Commonly confused words
1. Lie/Lay
Lie Lay Lain (Intransitive)
Lay Laid (transitive)
Lie on the bed , you look tired.
I fell asleep as soon as I lay on the bed.
He lays the table for dinner every evening at 6 pm.
He laid the table before going out to get some wine.
Personally I blame Bob Dylan for this confusion.
For more bad grammar in pop music see: http://www.hooksandharmony.com/20-songs-bad-grammar/
2. Assume/Presume
Assume - a guess - to believe without proof - use like the modal 'will'
Presume - to suppose based on evidence - use like the modals 'must/can't'
See: http://grammarist.com/usage/assume-presume/
"To assume makes an ass of you and me"
3. Chance/Possibility/Opportunity
Take a chance (take a risk)
Take an opportunity (take advantage of something available to you)
Chance/Possibility - level of likelihood
I got the chance/opportunity to do something.
http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-opportunity-and-vs-chance/
4. Briefly/Shortly
Although in short and in brief are synonymous, meaning succinctly, briefly and shortly are not.
The doctor will see you shortly, you won't have to wait much longer = the doctor will see you very soon.
Your tutor will speak to you briefly before the exam to explain the format = the tutor will spend a small amount of time explaining the format to you.
Conservation
Taken from Unit 2.2 Language Leader Advanced
Vocabulary
Check where the stress falls on multi-syllable words.
biodiversity, emissions, endangered, irreversible, renewable, sprawl
New Vocabulary, Notes & Corrections
Vocabulary:
hamper, batter, docile/tame, people friendly (see also kid friendly, user friendly), the icing on the cake.
Idioms for improvising: off the cuff, off the top of my head, thinking on your feet
Corrections:
- put money
oninto something (business, cause, activity, charity) deeplyradically changingabsolutely(very) well known- reproduce
themselves - Still/Yet
- Use "the" or plural form when speaking generally e.g. The donkey is an important animal or Donkeys are important animals
- Check countable and uncountables and plural forms
- Pronunciation: vowel sounds - chosen, creature
Notes:
In any kind of presentation of any length it is important to use signposting language so that your structure is clear to the audience. Effective signposting also emphasises your main points and makes them more memorable.
Eye contact is important - don't look up or down but make sure you maintain eye contact with everyone in your audience.
For more notes and advice on giving presentations see: http://seansenglishclassroom.pbworks.com/w/page/32233573/Presentations
