May 15 2020 Singapore International Online Toastmasters Club Speeches
What I heard
A few free tips:
Grammar
Verbs
Commands
The verb is first in commands.
For example: Look what you are doing!
However, you should not say, 'now we will look what we did'. The correct phrase is, now we will look at what we did. Look at.
Questions
The question phrase, 'Isn't it', only follows 'is'. Otherwise you need an entire phrase such as 'isn't that the case', or 'isn't it so?' or 'isn't that right?' or 'don't you agree,' or do you agree?.
Not: 'Love conquers everything, isn't it?' - should be 'doesn't it?'
Verbs in questions match: We do, don't we. We will, won't we. It is, isn't it.
'Why there is ...?' should be 'Why is there ...?". Invert (meaning reverse) your sentence struture to create a question.
Past Tense
Quit
He quitted his job - we useually say quit, in the past tense. Why? Maybe we got lazy. That's the way it is said nowadays.
Debt
If you owe money you are in debt
If you are indebted, this is metaphorical. 'You are so kind. I shall forever be indebted to you.'
Adjectives and Adverbs
what he did good - Americanism. In British English the correct phrase would be 'what he did well'.
Pronunciation
mistakes - miss-takes not mystics
Success . I heard 'sussess' - should be 'suck-sess'. The letter c is there twice for a reason. Pronounce it as K the first time and S the second time.
Pitch is pronounced pitch to rhyme with ditch, rich, glitch,hitch. Not peach.
What I Liked
Alliteration
bite the bullet
call me a coward
friendly, fearless, fantastic
trials and tribulations
Phrases
which the blind can see and the deaf can hear
Tips I picked up on writing speeches:
Add conversation.
Highlight Language Colours
I highlight language in yellow.
I highlight any project evaluator's suggestions for additions to improve speeches in contrasting blue. For example, 'add conversation to your speech' will be highlighted in blue.
Language evaluation by Angela Lansbury, member of Singapore Online Toastmasters. The meeting ended after midnight and the language evaluator was not able to attend. The next day I looked at my notes where I had highlighted in yellow my comments on language and decided to type it up for the benefit of myself and others.
What I heard
A few free tips:
Grammar
Verbs
Commands
The verb is first in commands.
For example: Look what you are doing!
However, you should not say, 'now we will look what we did'. The correct phrase is, now we will look at what we did. Look at.
Questions
The question phrase, 'Isn't it', only follows 'is'. Otherwise you need an entire phrase such as 'isn't that the case', or 'isn't it so?' or 'isn't that right?' or 'don't you agree,' or do you agree?.
Not: 'Love conquers everything, isn't it?' - should be 'doesn't it?'
Verbs in questions match: We do, don't we. We will, won't we. It is, isn't it.
'Why there is ...?' should be 'Why is there ...?". Invert (meaning reverse) your sentence struture to create a question.
Past Tense
Quit
He quitted his job - we useually say quit, in the past tense. Why? Maybe we got lazy. That's the way it is said nowadays.
Debt
If you owe money you are in debt
If you are indebted, this is metaphorical. 'You are so kind. I shall forever be indebted to you.'
Adjectives and Adverbs
what he did good - Americanism. In British English the correct phrase would be 'what he did well'.
Pronunciation
mistakes - miss-takes not mystics
Success . I heard 'sussess' - should be 'suck-sess'. The letter c is there twice for a reason. Pronounce it as K the first time and S the second time.
Pitch is pronounced pitch to rhyme with ditch, rich, glitch,hitch. Not peach.
What I Liked
Alliteration
bite the bullet
call me a coward
friendly, fearless, fantastic
trials and tribulations
Phrases
which the blind can see and the deaf can hear
Tips I picked up on writing speeches:
Add conversation.
Highlight Language Colours
I highlight language in yellow.
I highlight any project evaluator's suggestions for additions to improve speeches in contrasting blue. For example, 'add conversation to your speech' will be highlighted in blue.
Language evaluation by Angela Lansbury, member of Singapore Online Toastmasters. The meeting ended after midnight and the language evaluator was not able to attend. The next day I looked at my notes where I had highlighted in yellow my comments on language and decided to type it up for the benefit of myself and others.
