1. Word stress.
Listen to the words. Put them in the correct box, according to their stress pattern.
Now listen again and repeat the words.
3. Sentence stress.
Stressed words are words which have more emphasis than others because they are particularly important for the meaning of the sentence. Stressing words makes a spoken presentation more dynamic and easier to follow.
Listen to the example.
Today I'm going to talk about computer games.
Now listen to the following sentences and mark the stress.
Listen again and repeat the sentences.
4. Rhetorical questions.
Compare the two extracts from a presentation. Extract 1 includes a rhetorical question.
Not only is our new range of watches very reasonably priced, but they are extremely good quality. So how have we done that? Basically we have reduced costs by removing unnecessary packaging but maintained our excellent quality of craftsmanship. They are available at most reputable jewellers.
Not only is our new range of watches very reasonably priced but they are extremely good quality. They are available at most reputable jewellers.
Most rhetorical questions are wh- questions (including how) or questions using the negative form of the verb. For example:
How is this done?
How can we do this?
So what’s the best way of doing this?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to …?
Complete the following extracts with rhetorical questions.
6. Two presentations.
Listen to the two presentations again and mark the statements true or false.
Now listen again and read the transcript.
8. Writing: A presentation.
Type in the missing words to complete the presentation from the previous exercise.
9. Speaking: A presentation.
Listen and read the presentation. Pay attention to the intonation and phrasing that the speaker uses.
Presentation 2
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Could I have your attention, please? Today I'm going to present the Mythical Herb Company's new product: Herb Life. Herb Life is a selection of bottled herbal drinks. I'll begin by explaining some of the background to the idea of bottled herbal drinks, and then I'll go on to talk about what they are made of, and finally, I'll reveal Herb Life's unquestionably beneficial effects on the consumer's health.
As you can see from this graph, over the last 20 years there has been a massive growth in the soft drinks market, and products such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Fanta have become household names. However, if you take a look at this graph, there has been a growth in the concern for the potentially harmful effects of drinking such unnaturally-based products. Are we really aware of what we are putting into our bodies? We at the Mythical Herb Company have decided that the consumer wants a healthy alternative – an alternative that tastes good and an alternative which is actually good for the body. That alternative is Herb Life.
Now listen again. You will hear pauses in the presentation for you to repeat the phrase or sentence that you have just heard.