15.5. Speaking Reinforcement

Assignment 1. Do the Quiz Finish the sentence with the correct phrase. Use the Active Vocabulary section. Get ready to compare and discuss your answers in class in pairs or small groups.

Meeting - agenda setting quiz

1.  Which sentence might you hear at the beginning of a presentation?

A  Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for arriving today B  Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for appearing today C  Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming today D  Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for showing your faces today

2.  The _________ of today’s presentation is to discuss my findings.

A  purpose B  reason C  cause D  points

3. Now, __________ begin by introducing myself.

A allow me B let me C I D presentation

4. I’d be very happy to __________ you to ask questions at the end of the session.

A  tell B  invite C  order D  request

Now compare your answers with the keys and discuss how correct you were in doing the Quiz.

1.  Which sentence might you hear at the beginning of a presentation?

A  Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for arriving today Feedback: Wrong – the audience’s arrival is just the moment they appear at the presentation B  Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for appearing today Feedback: Wrong – this sounds like the speaker wasn’t expecting the audience to come to the presentation C  Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming today Feedback: Correct – this is a straightforward way to greet an audience D  Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for showing your faces today Feedback: Wrong – if you ‘show your face’ you go somewhere for a short time because you feel you have to, not because you want to. So this is quite a rude thing to say!

2.  The _________ of today’s presentation is to discuss my findings. A  purpose Feedback: Correct – the speaker is stating the reason for giving the presentation B  reason Feedback: Wrong – you can say ‘The reason why…’ but not ‘The reason of…’ C  cause Feedback: Wrong – a cause is a reason that belongs to the past, but the speaker is stating what he wants to do in the presentation, so he’s talking about the future D  points Feedback: Wrong – The speaker is talking about the reason for giving the presentation, so he can say ‘The point of today’s presentation’ but not ‘The points of today’s presentation’

3. Now, __________ begin by introducing myself. A allow me Feedback: Wrong – you can say ‘allow me to begin’ but not just ‘allow me begin’ B let me Feedback: Correct – this is one way to start a presentation C I Feedback: Wrong – if you are describing something you are about to do, use the future tense D presentation Feedback: Wrong – ‘presentation’ is not the subject of this sentence

4. I’d be very happy to __________ you to ask questions at the end of the session. A  tell Feedback: Wrong – if you tell someone to do something, you don’t give them a choice! B  invite Feedback: Correct – the speaker will give the audience a chance to ask questions later if they wish C  order Feedback: Wrong – if you order someone to do something you don’t give them a choice! D  request Feedback: Wrong – if you request someone to do something, you ask them to do it for you. But the speaker says ‘I’d be very happy to’ which implies that he is willing to answer questions if the audience wants to ask them.

Assignment 2. Prepare to act out a meeting discussing your company’s new travel policy.