Part Seven —Writing Techniques
Part Eight —Rhetorical Devices
Part Nine —Stylistic Features
Discussion: how do understand the title of this unit? Is it well-chosen? Why or why not?
Key:
The title of this piece is not aptly chosen. It misleads the readers into thinking that the writer is going to demonstrate some intrinsic or linguistic relationship between pub talk and the King’s English. While the author, in reality, is just discoursing on what makes good conversation and the real thesis is in the 3rd paragraph ---“bar conversation has a charm of its own.” So a better title would be: “The Art of Good Conversation ” or “The Charms of Good Conversation”.
Write some main points on the following topic: How to Have a Great Conversation?
Key:
The art of conversation takes practice, but it’s not as hard as you might think. By following the steps in this article, you can learn to relax and have a great conversation with just about anybody.
Find out a few things about the person you’ll be talking to (if you can) before you actually start a conversation.
Ask questions so that the other person can talk about himself or herself. Identify things about them that you might be interested in hearing about, and politely ask questions.
Inject invitation and inspiration. Generally, invitations come in the form of questions.
Comment on a general interest topic. If the conversation runs dry, the audience can comment on something of general interest.
Listen actively. If you listen well, you’ll identify questions to ask based on the other person’s statements.
Forget yourself. Dale Carnegie once said, “It’s much easier to become interested in others than it is to convince them to be interested in you.”
Voice disagreement with respect. When stating a difference of opinion, remember these points:
Accept occasional silences. Use the pause to transit smoothly into further conversation.
Occasionally, ask the question that is looming over the conversation. It can be really refreshing, and pave the way for great conversation.
In a pinch, comment on the awkwardness of it all. If you’re really at a loss for words, comment on how awkward the conversation has become.
Know when the conversation has ended. Ending on a positive note will make the other person want to talk to you again.
