ASHJOT SINGH ANAND

Student at Amity University Kolkata

Studied at South City International School

Barriers To Effective Reading

Some of the barriers to effective reading are as follows-·        Lack of grammatical and linguistic competence:Many people cannot read effectively because they fail to decrypt grammatical and lexical units of language in the text. They lack the ability to differentiate and recognize the words, sentences, expressions, used in the text. It hampers the process of reading. The reader may stop reading further if he fails to understand the text grammatically.·        Lack of motivation:Reading for information and knowledge requires motivation and discipline. Many people think reading as boring and time consuming task. Lack of proper motivation and goal may create barrier to reading.·        Lack of concentration:If the reader lacks concentration while reading, he just will turn pages after pages without much comprehension. Reading is psycholinguistic process. It requires careful attention of the reader.·        Proper light and ventilation:A reader has to struggle a lot to read in dim light or dark rooms. If proper ventilation is not there in the reading room, reader may feel suffocated or tired.·        Size of the book:Normally, people prefer reading small size articles and texts. If the book contains volumes of pages, it decreases the interest of the reader.·        Articulating the words and sentences loudly:Many readers have habit to articulate loudly or murmur the words in the text. They buzz each word which creates a barrier to speed reading.·        Putting finger, pen or any object on the words and sentences while reading: Many people put their finger or pen on the text while reading. They move the finger or object from word to word which lowers down the process of reading. 

Notes on Proposition

PREPOSITIONA preposition is a word used to link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words within a sentence. They act to connect the people, objects, time and locations of a sentence.  Prepositions are usually short words, and they are normally placed directly in front of nouns. In some cases, you’ll find prepositions in front of gerund verbs.Type of PrepositionsPrepositions of Time Basic examples of time prepositions include: at, on, in, before and after. They are used to help indicate when something happened, happens or will happen. It can get a little confusing though, as many different prepositions can be used.Prepositions of time examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.For example:·        I was born on July 4th, 1982.·        I was born in·        I was born at exactly 2am.·        I was born two minutes before my twin brother.·        I was born after the Great War ended.The above makes it seem quite difficult, with five different prepositions used to indicate when something happened. However, there is a set of guidelines that can help decide which preposition to use:For years, months, seasons, centuries and times of day, use the preposition in:·        I first met John in·        It’s always cold in J·        Easter falls in spring each year.·        The Second World War occurred in the 20th·        We eat breakfast in the morning.For days, dates and specific holiday days, use the preposition on.1.   We go to school on Mondays, but not on2.   Christmas is on December 25th.3.   Buy me a present on my birthday.For times, indicators of exception and festivals, use the preposition at:·        Families often argue at·        I work faster at·        Her shift finished at 7pm.Before and after should be much easier to understand than the other examples of prepositions of time. Both are used to explain when something happened, happens or will happen, but specifically in relation to another thing.·        Before I discovered this bar, I used to go straight home after·        We will not leave before·        David comes before Bryan in the line, but afterOther prepositions of time could include: During, about, around, until and throughout.·        The concert will be staged throughout the month of May.·        I learned how to ski during the holidays.·        He usually arrives around·        It was about six in the morning when we made it to bed.·        The store is open until midnight.Prepositions of PlaceTo confuse matters a bit, the most common prepositions to indicate time – on, at, in – are also the most common prepositions to indicate position. However, the rules are a little clearer as place prepositions are a more rigid concept than time prepositions.Prepositions of place examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.·        The cat is on the table.·        The dogs are in the kennel.·        We can meet at theThe guidelines can be broken down as follows:On is used when referring to something with a surface:·        The sculpture hangs on the wall.·        The images are on the page.·        The specials are on the menu, which is on the table.In is used when referring to something that is inside or within confined boundaries. This could be anything, even a country: Examples:1.   Jim is in France, visiting his aunt in the hospital.2.   The whiskey is in the jar in the fridge.3.   The girls play in the garden.At is used when referring to something at a specific point. Examples:1.   The boys are at the entrance at the movie theatre.2.   He stood at the bus stop at the corner of Water and High streets.3.   We will meet at the airport.Lot’s of other prepositions of place, such as under, over, inside, outside, above and below are used in English. There is, however, a lot less confusion as they refer to rigid positions rather than abstract ones.·        The cat is under the table.·        Put the sandwich over·        The key is locked inside the car.·        They stepped outside the house.·        Major is ranked above·        He is waving at you from below the stairs.Prepositions of MovementPrepositions of movement are quite easy to understand as they are less abstract than prepositions of place and time. Essentially, they describe how something or someone moves from one place to another. The most commonly used preposition of movement is to, which usually serves to highlight that there is movement towards a specific destination.Prepositions of movement examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.·        He has gone on vacation to·        She went to the bowling alley every Friday last summer.·        I will go to bed when I am tired.·        They will go to the zoo if they finish their errands.Other more specific prepositions of movement include: through, across, off, down and into. These prepositions can sometimes get mixed up with others. While they are similar, they have individual meanings that add context to the movement.Across refers to moving from one side to another.·        Mike travelled across America on his motorcycle.·        Rebecca and Judi are swimming across the lake.Through refers to moving directly inside something and out the other end.·        The bullet Ben shot went through the window.·        The train passes through the tunnel.Into refers to entering or looking inside something.·        James went into the room.·        They stare into the darkness.Up, over, down, past and around indicate directions of movement. Examples:1.   Jack went up the hill.2.   Jill came tumbling down3.   We will travel over rough terrain on our way to Grandma’s house.4.   The horse runs around the track all morning.5.   A car zoomed past a truck on the highway 

Notes on Departments of Advertisement Agency

 How Does an Advertising Agency Work? SHARE PINWorking of Ad agencies 1) Ad Agencies Have ClientsThis is a no-brainer, obviously. But the usual way an agency gets work is through a pitch. A pitch is an audition, with the client giving a brief to a number of advertising agencies, and choosing the one that best resolves the brief. Of course, it doesn’t always work that way (see The Pitch TV show), but for the most part, this is how agencies are paired with clients.After this, contracts are signed and the real work begins. Depending on the type of agency and client, the scope of works (SOW) will vary greatly. But in a nutshell, the agency agrees to produce a certain amount of work for a set amount of money (be it a retainer, hourly, or other agreement) and the client agrees to pay the agency upon receipt of the work. That’s as basic as it gets, but it’s the most simple explanation.2) Everything is Problem/Solution DrivenThe ad agency is there to solve problems for its clients. The client is there to present the agency with its problems, and when it needs solutions. The types of problems and solutions vary greatly depending upon the client’s business and the ad agency’s area of expertise.How this is done is different from agency to agency, but the basic steps are more or less the same.The account manager (and team) meets with the client to identify the problem that needs to be solved.The account manager writes a creative brief based on that problem. This will include competitive analysis, research, the assistance of the planner and/or creative director, and eventually, sign off from the client.The account manager briefs the creative team and includes a timeline, budget, proposed media and other factors.The creative team works on the project for several days (or weeks if they’re lucky) and brings the first round of ideas to the creative director.The creative director will cull the ideas that are not working, and direct the team to explore the good ideas.The creative team will continue to work on the ideas, but bring in the production department (if needed), account manager and other members of the agency to make sure the work is on track. If there are printed pieces, or a shoot is required, this is when the production department will begin estimates.The creative director approves the final ideas, and the creative team presents (hopefully) them to the client.The client will go away and discuss the ideas, before giving feedback to the agency. This may result in a reworking of ideas (repeat steps 3 to 7) or a green light to move into the execution of the ideas. At this point, a budget and timeline will once again be approved.The creative team works closely with the account team, media buying, production, and the creative director to produce the ads, whatever form they may take.The final ads are placed in front of the client for approval. Once the client approves, the ads are published, be it online, in print, outdoor, on the air, or any other media.The agency will monitor the success, and ROI, of the ads and give the feedback to the client.The client pays the agency. And then the whole process is repeated.Again, that is a very simplistic way to look at the day-to-day workings of an ad agency, but that gives you a brief insight into the process.3) Self Promotion and Awards are KeyIf the agency does great work for a client, that should be advertising enough. But ad agencies, for the sake of survival and success, must get out there to win more business, and have clients coming to them for work.Ad agencies will enter their best work into the awards shows. Only the best shows will garner attention from clients worth having. They will also develop a website and other forms of self-promotion to get clients looking in the right direction.The Six Major Departments in Any AgencySix very different, but essential, departments that make it possible to produce effective advertisements. These can be split into other sub-departments, or given various creative names, but the skeleton is the same.These departments are:Account ServiceAccount PlanningCreativeFinance & AccountsMedia BuyingProductionLarger agencies may also separate out the following departments:Human Resources & FacilitiesResearchWeb DevelopmentTrafficNow, let's take a look at the breakdown of those six major departments. Remember, although many agencies have different takes on these, the premise is the same. 1. Account ServicesThe account service department comprises account executives, account managers, and account directors, and is responsible for liaising with the agency's many clients.This department is the link between the many departments within the agency and the clients who pay the bills. In the past they were referred to as "the suits," and there have been many battles between the account services department and the creative department. But as most creatives know, a good account services team is essential to a good advertising campaign.A solid creative brief is one of the main duties of account services.2. Account PlanningThis department combines research with strategic thinking. Often a mix of researchers and account managers, the account planning department provides consumer insights, strategic direction, research, focus groups and assists helps keep advertising campaigns on target and on brand. Chris Cowpe described account planning as "…the discipline that brings the consumer into the process of developing advertising. To be truly effective, advertising must be both distinctive and relevant, and planning helps on both counts."3. CreativeThis is the engine of any advertising agency. It's the lifeblood of t he business because the creative department is responsible for the product. And an ad agency is only as good as the ads the creative department puts out. The roles within the creative department are many and varied, and usually include:CopywritersArt DirectorsDesigners Production ArtistsWeb DesignersAssociate Creative DirectorsCreative Director(s)In many agencies, copywriters and art directors are paired up, working as teams. They will also bring in the talents of other designers and production artists as and when the job requires it. Sometimes, traffic is handled by a position within the creative department, although that is usually part of the production department. Everyone within creative services reports to the Creative Director. It is his or her role to steer the creative product, making sure it is on brand, on brief, and on time.4. Finance & AccountsMoney. At the end of the day, that's what ad agencies want. And it's what their clients want, too. At the center of all the money coming into, and going out of, the agency is the finance and accounts department. This department is responsible for handling payment of salaries, benefits, vendor costs, travel, day-to-day business costs and everything else you'd expect from doing business. It's been said that approximately 70% of an ad agency's income pays salary and benefits to employees. However, this figure varies depending on the size and success of the agency in question.5. Media BuyingIt is the function of the media buying department to procure the advertising time and/or space required for a successful advertising campaign. This includes TV and radio time, outdoor (billboards, posters, guerrilla), magazine and newspaper insertions, internet banners and takeovers, and, well, anywhere else an ad can be placed for a fee. This usually involves close collaboration with the creative department who came up with the initial ideas, as well as the client and the kind of exposure they want.This department is usually steered by a media director.6. ProductionIdeas are just ideas until they're made real. This is the job of the production department. During the creative process, the production department will be consulted to talk about the feasibility of executing certain ideas. Once the ad is sold to the client, the creative and account teams will collaborate with production to get the campaign produced on budget. This can be anything from getting original photography or illustration produced, working with printers, hiring typographers and TV directors, and a myriad of other disciplines needed to get an ad campaign published. Production also works closely with the media department, who will supply the specs and deadlines for the jobs.Don't Forget TrafficIn small to mid-sized agencies, traffic is rolled up into the production department. It is the job of traffic to get each and every job through the various stages of account management, creative development, media buying and production in a set time frame. Traffic will also ensure that work flows through the agency smoothly, preventing jams that may overwhelm creative teams and lead to very long hours, missed deadlines and problematic client relationships. Traffic keeps the agency's heart beating. 

Notes on Origin of Advertisement Agency

History of Advertising in India since 18th Century!·        Indian Advertising starts with the hawkers calling out their wares right from the days when cities and markets first began.·        18th Century:·        Concrete advertising history begins with classified advertising·        Ads appear for the first time in print in Hickey’s Bengal Gazette, India’s first newspaper (weekly).·        Studios mark the beginning of advertising created in India (as opposed to imported from England) Studios set up for bold type, ornate fonts, more fancy, larger ads·        Newspaper studios train the first generation of visualisers & illustrators·        Major advertisers: Retailers like Spencer’s, Army & Navy and Whiteaway & Laidlaw·        Marketing promotions: Retailers’ catalogues provided early example·        Ads appear in newspapers in the form of lists of the latest merchandise from England·        Patent medicines: The first brand as we know them today were a category of advertisers·        Horlicks becomes the first ‘malted milk’ to be patented on 5th June 1883 (No. 278967).·        The 1900s:·        1905 — В Dattaram & Co claims to be the oldest existing Indian agency in Girgaum in bombay·        1912 — ITC (then Imperial Tobacco Co. Ltd.) launches Gold Flake·        1920s — Enter the first foreign owned ad agencies·        — Gujarat Advertising and Indian Advertising set up·        — Expatriate agencies emerge: Alliance Advertising, Tata Publicity·        — LA Stronach’s merges into today’s Norvicson Advertising·        — D J Keymer gives rise to Ogilvy & Mather and Clarion·        1925 — LR Swami & Co, Madras·        1926 — LA Stronach & Co (India) Pr. Ltd, Bombay starts Agency called National set up for American rather than British advertisers·        — American importers hire Jagan Nath Jaini, then advertising manager of Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore. National today is still run by Jaini’s family·        — Beginning of multinational agencies·        — J Walter Thompson (JWT) opened to service General Motors business·        1928 — BOMAS Ltd (Formerly DJ Keymer & Co Ltd) set up·        1929 — J Walter Thompson Co Pr. Ltd formed·        Indian agencies, foreign advertising in the thirties:·        1931 — National Advertising Service Pr. Ltd. Bombay set up·        — Universal Publicity Co, Calcutta formed·        1935 — Indian Publicity Bureau Pr Ltd, Calcutta established·        1936 — Krishna Publicity Co Pr. Ltd, Kanpur begins operations·        — Studio Ratan Batra Pr. Ltd, Bombay established·        — Indian Broadcasting Company becomes All India Radio (AIR)·        1938 — Jayendra Publicity, Kolhapur started·        1939 — Lever’s advertising department launches Dalda – the first   major example of a brand and a marketing campaign specifically developed for India·        — The Press Syndicate Ltd, Bombay set up·        Indianising advertisements in the forties:·        1940 — Navanitlai & Co., Ahmedabad set up·        1941 — Lux signs Leela Chitnis as the first Indian film actress to endorse the product·        Hindustan Thompson Associates (HTA), the current incarnation of JWT, coins the Balanced Nourishment concept to make Horlicks more relevant to India Green’s Advertising Service Agents, Bombay formed·        1943 — Advertising & Sales Promotion Co (ASP), Calcutta established·         1944 — Dazzal, Bombay comes into existence·        — Ranjit Sales & Publicity Pr. Ltd, Bombay started·        1945 — Efficient Publicities Pr. Ltd, Madras set up·        — Tom & Bay (Advertising) Pr. Ltd., Poona begins operations in India·        1946 — Eastern Psychograph Pr. Ltd., Bombay set up·        — Everest Advertising Pr. Ltd, Bombay established·        1947 — Grant Advertising Inc, Bombay formed·        — Swami Advertising Bureau, Sholapur started·        1948 — RC Advertising Co Bombay set up·        — Phoenix Advertising Pr. Ltd, Calcutta formed·        Corporate advertising in the fifties:·        1950s — Radio Ceylon and Radio Goa become the media option·        1951 — Vicks VapoRub-a rub for colds causes ripples with its entry in the balm market·        1552 — Shantilal G Shah & Co, Bombay·        1954 — Advertising Club, Mumbai set up·        — Express Advertising Agency, Bombay·        — India Publicity Co. Pr. Ltd., Calcutta·        1956 — Aiyars Advertising & Marketing, Bombay·        — Clarion Advertising Services Pr. Ltd, Calcutta·        1957 — Vividh Bharati kicks off·        1958 — Shree Advertising Agency, Bombay·        1959 — Associated Publicity, Cuttack·        Creative revolution in the sixties:·        1960 — Advertising Accessories, Trichur started·        — Marketing Advertising Associates, Bombay set up·        1961 — Industrial Advertising Agency, Bombay comes into existence·        — Bal Mundkur quits BOMAS to set up Ulka the same year·        1962 — India’s television’s first soap opera – Teesra Rasta enthralls viewers·        1963 — BOMAS changes names to SH Benson’s·        — Stronach’s absorbed into Norvicson·        — Lintas heading for uncertainty·        — Levers toying with giving its brands to other agencies·        — Nargis Wadia sets up Interpub·        __ Wills Filter Tipped cigarettes launched and positioned as made for each other, filter and tobacco match·        1965 ___ Kersey Katrak sets up Mass Communication and Marketing (MCM)·        1966 — Government persuaded to op 1 up the broadcast media·        __ Ayaz Peerbhoy sets up Marketing and Advertising Associates (MAA)·        1%7 _ First commercial appears on Vividh Bharati·        1968 — Nari Hira sets up Creative Unit·         — India wins the bid for the Asian Advertising Congress·        1969 — Sylvester daCunha left Stronach’s to run ASP; later sets up daCunha Associates·        1970 — Frank Simoes sets up Frank Simoes Associates·        The problematic seventies:·        1970, 1978 National Readership Studies provided relevant data on consumers’ reading habits·        1970 — Concept of commercial programming accepted by All India Radio·        __ Hasan Rezavi gives the very first spot on Radio Ceylon·        1971 — Benson’s undergo change in name to Ogilvy, Benson & Mather·        1972 —- Western Outdoor Advertising Pvt. Ltd (WOAPL) introduces first closed circuit·        TV (CCT) in the country at the race course in Mumbai·        1973 — RK Swamy/BBDO established·        1974 — MCM goes out of business Arun Nanda & Ajit Balakrishnan set up Rediffusion·        1975 — Ravi Gupta sets up Trikaya Grey·        1976 — Commercial Television initiated·        1978 _ First television commercial seen·        1979 — Ogilvy, Benson & Mather’s name changes to Ogilvy & Mather·        Glued to the television in the eighties:·        1980 — Mudra Communications Ltd set up King-sized Virginia filter cigarette enters market with brand name of ‘Charms’·        1981 — Network, associate of UTV, pioneers cable television in India·        1982 — The biggest milestone in television was the Asiad ’82 when television turned to colour transmission·        — Bombay Dyeing becomes the first colour TV ad·        — 13th Asian Advertising Congress in New Delhi Media planning gets a boost·        1983 — Maggi Noodles launched to become an overnight success·        — Canco Advertising Pvt. Ltd. founded·        __ Manohar Shyam Joshi’s Hum Log makes commercial television come alive·        — Mudra sponsors first commercial telecast of a major sporting event with the India-West Indies series·        1984 — Hum Log, Doordarsharrs first soap opera in the colour era Is born·        — Viewers still remember the sponsor (Vicco) of Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi!·        1985 — Mudra makes India’s first telefilm, Janam·        1985-86 — 915 new brands of products and services appearing on the Indian market·        1986 — Sananda is born on July 31. The Bengali magazine stupefies India by selling 75,000 copies within three hours of appearing on the newsstands.·        — Mudra Communications creates India’s first folk-history TV serial Buniyaad. Shown on DD, it becomes the first of the mega soaps·        — Price quality positioning of Nirma detergent cakes boost sales·        1988 — AAAI’s Premnarayan Award instituted·        1989 — Advertising Club Bombay begins a biennial seminar called ‘Advertising that Works’·        — Advertising & Marketing (A&M) magazine launched ·        Tech savvy in the nineties:·        1990 — Marks the beginning of new medium Internet·        — Agencies open new media shops; go virtual with websites and Internet advertising·        — Brand Equity (magazine) of The Economic Times is born·        1991 — First India-targetted satellite channel, Zee TV starts broadcast·        — Close on the throes of the Gulf War enters STAR (Satellite Transmission for Asia Region)·        1992 — Spectrum, publisher of A&M, constitutes its own award known as ‘A&M·        Awards’·        — Scribes and media planners credit The Bold And The Beautiful serial on STAR Plus channel as a soap that started the cultural invasion·        1993 — India’s only advertising school, MICA (Mudra Institute of Communications·        Ahmedabad), is born·        — Tara on Zee TV becomes India’s first female-centric soap·        1995 — Advertising Club of Bombay calls its awards as Abby·        — Country’s first brand consulting firm, SABRE (Strategic Advantage for Brand Equity) begins operations·        1996 — The ad fraternity hits big time for the first time by bagging three awards at the·        43rd International Advertising Festival, Cannes Sun TV becomes the first regional TV channel to go live 24 hours·        — A day on all days of the week·        1997 — Media boom with the growth of cable and satellite; print medium sees an increase in titles, especially in specialised areas·        — Government turns towards professional advertising in the private sector for its VDIS campaigns·        — Army resorts to the services of private sector agencies·        — Advertising on the Internet gains popularity·        — Equitor Consulting becomes the only independent brand consultancy company in the country·        — Several exercises in changing corporate identity·        — For the first time ever, Indians stand the chance of winning the $ 1-miliion booty being offered by Gillette as part of its Football World Cup promo 1998·        — Events assume important role in marketing mix·        — Rise of software TV producers banking on ad industry talent·        — Reinventing of cinema -advertising through cinema begins·        1998 — Lintas becomes Ammirati Puri Lintas (APL)·        1999 — B2B site agencyfaqs.com launched on September 28, 1999·        — The Advertising Club Bombay announces the AdWorks Trophy·        In the new millennium: ·        2000 — Mudra launches magindia.com – India’s first advertising and marketing gallery·        — Lintas merges with Lowe Group to become Lowe Lintas and Partners (LLP)·        — bigideasunlimited.com – a portal offering free and fee ideas for money launched by Alyque Padamsee and Sam Mathews·        — Game shows like Kaun Banega Crorepati become a rage; media buying industry is bullish on KBC·        — Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi marks the return of family-oriented soap on TV·        — French advertising major Publicis acquires Maadhyam·        2001 — Trikaya Grey becomes Grey Worldwide·        Bharti’s Rs 2.75-crore corporate TV commercial, where a baby girl is born in a·        football stadium, becomes the most expensive campaign of the year·        2002 — Lowe Lintas & Partners rechristened Lowe Worldwide·        — For the first time in the history of HTA, a new post of president is created. Kamal Oberoi is appointed as the first president of HTA The dawn of Indian Advertising marked its beginning when hawkers called out their wares right from the days when cities and markets first began. It was then that the signages, the trademarks, the press ads and the likes evolved.Concrete advertising history began with classified advertising. Ads started appearing for the first time in print in Hickey’s Bengal Gazette which was India’s first newspaper. Studios mark the beginning of advertising created in India as opposed to being imported from England. Studios were set up for bold type, ornate fonts, fancier, larger ads. Newspaper studios trained the first generation of visualizers and illustratorsMajor advertisers during that time were retailers like Spencer’s, Army & Navy and Whiteaway and Laidlaw. Retailers’ catalogues that were used as marketing promotions provided early example. Patent medicines: The first brand as we know them today was a category of advertisers. Horlicks becomes the first ‘malted milk’ to be patented in1883.B Dattaram and Co. claims to be the oldest existing Indian agency in Mumbai which was started in 1902. Later, Indian ad agencies were slowly established and they started entering foreign owned ad agencies. Ogilvy and Mater and Hindustan Thompson Associate agencies were formed in the early 1920s. In 1939, Lever’s advertising department launched Dalda – the first major example of a brand and a marketing campaign specifically developed for India. In the 1950s, various advertising associations were set up to safeguard the interests of various advertisers in the industry. In 1967, the first commercial was aired on Vividh Bharati and later in 1978; the first television commercial was seen. Various companies now started advertising on television and sponsoring various shows including Humlog andYeh Jo Hai Zindagi.In 1986, Mudra Communications created India’s first folk-history TV serial Buniyaad which was aired on Doordarshan; it became the first of the mega soaps in the country. Later in 1991, First India-targetted satellite channel, Zee TV started its broadcast. 1995 saw a great boom in media boom with the growth of cable and satellite and increase of titles in the print medium. This decade also saw the growth of public relations and events and other new promotions that various companies and ad agencies introduced. Advertising specific websites were born, one of them being agencyfaqs now known as afaqs.  

Notes on Public Speaking

What is Public Speaking?According to Wikipedia “Public speaking is the process and act of speaking or giving a lecture to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain a listening audience”.Public speaking is simply talking to more than one person at a time. It doesn’t really matter the number of people present because as long as you are speaking to more than one person at a time the way you talk and the words you use are fundamentally the same. For example for 1 person you would say “You have great hair”, but then for any other amount of people you would say “You all have great hair”.A few benefits of public speaking include:A significant career booster (interviews, presentations etc.)An improvement in your interpersonal skills and relationshipsA boost to your self-confidence 7 Essential Tips for Public Speaking:1. Know your Material (Plan, Plan, and Plan)The more knowledgeable you are about what you’re speaking on, the better your presentation will become. It’s just logic. Like every other thing in this world if you can practice and prepare for your presentation enough you will become good at it. Repetition is the father of learning. So try to know more about the topic and be prepared to tackle any sort of question. Another thing you should always keep in mind is that good public speaking is very intuitive and that unexpected things are will happen. You just can’t let them throw you off. So practice to the point you are ready for anything. Say the microphone stops working or somebody accuses you of false information…what will you say or do? These are some things to keep in mind during your planning process. You are "speaking" because you are an expert in the field. Be it a small class presentation or an extremely critical presentation to the board of directors of your company. The only reason you are speaking and the others are not is because YOU know more about the subject or situation than they do. You are the expert. You are in control. Try to embody this mindset and use it be more confident and in-charge while you speak.2. Read & Assess Your AudienceTo be a good public speaker you must be able to adapt to different situations. You have to be able to speak and behave differently for different situations. For example, if you are speaking at a wedding your tone and style “has” to be a lot different than say if you were speaking at a corporate board meeting.That’s why you have to learn how to pick up on these social triggers. You must recognize your audience and mold your presentation accordingly. You need to learn to read between the lines.Here are a few starting points to look for:·        What is the majority age bracket of your audience?·        Does your audience mainly consist of males or females or is there an equal amount?Are there largely couples or single people in the audience?What type of jobs do the people in your audience have?This quick on-the-fly survey of your audience will help you mold your presentation to better fit the room. This helps you to look more authoritative and makes your presentation memorable. For example, if you notice the room is full of people wearing Toronto Maple Leaf jerseys you could make a small joke before you start like "my presentation is a bit long but as many of you are Toronto Maple Leaf fans and have patiently waited 48 years for Stanley Cup that hasn't come. I'm sure you'll be okay"3. Familiarize Yourself with the RoomAlways arrive early to the venue where you are presenting and make yourself comfortable with your surroundings. This can really calm your nerves and therefore make a positive impact on your presentation. When you get to the venue you should be speaking asking yourself:How big is the room? How loud will you have to be? How many people will there be?Test the microphone and other equipment to make sure everything is good to go. This will make you more comfortable and it will give you confidence. Also like the previous point, as people come in try to guess their personalities. If they come in and are laughing and talking you should mold your presentation so you match their excitement and if they come in extremely solemn and quiet you should mold your presentation as to not overwhelm them. 4. Feel Good about Yourself (Self Confidence)The fear of public speaking is essentially two separate fears; One that you will make a fool of yourself and two that someone will make fun of how you look, dress etc. So to overcome the first fear, practice your presentation to point where it comes out like water. Anticipate what you’re going to say next and try memorizing your lines. As for becoming more comfortable in your skin on the day of the presentation:Wear your best clothesYour best shoesYour best perfumeGet a fresh haircut and/or shave.It might seem superficial to some but this can help. If you feel attractive and fresh you will be that much more collected and any amount of extra confidence is important to speaking better.5. Relax and Change Your PerspectiveThe best thing you can do for yourself to become better at public speaking is simply change your perspective on what public speaking really is.Try reminding yourself that public speaking is just a conversation with multiple people instead of just one. It's not really rocket science. Most people are perfectly fine speaking to one or two people but make 10 or 15 and they lose their minds. Just imagine you are speaking to a group of your friends whenever you speak in public. Your friends want you to "succeed" in getting your ideas across. Try taking the place of an audience member for a second watching a presenter talk. 99% of the time don't you want the speaker to succeed? The more natural you behave the better your presentation will be. So take a deep breath in, calm down and don't stress out. Everything will be okay!6. ConcentrateWhen you are about to present try to focus on only what you are going to say. Don’t think about messing up or what you look like. Just focus on your mouth and the words coming out.This focus will not just help your presentation become better but you will feel more relaxed and confident as you will masterfully speak your well-versed speech to the audience.7. Present with CertaintyThe best presentations are those where the speaker is confident in what they are saying and they take command of the room and atmosphere. So go up strong and follow through on your message with body language.Captivate your audience’s eyes with your hands and their ears with your voice. 

Notes on french reflexive verbs

REFLEXIVE VERBS- verbes pronominaux - réflexive verbes -Les verbes réfléchis A reflexive verb infinitive is identified by its reflexive pronoun se, which is placed before the infinitive and that serves as a direct or indirect object pronoun. A reflexive verb shows that the subject is performing the action upon itself and, therefore, the subject and the reflexive pronoun refer to the same person or thing, as in je m'appelle (I call myself), which is translated to “My name is.”Some verbs must always be reflexive, whereas other verbs may be made reflexive by adding the correct object pronoun. The meaning of some verbs varies depending upon whether or not the verb is used reflexively.Reflexive verbs are always conjugated with the reflexive pronoun that agrees with the subject: me (myself), te (yourself), se (himself, herself, itself, themselves), nous (ourselves), and vous (yourself, yourselves). These pronouns generally precede the verb. Follow the rules for conjugating regular verbs, verbs with spelling changes, and irregular verbs, depending on of the tense, as shown in Table 1: Reflexive constructions have the following translations:Present tense: Je me lave. (I wash myself.)Imperfect tense: Je me lavais. (I was washing [used to] myself.)Future tense: Je me laverai. (I will wash myself.)Conditional: Je me laverais. (I would wash myself.)Consider the following most commonly used reflexive verbs. s'approcher de (approach)s'arrêter de (stop)se baigner (bathe, swim)se blesser (hurt oneself)se bronzer (tan)se brosser (brush)se brûler (burn oneself)se casser (break)se coiffer (do one's hair)se coucher (go to bed)se couper (cut oneself)se demander (wonder)se dépêcher (hurry)se déshabiller (undress)se détendre (relax)s'endormir (go to sleep)se fâcher (get angry)s'habiller (dress)s'impatienter (become impatient)s'inquiéter de* (worry about)se laver (wash)se lever* (get up)se maquiller (apply make‐up)se mettre à (begin)s'occuper de (take care of)se peigner (comb)se présenter (introduce oneself)se promener* (take a walk)se rappeler* (recall)se raser (shave)se reposer (rest)se réunir (meet)se réveiller (wake up)se servir de (use)se tromper (make a mistake)In addition, some French verbs are always reflexive despite the fact that in English they are not:s'écrier (exclaim, cry out)s'en aller (leave, go away)se fier à (trust)se méfier de (distrust)se moquer de (make fun of)se soucier de (care about)se souvenir de (remember)When a subject is followed by two verbs (and keep in mind that when the first one is conjugated, the second must be in the infinitive, the reflexive pronoun precedes the infinitive, because its meaning is tied to that verb:Je vais me dépêcher. (I'm going to hurry.)Il ne va pas se raser. (He's not going to shave.)  The following lists include some common reflexive verbs. s’acheter | to buy (oneself)s’agenouiller | to kneel (down)s’allonger | to lie downs’appeler | to be calleds’arrêter | to stop (oneself)s’asseoir | to sit (down)s’avancer | to advance (oneself)s’écrire | to write (oneself)s’éloigner | to move (oneself) aways’endormir | to fall asleeps’étirer | to stretch (oneself)s’exprimer | to express (oneself)s’habiller | to dress (oneself)se baigner | to bathe (oneself)se bercer | to rock (oneself)se blesser | to hurt (oneself)se brosser les cheveux/les dents | to brush one’s hair/teethse cacher | to hide oneselfse changer | to change (oneself)se coiffer | to fix one’s hairse corriger | to correct (oneself)se coucher | to go to bedse couper | to cut (one’s hair, oneself)se débarbouiller | to wash one’s face se déguiser | to disguise (oneself)se démaquiller | to take off one’s make upse dépêcher | to hurry (oneself)se déplacer | to move (oneself) aroundse déshabiller | to undress (oneself)se doucher | to shower (oneself)se gratter | to scratch (oneself)se laver | to wash (oneself)se lever | to get upse maquiller | to put on one’s make upse peigner | to comb one’s hairse pencher | to bend overse préparer | to get readyse promener | to take a walkse raser | to shave (oneself)se reculer | to back (oneself) upse regarder | to look at oneselfse répéter | to repeat (oneself)se reposer | to rest (oneself)se retourner | to turn (oneself) aroundse réveiller | to wake upse salir | to dirty (oneself)se sècher | to dry (oneself) off   Reflexive Pronouns | Les pronoms réfléchis  Reflexive verbs are always conjugated with a reflexive pronoun. Reflexive pronouns always precede the verb and agree with the subject of the verb: me (myself), te (yourself), se (himself, herself, itself, themselves [m. or f.]), nous (ourselves), and vous (yourself [s.], yourselves [pl.]).If a verb begins with a vowel or a silent h the reflexive pronouns become:me "m’, te "t’ and se "s’.  Reflexive Pronouns | Les pronoms réfléchis   Myself,Me mem’ Examples | Les exemplesJe me lave les mains. | I wash my hands.Je m’habille proprement. | I dress (myself) neatly.   Yourself,You tet’ Examples | Les exemplesTu te laves les mains. | You wash your hands.Tu t’habilles comfortablement. | You dress (yourself) comfortably.    Himself,Him ses’ Examples | Les exemplesIl se lave les mains. | He washes his hands.Il s’habille parfaitement. | He dresses (himself) perfectly.Méric se rase. | Méric shaves (himself).   Herself,Her ses’ Examples | Les exemplesElle se lave les mains. | She washes her hands.Elle s’habille professionnellement. | She dresses (herself) professionally.Natalie se peigne. | Natalie combs her hair.   Itself,It ses’ Examples | Les exemplesLe raton-laveur se lave les mains. | The racoon washes its hands.Le chat s’étire. | The cat stretches (itself).   Ourselves,Us nous Examples | Les exemplesNous nous lavons les mains. | We wash our hands.Nous nous habillons rapidement. | We dress (ourselves) quickly.   Yourself,Yourselves vous Examples | Les exemplesVous vous lavez les mains. | You wash your hands.Vous vous habillez lentement. | You dress (yourself/yourselves) slowly.   Themselves (masculine) ses’ Examples | Les exemplesIls se lavent les mains. | They wash their hands.Ils s’habillent convenablement. | They dress themselves properly.Les joueurs de hockey se préparent pour la joute. | The (male) hockey players prepare (themselves) for the game.   Themselves (feminine) ses’ Examples | Les exemplesElles se lavent les mains. | They wash their hands.Elles s’habillent chaudement. | They dress (themselves) warmly.Les joueuses de hockey se préparent pour la joute. | The (female) hockey players prepare (themselves) for the game.   How to Conjugate Reflexive Verbs | Comment conjuguer les verbes réfléchisReflexive verbs appear in their infinitive form with the reflexive pronoun se.Infinitive | L’infinitifse frotter | to rub (oneself)se brûler | to burn (oneself)se bronzer | to tan (oneself) The first step in conjugating pronominal verbs in the present tense (or non compound forms such as future or imperfect tenses), is to change the reflexive pronoun se to agree with the subject of the verb. Then conjugate the verb accordingly (Conjugating ER, IR, RE verbs). Present | Le présentJe me frotte les yeux. | I rub my eyes.Tu te frotte les yeux. | You rub your eyes.Il se frotte les yeux. | He rubs his eyes.Elle se frotte les yeux.| She rubs her eyes.On se frotte les yeux. | We rub our eyes.Le chat se frotte les yeux.| The cat rubs its eyes.Nous nous frottons les yeux. | We rub our eyes.Vous vous frottez les yeux. | You rub your eyes.Ils se frottent les yeux.| They (m. pl.) rub their eyes.Elles se frottent les yeux.| They (f. pl.) rub their eyes.Les chats se frottent les yeux.| The cats rub their eyes. Future | Le futurJe me brosserai les dents.| I will brush my teeth.Tu te brosseras les dents.| You will brush your teeth.Il se brossera les dents.| He will brush his teeth.Elle se brossera les dents.| She will brush her teeth.On se brossera les dents.| We will brush our teeth.L’enfant se brossera les dents.| The child will brush his/her teeth.Nous nous brosserons les dents.| We will brush our teeth.Vous vous brosserez les dents.| You will brush your teeth.Ils se brosseront les dents.| They (m. pl.) will brush their teeth.Elles se brosseront les dents.| They (f. pl.) will brush their teeth.Les jeunes se brosseront les dents.| The young people will brush their teeth. Imperfect | L’imparfaitJe m’écrivais une petite note.| I was writing myself a memo.Tu t’écrivais une petite note.| You were writing yourself a memo.Il s’écrivait une petite note.| He was writing himself a memo.Elle s’écrivait une petite note.| She was writing herself a memo.On s’écrivait une petite note.| We were writing ourselves a memo.L’élève s’écrivait une petite note.| The student was writing himself/herself a memo.Nous nous écrivions une petite note.| We were writing ourselves a memo.Vous vous écriviez une petite note.| You were writing yourselves a memo.Ils s’écrivaient une petite note.| They (m. pl.) were writing themselves a memo.Elles s’écrivaient une petite note.| They (f. pl.) were writing themselves a memo.Les élèves s’écrivaient une petite note. | The students were writing themselves a memo. To form the past tense | le passé composé (or other compound tenses) of reflexive verbs change the reflexive pronoun se to agree with the subject of the verb and always use être as the auxiliary verb then add the past participle.The past participle of a reflexive verb agrees in gender and number with the direct object (asking: who| qui for a person or what| quoi for an object, after the verb) if it is placed in front of the verb. In most cases, the reflexive pronoun is a direct object.The past participle of a reflexive verb does not agree if the direct object (asking: who| qui or what| quoi after the verb) is placed after the verb.Past tense | Le passé composé* Note: Certain personal pronouns have been assigned a gender for the purpose of agreement. Je me suis lavée.(*Je = f.) | I washed myself.J’ai lavé QUI ? me = je = direct object " placed before the verb ∴ the past participle agrees (f. s.) Je me suis lavé les mains. (*Je = f.) | I washed my hands.J’ai lavé QUOI ? les mains = direct object " placed after the verb ∴ the past participle does not agreeme = indirect object (whose hands | les mains à qui ?) Pierrette s’est frappée. | Pierrette hit herself.Pierrette a frappéQUI ? s’ = Pierrette = direct object " placed before the verb ∴the past participle agrees (f. s.) Pierrette s’est frappé la cheville. | Pierrette hit her ankle.Pierrette a frappéQUOI ? la cheville = direct object " placed after the verb ∴the past participle does not agrees’ = indirect object (whose ankle | la cheville à qui ?) Nous nous sommes promenés dans la forêt.(*Nous = m.) | We took (ourselves for) a walk in the forest.Nous avons promené QUI? nous = nous/nous-mêmes = direct object ∴the past participle agrees [m. pl.] Nous nous sommes brossé les dents.| We brushed our teeth.Nous avons brossé QUOI ? les dents = direct object " placed after the verb ∴ does not agreenous = indirect object (whose teeth | les dents à qui ?)  Ils se sont salis dans le grenier.| They (m. pl.) dirtied themselves in the attic.Ils ont salis QUI? se = ils/ eux-mêmes = subject ∴the past participle agrees [m. pl.] Les élèves se sont écrit une petite note. | The students wrote themselves a memo.Les élèves ont écrit QUOI ? une petite note = direct object " placed after the verb ∴does not agreese = indirect object (wrote to whom | écrit à qui ?)  When conjugating reflexive verbs in the imperitive | l’impératif the reflexive pronoun is placed after the verb and is preceded by a hyphen. The reflexive pronoun se changes to a personal pronoun (myself/me/ | moi; you/yourself | toi; you/yourself |nous; you/yourselves | vous) depending on the context.Imperative | L’impératifLave-toi! | Wash yourself!Écoutons-nous! | Let’s listen to us!Changez-vous! | Change yourselves!Coiffe-moi!| Do my hair! The Negative Sentence| La phrase négativeIn French, a negative sentence is typically created by adding two negation words (such as ne + pas).To form a negative sentence with a reflexive verb in the present tense, the negation word:·        ne (or n’) is placed in front of the reflexive pronoun and·        pas is placed after the verb. Vous ne vous lavez pas les mains. | You do not wash your hands.Les jeunes ne se brosseront pas les dents.| The young people will not brush their teeth.Elle ne s’écrivait pas une petite note.| She was not writing herself a memo. To form a negative sentence with a reflexive verb in the past tense (or other compound verbs) the negation word:·        ne (or n’) is placed in front of the reflexive pronoun and·        pas is placed between the auxiliary and the past participle. Pierre-Oh ne s’est pas baigné.| Pierre-Oh did not bathe (himself).La chemise ne s’était pas déboutonnée.| The shirt had not unbuttoned itself.Les oiseaux ne se sont pas réveillés tôt.| The birds did not wake (themselves) up early.