Cries, Family –Families.

If the suffix –ing is added to a word ending with ‘y’, the ‘y’ is not removed.

Examples: Carry – Carrying, Cry – Crying

If a word contains two consonants before the ‘y’ one should change the ‘y’ to ‘I’ before adding the suffix ‘ly’

Example: Happy – Happily, Lucky – Luckily.

5.3.          Common Errors in English

Common Errors with Articles

     The use of A/An with plural Or uncountable noun:

a fact = OK (singular)

a facts = INCORRECT (plural)

An information = INCORRECT (uncountable)

An advice = INCORRECT (uncountable)

a piece of advice = OK (“piece” is countable)

a pants / a glasses / a scissors = INCORRECT (plural)

a pair of pants/glasses/scissors = OK (“pair” is countable)

a rice = INCORRECT (uncountable)

a grain of rice = OK (“grain” is countable)

a work = INCORRECT (uncountable)

a job / a task / a project = OK (countable)

     The articles ‘A’ and ‘An’ always follow the sound, not the letter

a university (pronounced like you – ni – ver – si – ty)

An umbrella (pronounced like um – brel – la)

a hat (h is not silent)

An hour (h is silent)

An X-ray (pronounced like ex – ray)

An NGO(pronounced like en – gee – oh)

a non-governmental organization(when we say the full words, they start with the N sound)

     The use of A and An without a noun following it.

I am a Japanese. = INCORRECT(“Japanese” is an adjective, not a noun)

I am Japanese. = OK

He is an intelligent. = INCORRECT(“intelligent” is an adjective, not a noun)

He is intelligent. = OK

He is an intelligent man. = OK(now it’s OK because we have the noun “man” after “an intelligent”)

     The use of "The" for Singular or Plural and for Countable or Uncountable nouns, when something specific is being talked about (Not General)

I love pasta.(general)

I love the pasta at that restaurant.(specific)

That store sells furniture.(general)

The furniture in my living room is all new.(specific)

Vegetables are good for you.(general)

The vegetables at the market are always fresh.(specific)

I need advice. (general)

The advice you gave me was very helpful. (specific)

     Use of the article "The" for proper nouns:

• NAMES OF CONTINENTS/COUNTRIES*/STATES/CITIES/STREETS:

We’re traveling around Asia for three months.

I’d like to visit Russia.

Paris is my favourite city in Europe.

Have you ever been to California?

They live on Rosewood Avenue.

*Exceptions: the United States (the U.S.), the United Kingdom (the U.K.), the Philippines, the Czech Republic, the Central African Republic, the Marshall Islands

• COMPANIES & UNIVERSITIES*

My uncle works at Samsung.

Microsoft reported high profits this quarter.

She graduated from Harvard.

New York University is very large.

*Exceptions: If the university’s name BEGINS with “university,” then use “the”:

The University of Pennsylvania, the University of Miami

• LANGUAGES & HOLIDAYS

I’m studying Spanish.

He speaks Italian.

My whole family gets together at Christmas.

The office will be closed on New Year’s Day.

     "The" can be used while referring for certain places:

• DO NOT USE THE WITH INDIVIDUAL LAKES OR MOUNTAINS:

Mount Everest is the highest mountain the world.

We went sailing on Lake Ontario.

• USE THE WITH OCEANS, RIVERS, VALLEYS, DESERTS, MOUNTAIN RANGES, POINTS ON GLOBE:

The Pacific Ocean

The Amazon River

The San Fernando Valley

The Sahara Desert

The Swiss Alps, the Rocky Mountains

The North/South Pole, the Equator

• DO NOT USE THE WITH THE FOLLOWING PLACES:

I’m going home.

She’s at work.

He’s in jail.

We attend church.

My kids went to bed.

My brother’s in high school.

My sister’s in college.

• USE THE WITH THE FOLLOWING PLACES:

I went to the bank.

Let’s go to the movies.

He gets home from the office around 7.

My grandfather’s in the hospital.

I’ll stop by the post office after lunch.

I caught a taxi to the airport.

I’ll pick you up at the train station.

We’re waiting at the bus stop.

We took my son to the doctor.

I’m going to the dentist this afternoon.(in this case, “the doctor” and “the dentist” are short for “the doctor’s office” and “the dentist’s office”)

Common Errors with Prepositions

The use of prepositions in sentences can be a difficult task. Propositions are sometimes short and very common (e.g., at, in and on), and may have several uses depending on the context, which can make it difficult to know which preposition to use.

Below are some common errors to avoid with prepositions:

1. Temporal Errors

The use of 'in' and 'at' depends on the time of the day. For example, in sentences we always use the preposition “in” with “morning,” “afternoon,” and “evening.” But the preposition 'at' is used when talking about the night:

• Helen goes running in the morning.
• Tim goes running in the afternoon.
• Shirley goes running in the evening.
• Bob goes running at night.

b.     Spatial Errors (In and at vs. To)

The preposition 'to' can be used to discuss journeys (e.g., “I’m going to Tasmania”). But if the word “arrive,” is present in a sentence we use “in” or “at” to describe reaching a destination. For instance:

• She arrived in Tasmania just after lunch.
• He arrived at the restaurant five minutes late.

The use of “in” or “at” typically depends on the destination:

The preposition “in” for cities, countries or other large areas. While the preposition “at” is used for specific places (e.g., a library, a bar, or someone’s house).

c.      Time, Days, Months, and Years (At, On, and In)

Different prepositions are used in different contexts while referring to time in days, months and years.

If a time of the day is being referred, the correct term is “at”:

• The party starts at 9pm.

If a specific day or date is being referred, we use “on”:

• The party is on Saturday.

While referring to a month or year, the correct preposition is “in”:

• We’re having a party in April.

d.     Helping verbs

With auxiliary verbs such as “should” or “must.”, the preposition "of" is used.

• Exception: I should of gone to bed earlier. ✗

However, this is an error. The correct word here isn’t even a preposition.

Rather, the verb “have,” must be used which sounds a bit like “of” when spoken (hence the confusion). Thus, it should say:

I should have gone to bed earlier. ✓

e.     Present Continuous Tense

If something has been happening from a long time, we use “for” when referring to a length of time (e.g., a period of hours, days, or months):

• I’ve been writing for six hours.

But if a specific time is used as a point of reference, we use “since”:

• I’ve been writing since breakfast.

The difference here is that the first refers to a measure of time, while the second refers to a fixed point in the past when the activity began.

f.        Talking About and Discussing

“Talking” and “discussing” are similar activities, so people often treat these words as interchangeable. However, only the preposition “about” must be used after “talking.” For example:

• We’re talking about extreme sports. ✓
• We’re discussing extreme sports. ✓
• We’re discussing about extreme sports. ✗

Common Errors with Tenses

Rule 1

A past tense in the independent clause is always followed by a past tense in the subordinate clause.

Example: I found out that she was out of town.

However, there is an exception to this rule. When the independent clause in the past tense, the subordinate clause can be in the present tense if a universal truth is being stated by it. 

Example: The children were taught that honesty is the best policy.

Another exception to this rule is when the word ‘than’ is used in the sentence to introduce the subordinate clause. In this case, the subordinate clause can be used in any tense irrespective of the tense of the independent clause.

Rule 2

If the tense used with the independent clause is in the present or future tense, the tense of the subordinate clause can be in any tense based on what needs to be conveyed.

Example: She is saying that she is alright. She says she is fine.
 

Rule 3

If the independent clause is in the future tense, the subordinate clause is not used in the future tense instead a subordinating clause beginning with when, until, before, after etc. is used.

Example: I will call you when dinner is ready. I shall wait until you return.

Rule 4

When the subordinate clause is introduced with the conjunction ‘that’, the following rules must be followed,

• ‘May’ should be used in the subordinate clause when the independent clause is in the present tense.
• ‘Might’ should be used in the subordinate clause when the independent clause is in the past tense.

Example: We eat that we may live. She tried to live so that he might have a chance at life.

Rule 5

When some phrases such as If only, wish that, what if, it is time are used, the clauses that follow it are always in the past tense.

Example: I wish I could eat another ice cream.

Errors in Pronunciation

There is a great difference in how the words are spelled and the way they are pronounced in the English language. Therefore, it is difficult to ascertain the correct pronunciation of a word by just looking at it the way it is spelled. This often results in mispronunciation. Only by hearing the correct pronunciation from a native speaker one can truly understand how words are supposed to be articulated.

For example, consider the following words – through, cough, though, rough, bough. In these words the pronunciation of the letters –ough varies with each word.

Similarly read, need, believe, machine, receive, we, people, key, quay contain nine different spellings for the same vowel sound in the word “need”.

Below are some commonly made errors with respect to pronunciation and how to avoid them -

THE -ED SUFFIX ON REGULAR VERBS

The past tense of various verbs are formed by adding the suffix “-ed” to the base form of the verb. But Even though all regular verbs are formed the same way, they might be pronounced quite differently. Depending on the preceding syllable, the -ed suffix can be pronounced in three different ways: /id/, /d/, or /t/.

/ID/

This pronunciation is used when “-ed” is preceded by a “d” or a “t”.

Examples

Need   → needed

End      → ended

Start     → started

Want     → wanted

/T/

Regular verbs that end in a voiceless consonant sound have the /T/ pronunciation. Some common voiceless consonants include: /f/ /k/ /p/ /s/ /t/ /sh/ y /ch/.

Examples

/f/ laugh       → laughed

/p/ stop      → stopped

/sh/ wash       →washed

/k/ like       → liked

/s/ miss    → missed

/D/

Regular verbs having a voiced consonant sound have this pronunciation. Some common voiced consonants are: /b/ /g/ /v/ /z/ /m/ /n/ /l/ /th/ /r/.

Examples:

/b/ grab      → grabbed

/g/ beg      → begged

/n/ listen → listened

/l/ kill → killed

SILENT LETTERS

Silent letters are consonants that appear in a word but are not pronounced. It can be difficult for a non-native speaker to grasp which letters are silent in a word, therefore resulting in errors in pronunciation. For example, there are many English words where the “h” is not pronounced. The same applies to many other consonants. Let’s look at some examples.

Silent H

Although it should be kept in mind that the aspirated “h” in English is always pronounced. Here is a list of words that begin with a silent “h”.

Hour

Honour

Honest

Heir

Herbs

These words containing the silent 'h' usually have a vowel right after 'h' and the actual pronunciation begins from the said vowel.

Silent P

There are a number of words where the first 'p' is not pronounced leading to mispronunciation by non-native speakers. Here are those words:

Psychology

Psychiatrist

Pseudo

Pneumonia

Pneumatics

Psalms

Another commonly mispronounced word 'receipt', where the “p” is not at the beginning of the word, is followed by a consonant, but is not pronounced.

There are many other silent letters in English and the only way to recognize them is by practicing their usage. By a general rule, they are consonants followed by other consonants. For example: doubt , subtle , assign , design , knife , knight .

THE STRESS ON DERIVED WORDS

Sometimes the stress passes from a later syllable to the first syllable in some derived forms of verbs. Their visual similarity can be misleading and therefore should be paid close attention to.

Examples

Implant (v) implant (n)

Project (v) project (n)

Upgrade (v) upgrade (n)

5.4.          Oral Presentation: Importance, Characteristics, Presentation Plan

An oral presentation consists of a short talk on a specific topic. This is a strategy used especially in the academic fields and requires the exhibitor to be based on their reading or research. After this presentation, the discussion is usually opened.

Importance of Oral Presentation

Below are some reasons why Oral presentations are important in the workplace:

• Oral presentations are important because employees, supervisors and managers often use them as a way to convey ideas, sell a product or service, motivate people within their organization, present requests to banks to finance loans and for other business purposes.

• The primary purpose of any oral presentation is to convey important information to others. Possessing the skills needed to give an effective presentation is a way to show your communication and organization skills and your knowledge of the business you work for.

• Your audience will likely view you as a subject matter expert (SME) if u create a successful business presentation.

• Being able to create and present effective oral presentations can also help you advance your career by helping you develop leadership skills, making you stand out as a potential candidate for a promotion, proving your worth to your employer and gaining valuable experience you can highlight on your resume.

Characteristics

The main characteristics of the oral presentation have to do with the existence of a clear message, the correct identification of the target audience, the organization of information and the use of support material.

The main characteristics of an oral presentation include:

1. Has a clear purpose

An oral presentation can be held in front of the members of a business or governmental organization, or in a classroom, therefore, it is necessary that its purpose be clearly defined. This purpose is decided by the intention of the speaker to manifest his message. What the speaker wants the audience to think and feel depends on that purpose. The purpose of an oral presentation could also be to elucidate a process, to defend a perspective or point of view, to contrast opinions, to report historical events, among others.

2. Fits the audience

An exhibition must be prepared specifically for the audience it's aimed toward, so that the knowledge reaches the audience efficiently. The interlocutors should be clearly identified. It can be significantly useful know what your background is and what level of knowledge you have about the material being presented. Also, it is important to know what they expect to get from the presentation.

3. It has introduction, body and closure

The introduction aims to capture the interest of listeners, indicate the objectives of the presentation and explain how the presentation is organized. The body has a purpose to support the central argument or to specify the topic. It is typically categorized into sections that expose each point of evidence. Finally, the closing summarizes the key ideas of the talk.

4. Avoid unnecessary details

The phrase "less is more" must be fulfilled to create and effective presentation. It is a typical misconception on the part of presenters to try to speak too much. As a result, the main message may be lost. A clear and concise presentation is which is proactive and leads to a conversation during the question and answer session is preferable.

5. Use well-designed visual supports

Another of the characteristics of an oral presentation refers to the inclusion of visual aids. Although the speech is excellent, the speaker will be perceived as unprofessional if the visual aids are poorly executed. Then, in addition to containing important information, this material must be clear, clean, organized and vast enough for the general public to envision and interpret correctly.

6. Encourages public participation

The purposes of a presentation cannot be met if the audience is excluded or not involved. The presenter should see thereto that the audience interacts with him and with others. This interaction with the general public makes the exhibition more interesting and accessible to everyone involved. It is helpful to have strategies to engage the audience often and right from the beginning of the presentation.

7. Ends on time

This is one of the most important features of an oral presentation. If the presentation is not finished on time, the presenter may lose credibility. It also involves the risk of offending the public. Likewise, there are fewer opportunities to form a robust conclusion because attendees aren't listening or have already left.

Presentation Plan

A presentation plan includes the following steps:

Planning

A presentation is a formal talk given on a specific set of topics to inform and educate. They may be short or long, include slides or other visual aids, and be done individually or in a group.

Planning and structuring a presentation is similar to the process of writing an essay, except the speaker needs to be conscious of a live audience and use spoken language instead of written.

Importance of the Subject of Presentation

The first thing that must be kept in mind while making a presentation is the subject. Since content is central to any presentation, your content must be accurate, factual, and well-organized before there comes any kind of ornamentation to the main content. In an ideal world, you would have a thorough knowledge of your subject matter before you start to present, but we all know that doesn't happen every time. Our clients and supervisors give us assignments just outside our comfort zones, or we change jobs and have to learn new product lines, or a new issue comes up that we have to quickly learn, digest, and be able to explain to someone else.

Advances in presentation technology (like PowerPoints and multimedia) has made it easier to get distracted from the main content of the presentation. Many times, people spend hours working on slideshows and various little details in those slideshows when what really matters is the actual message. It's pretty easy to understand how this happens. Research is hard if you're working on a new subject. And if it's a familiar subject, you feel like you know it so well you don't even have to prepare.

However, keep in mind the great and famous presenters who shaped world history: Moses; Jesus; Gandhi; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Abraham Lincoln. What stands out about these speeches are the concepts expressed and the words used to express them. Most of these orators lived in a time before any kind of visual aids were available (except for Moses, who had the stone tablets) a lack of visuals forced speakers to focus on the message.

People will say that we live in an MTV-world, where everyone is so accustomed to bright colours and flashy packaging that they can't pay attention to anything else. But remember that glitz without substance is just like a tin-foil necklace--something to be tossed aside and forgotten at the earliest opportunity.

The Scope of the Presentation

After the subject of a presentation is defined, the second step is defining the scope of the presentation. The scope of a presentation refers to how much of the subject is covered in the presentation or how much detail the presentation will encompass.

Depending upon the objectives of your presentation and the time you have been allotted, the scope of your presentation can be divided into two types:

1) A broad scope with less detail, or

2) A narrow scope allowing for greater detail.

The broader the scope of a presentation, the harder it becomes to go into detail of each specific topic. Similarly of the scope of the presentation is narrow, it allows you to go in depth regarding specific topics. Depth and scope of a presentation to be decided before starting to create the actual presentation, otherwise a lot of time would be wasted.

Depth and scope decide a duration of the presentation, it is essential to have a balance of depth and scope as the audience often tends to find longer presentations tedious and boring. There is a well-known saying that states 'a successful presentation needs a good beginning and a good ending, and these should be as close together as possible'.

This sentiment is truer now than ever before. Most people have more work than they can comfortably deal with in a working week and they do not appreciate having their time wasted unnecessarily. Even a well-structured and well-delivered presentation will be unpopular if the audience feels that it went on too long.

Preparing and Outlining

While defining the scope of a presentation, it is essential to know what is to be included in the main content and what isn't. One way to achieve this objective is by making a preliminary outline of the key content in the presentation.

This preliminary outline is made up of a number of topics which support the main content of the presentation. The most difficult part of a presentation is to decide what to include and what to exclude from the presentation. Therefore, the main content of the presentation should be supported by 3-5 key points. If more than 5 points are presented the audience might not be able to keep up and might lose interest in the presentation.

To create an outline for a presentation:

• Note down all the topics that are to be covered in the presentation
• Brainstorm each topic for 10-15 minutes and come up with key points which can be put into a mind map.
• Do not spend more time on this activity because you will very quickly hit diminishing returns
• If you remember a certain key point later you can always add it to the list.

Using a mind-map can be very advantageous at the outlining stage of a presentation. Mind maps allow you to make associations, form links and group similar topics together.

To draw a mind map, take a black piece of paper and start the subject of the presentation at the centre. After that think of all the ideas and concepts associated with the subject and start writing it around the central idea. Try to be as inclusive as possible at this stage. Don't try to edit the list down, just write down everything that occurs to you and don't worry about where to begin, it doesn't matter.

A presentation Outline comprises of several stages:

● State your purpose and main idea and then use these elements to guide the rest of your

Planning.

● Organize your major points and sub-points in logical order, expressing each major

Point as a single, complete sentence.

● Identify major points in the body first, then outline the introduction and close.

● Identify transitions between major points or sections, then write these transitions in

Full-sentence form.

● Prepare your bibliography or source notes; highlight those sources you want to identify

By name during your talk.

● Choose a compelling title. It should be brief, action oriented, and focused on how the audience can benefit from the presentation.

● Add delivery cues, such as places where you plan to pause for emphasis or use visuals.

● Arrange your notes on numbered cards or use the notes capability in your presentation software.

Most speakers like to prepare both a simple and complex outline that provides them with all the necessary cues and reminders they will require to present their material.

Organising

Most presentations have three different sections: Introduction, The Middle, and Conclusion.

Rehearsing and Delivering Oral Presentations

Public speakers, politicians, and professional actors get nervous before they get on stage, why shouldn't you? Ironically, a certain level of 'nervousness' works to your advantage because it keeps you alert and boosts your performance. However, learning to channel that energy takes time and practice. Delivery can make or break a presentation, so start planning it early. Prepare your delivery as follows:

Handling Questions

Most presentations are followed up with a question and answer period. To some people this could be one of the most exciting parts of the presentation, whereas to others it can be their worst nightmare. In fact, there are some presenters who purposely avoid the question and answer period altogether. Below are some techniques on handling questions during and after a presentation:

1. Listen to the entire question. Listen to the whole question before you start to answer any questions. Too many of us start responding to an issue before the whole question is even asked. Not waiting to listen to the whole questions may result in you providing a response which had nothing to try to to with the question. Force yourself to concentrate to the whole question and confirm you understand the question.

2.     Pause and permit yourself time to value the question and listener. Repeat the question out load therefore the entire audience can hear it. It is important that everybody "hears" the question or the solution you provide might not add up to a number of the people. Repeating the question may allow you some overtime to gauge the question and formulate a response.

3.     Credit the Person for asking the question. You may say something like, "That was an excellent question" or, "Glad you asked that question" or maybe, "I get asked that question a lot". One word of caution. If you credit one person with raising an issue, make certain to credit everyone for raising an issue. You don't want people to feel their question wasn't as important.

4.     Respond to the Question honestly and the best you can. If you are do not know a solution to an issue, don't attempt to fake it. Be honest, and tell them you are doing not know but do promise to research the solution for them and do revisit to them.

5.     Bridge to subsequent question by asking them a question. "Does that answer your question?", "Is that the type of data you were looking for?". This is often critical. Once they answer you, "yes" you now have permission to travel on to subsequent person. This also gives them another opportunity to mention, "No" and permit them to clarify their question more by asking it again.

5.5.          PowerPoint Presentation

PowerPoint presentations are an excellent way to present information visually and highlight key points. It’s important to make an efficient PowerPoint that highlights key elements, communicates ideas and increases the audience’s retention on the subject matter. Learning what to incorporate and how to format PowerPoint slides can make your presentation more visually appealing.

What is a PowerPoint Presentation?

A PowerPoint presentation may be a collection of slides curated to inform an audience on a specific topic. PowerPoint is a part of various software designed for office use be Microsoft called Microsoft Office. PowerPoint presentations are often used for business or educational purposes. Slides within the PowerPoint include but are not limited to text, images, graphics and other elements that help illustrate the subject matter. It’s important to make an efficient PowerPoint so as to take care of your audience’s attention throughout your presentation.

You can use a PowerPoint presentation:

• To persuade an audience to shop for a product or accept your pitch
• To present statistical data in the form of graphs or charts
• To show a visual aspect of a project
• A PowerPoint presentation are often an efficient accompaniment for meetings, presentations or pitches for individuals or large groups.

How to Create a PowerPoint Presentation

You can create a PowerPoint presentation in Microsoft Office- PowerPoint. Below are the steps to be followed to create a PowerPoint Presentation:

1. Open Microsoft PowerPoint

2.     After opening the application, click “Blank Presentation” on the opening screen and edit it to your liking. You can also create a brand-new PowerPoint by clicking “File” to change to “Backstage View” then “New.” this will offer you the choice to settle on a blank presentation, choose a template or search templates.

3.     On the “Home” tab, click the “New Slide” button in the Slides group to create as many as needed for your presentation.

4.     To select a unique layout for subsequent slides, click the “Layout” button within the “Home” tab to display the gallery of slide layouts and choose the layout of your choosing.

5.     You can then add text, images and graphics to every layout using the toolbar.

6.     Once you’re ready to give your presentation, click on the “Slide Show” tab and click “From Beginning.”

7.     To go to the next slide, click anywhere on the slide or press the right arrow key.

8.     Once you’re finished with your PowerPoint, you can save it on your computer by pressing ‘Ctrl+s’ keys or clicking save under the file menu.

Techniques for creating a great PowerPoint presentation

When preparing a PowerPoint presentation, it’s a good idea to create with intention, cohesion and purpose. A slideshow should include a clean design and key visual elements to assist audience engagement. Here are several things to think about in your approach and an in-depth check out each of them:

1. Outline Your Presentation

The purpose of a PowerPoint is to focus on key information. Start by making an overview of what you’d like your presentation to appear like. Minimize the number of slides so as to take care of a clear message. Creating an outline before time will assist you in staying focused on what to present to your audience.

2.     Create an Easy Template

Once you have got an idea of what you’d like your presentation to incorporate, consider the visual elements that might correspond to your talking points. A well-designed presentation is vital for keeping your audience captivated.

Make your presentation stand out from the remainder by creating one of your own that's simple, refined and professional. Consistent backgrounds and slide formats will present your message with more transparency, as well. The content within each slide may vary, but the design elements should remain the same.

3.     Consistency with Fonts and Colours

Your audience’s interest and comprehension can be increased with a sleek template paired with consistent design elements. Choose fonts and colours that correspond with your subject material and make the data easily readable.

Fonts

• Limit your presentation to 2 to 3 fonts.
• Try using for sans serif fonts like Futura or Gill Sans that are easier to read on PowerPoint slides.
• Keep a large font size (at least size 24) that your audience can read from afar.
• Use bold type and multiple sizes for subheads, captions or to intensify overall importance.
• Avoid italicized type because it can be harder to read.

Colours

• Limit the types of colours you employ throughout your presentation.
• Choose a colour scheme that matches your subject matter. For instance, you may use greens and blues if presenting a subject associated with the environment.
• Use modern colours and pairings like teal and red, opposites like blue and yellow or a colour scheme palette like blue, green and cyan shades.
• Use contrasting colours in each slide (i.e. dark text on a light background and light text on a dark background).

4.     Focus on Your Key Points

When writing the text for your presentation, concentrate on the most essential material you want to cover. Your PowerPoint must guide the flow of your speech. Keeping your points simple will allow your audience to better comprehend your message. Make sure each sentence holds a purpose. Consider adding short and precise sentences to keep your presentation concise.

Many times, words can hinder more than they help when explaining a point. It’s also significant to keep in mind that visual elements such as photos, graphics, graphs and charts must be utilized in PowerPoint presentations in conjunction with the text.

5.     Utilize the Right Type of Chart When Necessary

Charts and graphs are a great way to display a statistical data set and add another visual element to a PowerPoint presentation. Choose a chart type that best explains your data. The following are suitable choices:

• Pie charts: For comparing percentages.
• Horizontal bar graphs: For comparing quantities.
• Vertical bar graphs: For showing changes in quantity over time.
• Line graphs: For showing trends over time.

6.     Use Transitions with Caution

If you use too many transitions between slides, it may easily distract your audience and make it more challenging to understand your message. If you’re using transitions, use no more than two types of effects, choose simple transitions and don’t use them between every slide.

7.     Avoid Sound Effects

Sound effects can obstruct your presentation and distract others from your message. Your audience can easily lose focus with sound effects that are unrelated to your presentation. Use music only when extremely necessary to highlight a point and try to avoid irrelevant sound effects altogether.

8.     Use Audio and Video if Necessary

Audio-visual aids are a great way to gain the audience’s attention and will make the subject matter simpler to comprehend. These multimedia elements can often state your thoughts more easily and will separate any string of text-filled slides. Try to use audio and video that adds value to your presentation and does not digress from your overall message.

9.     Use Quality Images

Images are a great way to separate the monotony of text and statistical content in a presentation. When adding photographs or graphics to your presentation, make sure the resolution is large enough to fit within the confines of your layout and not be blurry at the same time. If needed, use open-source websites such as Gettyimages.com for high-quality images to add to your presentation.

10. Review Your Presentation upon Completion

Once you think you have completed your presentation and covered every topic, review your slides from the beginning.

A well-edited PowerPoint will add credibility and value to your work. Read through every slide as if you’re seeing it for the first time, check for redundancy and remove anything that doesn’t add value. Simplify your wording and proofread for spelling and grammar.

A PowerPoint’s purpose is to highlight key points in your message. Rehearse your presentation, time yourself and use the slides to navigate through your speech. Know your subject material and when you feel ready to present, do so confidently.

5.6.          Visual Aids

Spoken words are ephemeral: as soon as they come out of our mouth they evaporate into air. Because of this limitation, speeches often need strong visual support – handouts, chalkboards, flip chart, slides, computers, charts, tables, film, etc.

The importance of visual aids:

• Increase audience interest
• Illustrate key points
• Signal transition from one part of the presentation to the next
• Increase impact of message
• Help listeners retain information
• Help you; present ideas without depending on notes
• For those not familiar with your language or accent, turn the incomprehensible to understandable.

Guidelines to make effective visuals:

1. If you feel that the audience needs explanations for your visual aids explain to them lest they should misunderstand it.
2. Organize the visual aids as a part of the presentation. Fit them into the plan.
3. Emphasize the visual aids. Point to them with bodily action and with words.
4. Talk to the audience, not to the visual aids. Make sure that lecterns, pillars, charts, and such don’t block anyone’s view. Take care not to stand in anyone’s line of vision.
5. Refrain from removing the aid before the audience has an opportunity to absorb the material.
6. Don’t talk about the visual aid after you have put it aside.
7. Use enough visuals to make your points clear, but don’t overdo it.
8. Don’t use too many lines or figures on one aid, make sure that it’s visible to one and all from all the corners of room.
9. It should not be very light that the audience finds it too hard to see. Too small an illustration will not be visible to those in the back of the audience.
10. Keep them at an inconspicuous place, if aids are too many, or they may distract the attention of the audience.
11. Be familiar with the basic operation of the electronic devices which you would use for your presentation.

Below are the principles on how to use visual aids in presentations: