SE214 Presentation & Communication Skills Peter Gaughran [email protected].

SE214

Presentation & Communication Skills

Peter [email protected]

Why?

•Industry– Software, design, bugs…

•Academia–- Research, labs, tutorials…

•In short,LIFE.

All of these skills will be beneficial, regardless of where you end up!

Course Work

There is no University examination in this module!However…

You must select a specific topic from Computer Science (NOT a topic from one of the other modules in the BSc in Computer Science and Software Engineering).

Prepare the following on your chosen topic: · a technical report of at least 2000 words,· a poster presentation for A1 paper,· a four-minute oral presentation.

Course Work

Overall marking scheme:

Technical report 60

Poster presentation 10

Oral presentation 15

Other continuous assessment 15

Course Work

Please remember:

-Your report, poster and presentation comprise the University examination for this module.

-You should treat their preparation with appropriate care and attention.

-In particular, they should be YOUR OWN WORK. Any evidence of copying, plagiarism or other cheating will be dealt with by the examination board in a similar fashion to as if detected in an examination hall.

Course WorkTopic choice:

Select a specific limited subject for your report and presentations. For example, Sorting Strings using Binary Search Trees rather than Binary Trees.

Report titles should be submitted via email ([email protected]) by 12 noon on 11th March 2005.

All candidates should choose a different topic (although they can be closely related – for example Traversal Algorithms on Binary Trees would be a different topic than the one above).

In case of duplicate/very similar titles, the first one received will be given preference. The second candidate will have to choose another topic.

Course WorkTechnical report: (to be submitted before 12 noon

Friday 22nd April 2005)

The report should be prepared using MS Word or a similar tool. The file must be in .doc or .pdf format,

however.

You have to submit one printed copy, permanently bound in a Department of Computer Science cover.

(Facilities and materials for binding available in Students Union, Arts Block and Post Office). Also,

submit an electronic copy on floppy disc stuck inside the back cover.

Reports will not be returned. Make a second copy for yourself!

Course Work

You will be marked on:

Overall Structure & Clarity Introduction Critical Validity of conclusions Format, layout etc. Use of English Use of illustrations, diagrams etc.

Course WorkIn order to pass, the technical report will have the

following characteristics:

A clear concise introduction using the situation-complication-solution structure described in lectures.

A well-written middle section describing the technical detail within the topic.

A conclusion summing up and critically appraising the topic and suggesting other solutions, related topics etc.

An abstract that concisely summarises the content of the report.

Course Work

References, indicated in the text and listed at the end in the prescribed format, showing the sources used for the material presented.

A title page in the prescribed format.

No mistakes in spelling or grammar (use the MS Word tools)

Main text to be 12 pt Times New Roman, 1.5 line spacing.

Pages numbering in footer.A template for the report will be available from my

web-page.

Course Work

Poster :To be displayed in the Callan Building foyer in week 25th – 29th April 2005. • Presentation :To be given at times to be announced 2nd – 6th May 2005.

Visual material to be prepared using MS Powerpoint or similar program.

Talk for 4 minutes.Be prepared to answer questions at the end.

Syllabus

NOTE – Subject to suggestion & therefore change…

•Grammar & syntax•CVs & cover letters•Interview skills•Group problem solving•Powerpoint and poster presentation •Report writing & bibliographies•Public speaking•Basic UML & presentation of software design

Choose a topic, and make a presentation

Practical work

To complement the lectures, there will be a lab @ 1 hour a week, so no Monday lecture!• Location – Lab 4.• Time – 1pm, Monday.• Purpose : Less talk, more doing! Upon completion of the course, you will have

- model CV(s)- model covering letter- have made UML designs and presentations- public speaking skills

And many, many more…

Grammar

Possibly the greatest problem!

• Considered a pain, but used successfully everyday…

• A necessity for “getting your foot in the door”

• The ‘syntax’ of your language

• So it has to be done!

Sentence Structure

Terms we will need to know!

•Subject•Verb•Clause

-Independent-Dependent

Sentence Structure

A simple sentence has one independent clause and no dependent clauses:

The student yawned.

Sentence Structure

Although a simple sentence cannot have a dependent clause, it can have modifiers:

The tall student sitting at the back of my algebra class yawned loudly.

Basic sentence still the same!

The other words are all modifiers, descriptive words.

Sentence Structure

A simple sentence contains only one independent clause, but it can have more than one subject or verb:

•Two subjects: The student and his friend yawned.

•Two verbs: The student yawned and fell asleep.

Sentence Structure

A sentence with all of these elements will be long, but it is still simple as it only contains one independent clause:

The tall student sitting in the back in my algebra class and his friend yawned loudly and fell asleep.

Can you identify the ‘real’ sentence and the modifiers?

Sentence Structure

The tall student sitting in the back in my algebra class and his friend yawned loudly and fell asleep.

This = ‘real’, this = modifiers

Compound Sentence

A compund sentence has two or more independent clauses joined by a co-ordinating conjunction:

INDEP. CLAUSE + COORD. CONJ. + INDEP. CLAUSE

Stephanie got a new job, so she has to move.

I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I’m not going to do it tonight!

Compound Sentence

Notice the difference between a simple sentence with a compound verb and a compound sentence with two clauses:

SIMPLE - My house guests returned from a long day of shopping and went straight to bed.

COMP. - My house guests returned home from a long day of shopping and we decided to stay at home instead of going out.

What’s the difference?

Compound Sentence

Most compound sentences are formed with a coordinating conjunction: and, or, but, so, for, nor, yet. The last three occur almost exclusively in writing, so they add a level of formality.

The experiment was deemed successful, yet our results were unsatisfactory.

The students were unhappy with their professor, for he was often late to class.

Complex Sentence

A complex sentence has an idependent clause with one or more dependent clauses:

Since we got to the concert late, we had to make our way to our seats in the dark.

We left class early so that we could attend a special lecture.

Where are the independent clauses?

Complex Sentence

A complex sentence has an idependent clause with one or more dependent clauses:

Since we got to the concert late, we had to make our way to our seats in the dark.


(Italics are the independent clauses!)

Complex Sentence

Complex sentences should be punctuated in one of two ways:

Independent clause, dependent clause (no comma)


Dependent clause, Independent clause (comma)

So that we could attend a special lecture, we left class early.

Comparing Compound & Complex Sentences

•Interest, variety and coherence

•Compound sentences differ from complex sentences in one important way: in a compund sentence, both clauses have equal importance, in a complex sentence, the independent is more important.

Compare these sentences!

COMPOUND – John was tired, but he finished his homework.

COMPLEX – Although John was tired, he finished his homework.

Compare these sentences!

COMPOUND – John was tired, but he finished his homework.

COMPLEX – Although John was tired, he finished his homework.

In the first sentence, the writer is stating that both clauses are equally important.

In the second, the subordinate clause (“John was tired”) is less important than the independent clause (“he finished his homework”).

Long, rambling sentences

Writing that has too many strings of independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions can be tiresome and frustrating for the reader.

These long, rambling sentences leave the reader out of breath and wondering which information is important.

Such sentences are also perceived as informal because they replicate spoken language.


I went home, but my roomate wasn’t there, so I started to cook dinner, but she came in and saw me trying to cook her favourite recipe, but I didn’t really know how to make it, and she got really angry, so I stopped cooking, and she made dinner for us and then everything was all right.



PHEW!



This = independent clause, this = coordinating conjunctions.

So, how about…

When I went home, my roomate wasn’t there, so I started to cook dinner. Then, she came in and saw me trying to cook her favourite recipe even though I didn’t really know how to make it. I stopped cooking because she got really angry. In the end, she made dinner for us, and everything was all right.

Recognizing Subjects of Verbs

Pattern : Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object

Example: The bookstore always sells to students many books.

•The subject of a sentence is the ‘doer’ of the action.

-John hit the ball. Subject?-We added water to the solution. Subject?

Recognizing Subjects of Verbs

Pattern : Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object

Example: The bookstore always sells to students many books.

•The subject of a sentence is the ‘doer’ of the action.

-John hit the ball. Subject? John-We added water to the solution. Subject? We

Recognizing Verbs

Verbs are action words.

Used to form tenses-I add, I added, I have added, I will add, I am adding

They change according to the person-I / you / we / they add-He / she / it adds

Subject/Verb Agreement

The verb that expresses the action should agree

with its subject!

Recognizing Objects of Verbs

To find direct object, find subject and verb; then use them in a question ending with whom or what:

The bookstore sold what?

Transitive verb: Verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning.

Example: The explosion levelled the building.

Word OrderLearn to recognize meaningful English word orders. The most commonly used

patterns are: Pattern 1:

Subject + verb

Pattern 2: Subject + verb + direct object

Pattern 3: Subject + verb + indirect object +

direct object

Word Order

NOTE!

Sometimes these patterns are rearranged:

Example: His last question I did not answer.

Pattern: Object + subject + verb

Recognizing the Eight Parts of Speech

I. VERBS:

A part of speech used to make a statement, to ask a question, or to give a command or direction.

Examples: notify, notifies, are notifying,

notified Note: Do not confuse verb forms with verbs!

Examples of verb forms:

Participle: "a word having the characteristics of both verb and adjective" [Webster Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary]

E.g. "She gave him written instructions." ("Written" is a modifier.)


Examples of verb forms (cont.):

Gerund: (ending)"the English verbal noun in -ing that has the

function of a [noun]…” [Webster Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary]

E.g. "His writing all night long tired him." ("Writing" is the subject!)


Examples of verb forms (cont.):

Infinitive: "a verb form normally identical in English

with the first person singular that performs some functions of a noun and at the same time displays some characteristics of a verb…” [Webster Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary]

E.g. "I want to write." ("To write" is the direct object.)

E.g. "The urge to write left him." ("To write" is a modifier.")


II. NOUNS:

Examples: man, men; kindness, kindnesses; United States; an understanding; nation's, nations'

A part of speech that names a person, place, thing, idea, animal, quality, or action.

Example: The breakthrough came just before midnight.


III. PRONOUNS:

Examples: I, me, my, mine, myself; they, you, him, it, this, these; who, whose, whom; which, that one, ones, one's; both, everybody, anyone.

A part of speech that serves the function of a

noun in a sentence.

Example: He paid them for it.


IV. ADJECTIVES: Examples: good; young, younger; youngest; a,

an, the three men, educated people, this day

A part of speech that modifies or qualifies

nouns and pronouns; sometimes they modify gerunds. Generally adjectives are placed near the words they modify.

Example: Tired and disheartened, she decided that the

problem was unsolvable.


V. ADVERBS: Examples: rarely saw, call daily, soon left, left

sooner, nearly always cold, very short

A part of speech regularly used to modify a word or word group other than a noun or pronoun.

• An adverb may restrict, qualify, or limit a

verb, an adjective, another adverb, an infinitive, a gerund, a participle, a phrase, a clause, or even the rest of the sentence in which it appears.


VI. PREPOSITIONS:

Examples: at times, between us, because of rain, before class

A part of speech that is used to show the relationship of a noun or the object of the preposition to some other word in the sentence.

Example: The answer is in the book. (Shows the relationship of the "book" to the

noun "answer.")


VII. CONJUNCTIONS: Examples: Math and Computer Science, in or

out, long but informative, long because it is complex

A part of speech used to connect words, phrases, or clauses.

VIII. INTERJECTIONS: Oi! Oh, pardon me.

A part of speech used for simple explanations.

Classifications of Sentences

1. Simple sentences: those with only one subject and one predicate

Example: The proof is straightforward.

2. Compound sentences: those made up of at least two main clauses

Example: One window contains text, and the other window contains graphics.

Classifications of Sentences

3. Complex sentences: those made up of one main clause and at least one subordinate clause

Example: The proof is omitted because it is lengthy.

4. Compound-complex sentences: those made up of at least two main clauses and at least one subordinate clause

Example: The proof is omitted because it is lengthy, but a proof outline is given below.

Sentence Fragments

Important Rule:

Never put a full stop at the end of a fragment.

Fragment: A part of a sentence written with the capitalization and punctuation appropriate to a sentence.

Example: A computer consists of

• A CPU. • A main memory. • I/O devices.

Sentence Fragments

Correctly written as: A computer consists of

1. a CPU, 2. a main memory, and 3. I/O devices.

Test for Sentence Completeness: When proofreading a manuscript, see if the

sentence fragments make sense as a whole!

Comma Splice and Fused Sentence

Do not carelessly link two sentences with only a comma (comma splice) or run two sentences together without any punctuation (fused sentence).

Examples: Sentences: The processor is a Pentium. It runs

three times faster than an 80486. Comma splice: The processor is a Pentium, it

runs three times faster than an 80486.

Fused sentence: The processor is a Pentium it runs three times faster than an 80486.


How to correct a comma splice or a fused sentence

Comma splice example: The processor is a Pentium, it runs three times

faster than an 80486. Correct either a comma splice or a fused

sentence by one of the following methods:

1. Subordinate one of the main clauses -- usually the best method. Corrected: The processor is a Pentium, which runs three times faster than an 80486.


How to correct a comma splice or a fused sentence

2. Make each main clause into a sentence. Corrected: The processor is a Pentium. It runs three times faster than an 80486.

3. Join the main clauses with a semicolon. Corrected: The processor is a Pentium; it runs three times faster than an 80486.

Conjunctive Adverbs Require Semicolons

Conjunctive Adverbs: An adverb used to connect or relate main clauses:

accordingly, also, anyhow, besides,

consequently,furthermore, hence, henceforth, however,

indeed,instead, likewise, meanwhile, moreover,nevertheless, otherwise, still, then, therefore,

thus,and so on.

Example: I don't like the answer; however it appears to work.

Transitional Phrases Require Semicolons

Transitional Phrase: A phrase used to provide transition between clauses or sentences:

as a result, at the same time, for example, in addition, in fact, in other words, on the contrary, on the other hand, that is

Example: Past papers conjectured that the answer is zero; on the contrary, it is one.

Grammar - Adjectives

Definition - Adjectives are words that describe or modify another person or thing in the sentence. The articles — a, an, and the — are adjectives.

E.g., •the tall professor

•the stoic lieutenant •a solid commitment

•a month's pay •the unhappiest, richest man

Grammar - Adjectives

Adjectives are frail; don't ask them to do more work than they should!

Be cautious in your use of adjectives that don't have much to say in the first place: interesting, beautiful, lovely, exciting.

Also there are participles, i.e. verb forms acting as adjectives, e.g.burnt leaves in Octoberseasoned well with salt

An excerpt from Thomas Wolfe's

Look Homeward, Angel.

He remembered yet the East India Tea House at the Fair, the sandalwood, the turbans, and the robes, the cool interior and the smell of India tea; and he had felt now the nostalgic thrill of dew-wet mornings in Spring, the cherry scent, the cool clarion earth, the wet loaminess of the garden, the pungent breakfast smells and the floating snow of blossoms. He knew the sharp excitement of hot dandelions in young earth; in July, of watermelons bedded in sweet hay, inside a farmer's covered wagon; of cantaloupe and crated peaches; and the scent of orange rind, bitter-sweet, before a fire of coals.

An excerpt from Thomas Wolfe's

Look Homeward, Angel.

He remembered yet the East India Tea House at the Fair, the sandalwood, the turbans, and the robes, the cool interior and the smell of India tea; and he had felt now the nostalgic thrill of dew-wet mornings in Spring, the cherry scent, the cool clarion earth, the wet loaminess of the garden, the pungent breakfast smells and the floating snow of blossoms. He knew the sharp excitement of hot dandelions in young earth; in July, of watermelons bedded in sweet hay, inside a farmer's covered wagon; of cantaloupe and crated peaches; and the scent of orange rind, bitter-sweet, before a fire of coals.

This = regular adjectives, this = participles.

Position of Adjectives

• Nearly always appear immediately before the noun or noun phrase.

• Sometimes appear in a string of adjectives - If so, appear in a set order according to category

- Why little brown house, not brown little house?

- Or red Italian sports car, not Italian red sports car?

Honestly? Talk to a linguistic philosopher!

Position of Adjectives

Capitalizing Proper Adjectives

• An adjective that owes its origins to a proper noun should probably be capitalized.

E.g., Christian music, French fries, the English Parliament, the Ming Dynasty.

Some time periods :-the Nixon era, a Renaissance/Romantic/Victorian poet

But nota contemporary novelist and medieval writer

Capitalizing Proper Adjectives

Personal pet hate

•Directional and seasonal adjectives are not capitalized unless they're part of a title:

We took the northwest route during the spring thaw. We stayed there until the town's annual Autumn Festival of Large Cattle.

Adjectival Opposites

•Usually opposites, as in the opposite of beautiful is ugly, the opposite of tall is short.

•Prefixes as in fortunate to unfortunate, prudent to imprudent, considerate to inconsiderate, honourable to dishonourableNo real rules for this!

And remember, flammable and inflammable mean the same thing!!!However…

SE214 Presentation & Communication Skills Peter Gaughran [email protected].

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Transcript of SE214 Presentation & Communication Skills Peter Gaughran [email protected].