Colons

HOW TO WRITE CLEARLY IN ENGLISH: COLONS.

Colons and semicolons- We have already looked at the use of the semicolon. Here are the rules for the colon ( : ). [1]

Colons usually come at the end of an independent sentence and introduce…

1.    lists

2.     descriptive phrases or words (but ones that are not complete sentences)

3.     direct quotations of what people have said or written

Remember, do not capitalize the first word after a colon. Do that only if it is a proper noun (the name of a person, place or thing – e.g. a company), or the first word of another sentence as you might find in use number 3.

Examples:

à before a list

-Please bring the following to the final exam: your powerpoint presentation, a printed copy, and a CD version of it.

àbefore a descriptive word or phrase

            -Dorian Grey had one great love in his life: himself.

            -Doctors should all have two important abilities: the ability to listen, and to analyze.

àbefore a direct quotation

-Mark Twain, the great American writer, once said: “To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence.”

-The best advice I ever got in life was from my high school English teacher who said: “Remember to stop and smell the roses along the way.”

Practice: Check the sentences for the correct use, or not, of colons.

1    Girls in my country  look forward to an important event in their lives their 16th birthday.

2  Two causes of prejudice are the following ignorance and fear.

3  When you go hiking in the woods, you should always take these items with you a knife, a flashlight, a first aid kit, extra water and food, a change of clothes, a map, a compass, matches or a lighter, and a whislte.

4  My mother’s parents grew up in the 1930s and had kids in the 1940s. They didn’t approve of these activities smoking, drinking, dancing, watching TV, or driving around with friends on Sundays.

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[1] Explanation of the rules inspired by The Essentials of English A Writer’s Handbook, pp. 210-212. Author: Ann Hogue. Published by Longman, White Plains, N.Y. in 2003.

Oral Summaries of published news articles-Levels B2, C1

Giving Oral Summaries of Articles

Zero Waste Collection Design: Daniel Silverstein

Here is an Amazing account of how Daniel Silverstein makes sure nothing goes to waste when he designs a collection.  He was featured on the blog "Trash is for Tossers" by Lauren Singer in New York City.

http://www.trashisfortossers.com/2014/10/the-piece-project-part-one.html

For selected students, you will read this article and orally summarize it in class, using the expressions we have studied.

All other students: you already have your article cut from the New York Times' Luxury Conference special newspaper supplement.

Everyone will have to summarize the main points and use some of these expressions:

Objectives:
-What I'd like to present to you today is...
-I'm / we're here today to present a summary of...
-Today's topic is...
-The subject of my/ our presentation is...
-In my/our presentation I/we would like to give you an overview of...
-In our summary, we'll tell you about...
-The purpose / objective / aim of our presentation is...
-Our goal is to give you a summary of...
-What we'd like to show you is...
-Today, we'll be showing you... /we'll be explaining the main points of...

Sequencing & dividing your presentation or oral summary
-we've divided our summary into (2) parts...
-In our presentation, we'll focus on (2 ) parts...
-First, we'll be looking at... / second... / and third...
-We'll begin / start off by talking about....... & then move on to...
  (then) (next) after that...
-Point one deals with...
Point two... and point three with...
-We'll end with...

Transitioning between points:
Introducting a point:
    -So, let me give you a brief overview of...
   -So, let's take a look at the first point.
    - This now leads us to....(point number 2)
     -Let's turn now to the next point / topic / issue
     -Let's turn our attention to...
     -Moving on to point three, you will notice how different it is...

concluding points
 - And that's how a zero waste collection is planned.
- This brings me to the end of my first point
-That's the background on... / that's the summary of the second point.
-That's all to be said about (point number 3)

Referring Back to something you have already said
-As I said / mentioned earlier / before
-Let me come back to what I said before
-Let's go back to what we were disucssing earlier
-As I've already explained
-As I pointed out in the first part...

Punctuation & Comparatives

WRITING CLEARLY IN ENGLISH:

HOW TO RESPECT SENTENCE BOUNDARIES

A) Does this sentence have correct sentence boundaries? Why or why not?

            Example:  To which brands are you loyal?

                       "ASOS is a brand that reflects my taste, I always find something I could wear: it doesn’t happen in other cases with different brands that don’t have the same style, so it’s possible that some ASOS collections excite me."

B) Read the rules about sentence boundaries. Do you want to revise your answer in A?

 ; = the semicolon

Definition: A semicolon is more like a period than like a comma because it is used between independent clauses, not within them.

Use a semicolon between two independent clauses when the relationship between them is clear without a connecting word. [A connecting word is : and, but, or].

                       -Some dogs love water; all cats hate it.

-My older brother is in his last year of university; my younger brother is still in high school.

C) Practice.  Insert the semicolon where necessary.

1  It’s a beautiful day the sun is shining and the birds are singing.

2  The rain comes often and in large amounts in Rome I like it very much because I can wear my favorite rain boots and pretend I have a horse farm.

3  Brand loyalty is very important for companies in the fashion business it is a guarantee of income because customers will continue to buy their products they like them very much.

4  Unilever makes a lot of products I can’t remember how many but it’s impressive.

5  I don’t think there is a brand that features clothing and food at the same time I don’t know if it exists, really.

D) Practice. Read the paragraph and decide if the sentences need a semicolon ( ; ) or a period ( . ) between its independent clauses. Remember to capitalize the beginnings.

On Friday night my roommate and I went to a movie we returned to our apartment around 11:00 pm as we approached our front door we could tell something was wrong the front door was open entering cautiously we immediately saw that the place had been burglarized in the living room all our books and CDs lay scattered on the floor the furniture had been overturned there was glass everywhere the television was gone we went next door and called the police immediately they did not arrive until two hours later.

How to write comparative sentences

 There are a few ways to show a comparison in English:

·      Use   ‘but’ ‘however’ ‘instead’ :  My oldest sister lives in California. But, my younger sister lives in Arizona.

·      My oldest sister lives in California. However, my younger sister lives in Arizona. 

·       My oldest sister lives in California. Instead, my youngest sister lives in Arizona.

·      Use ‘while’:  While my oldest sister lives in California, my youngest sister lives in Arizona.

·      Use ‘would rather’ + base verb:  I don’t like H & M’s clothing. I would rather shop at the GAP because I’m a very practical person and I like their minimalist style.

·      Use On the one hand / On the other hand / From a ______point of view…  
-On the one hand, H & M has attractive styles because they are current, and cheap. On the other hand, it doesn’t always reflect my personal style.

 -From a trendy point of view, it might be a good idea to shop at H&M, also because it has good prices. In any case, I really don’t think H & M reflects my personal taste for clothes, so I would rather shop at the GAP.

Practice:  Combine the ideas to show comparisons.

     Example:  My favorite color is green. My best friend prefers blue.

-My favorite color is green, but  my best friend prefers blue.   
-My favorite color is green, while my friend prefers blue.
-I love green as a color. My friend would rather see everything in blue since that is her favorite color.

A) Revise the paragraph comparing two brand styles. Use the words given in the explanation above.

Zara produces clothing on an industrial scale, in large quantities, and on their store floor you can find products in line with the current styles, inspired by the big brands. The quality of their products is different from Luisa Spagnoli’s. The Luisa Spagnoli brand is different also from other points of view. Their stores refer to the idea of the old ateliers. On the other hand, the Zara stores are department stores with a large selection of items.

B)  Write a concluding thought to finish the idea thread in this paragraph.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

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[1] Definitions and some examples from The Essentials of English: A Writer’s Handbook by Ann Hogue, Longman Publishers, 2003, White Plains, NY, USA.

U6: Reading: Variety & Product, B2 level

Variety & Consumers:

Read and Reflect

Preview the vocabulary before reading. Then read, and answer the comprehension questions.  Be prepared to give examples of how variety could help your chosen brand and its product (s). For example, if I'd like to buy some perfume and could then use the bottle in a different way after all the perfume is gone, would it increase sales?

Vocabulary:

1.  forces beyond our control :       we cannot control exactly how products get marketed to us

2.  chose :                                       past tense of the verb to choose, chose, chosen

3. assortment :                               the range of choices in a product line offered to customers

4. applied :                                     simple past tense of 'to apply, applied, applied'

5.  to purchase :                              to buy

6.  to lay in:                                    exist in

7. provided:                                    if     

Variety Is the Spice of Life

The Journal of Consumer Research is about to publish a study that challenges our beliefs that we are our own masters and commanders. The study by Sela and colleagues is titled "Variety, Vice, and Virtue: How Assortment Size Influences Option Choice." We would like to believe that we guide our own choices. But, the reality is that choice is often influenced by external forces beyond our control.

Marketing resechers found that having options is one of those factors influencing our decisions. In fact, the researchers conducted several experiments in which they tested the hypothesis that people would make a  more virtuous choice given a larger sample from which to choose. With just a few options the choices would be less so.

In the case of low-fat ice cream, researchers found that people chose that over regular ice cream when offered five potential flavours rather than just one. Similarly, when offered free samples of fruit and desserts, people chose the healthier fruit if there was a greater variety from which to choose. The same applied to choosing a printer over a music player. The secret may lay in comparing 'vice products to virtuous ones, provided there is a large assortment from which to shop, compare, and purchase.

Comprehension Questions: Mark if the statements are True (T) or False (F)

1.  ___In the world of market research, consumers are vulnerable to external factors.

2.  ___Consumers cannot always control how they make choices.

3.  ___Deciding what to buy depends only on consumers.

4.  ___The researchers wanted to find out if a large variety of products would lead consumers to choose better, more useful items.

5.  ___The experiments confirmed the researchers' belief.

For Discussion:

How could a larger assortment of product types help your brand's products? Give specific examples. Use the first conditional:

     "If our holiday perfume is marketed in a bottle that can be used as a decorative piece later, consumers may buy more."

U6: Promotional Channels Conversation / The subjunctive in English

Unit 6: Promotional Channels Worksheet / Explanation of how to use 'recommend & suggest.'

After we have studied and practiced the exercises, up to number 12, in Unit 6, choose one Brand, one of its products, and complete this outline. Be prepared to discuss it in class where you will be expected to use the expressions from pages 46 & 48.

BRAND:

PRODUCT:

TARGET GROUP:

PROMOTIONAL CHANNEL:  Choose ONE, or a maximum of TWO ideas
            (choose from:)

            a. in-store workshops or demonstrations

            b. launch party  (specify venue & time of day)

            c.  online social media campaign, contest, or short film

            d. Flash Mob: Where? When? Why? How?

            e.  Brand Stretching? How?

            f.  Traditional Media
                    TV
                    Radio
                    Print (newspapers, magazine, billboards, web-zine/e-zine such as Net-A-Porter's      "The Edit" http://www.net-a-porter.com  or H & M's "H&M Life"  http://www2.hm.com/it_it/life.html)

              g. Fashion Show: include before or after parties / special events?

DESIRED OUTCOME:

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The subjunctive verb tense in English with 'recommend, suggest' & other, similar verbs.

In Unit 6, p. 48, in the Useful Phrases section we see 'recommend' and 'suggest' with a gerund after those verbs: " I'd recommend using a flash mob," or "I suggest creating a viral campaign." These types of sentences are used very often in English, and the use of the gerund after 'recommend' or 'suggest' allows them to have a general tone. 

But, there is another way to use 'recommend' and 'suggest:' when there is a sentence such as....

     A)   "I recommend / suggest that we use social media to increase brand awareness."

...the phrase following either 'recommend' or 'suggest' :

1) usually has 'that' in it

2) includes another subject (you, he, she, it, we, they)

3) has a base verb which is not conjugated: it does not have a present, past, nor future form, and is neither singular nor plural.

B) To form the negative: insert 'not' in front of the subjunctive verb:  

          " I recommend / suggest that he not post his CV to his Facebook page."   
         
            "They recommend that we not go to IKEA on Sunday at lunch time. There are           too many people then."

C) To form the passive subjunctive: use the base form of the verb + the past participle:

           "I suggest that they be told about how to use social media professionally."

D) Sometimes, you may find 'should' in the subjunctive part of the phrase. It is more common in British English than in North American English:

        I suggest / recommend / insist that she should see a doctor.

       I suggested / recommended /insisted that she should see a doctor. 


Why?

We see the subjunctive in sentences that usually emphasize importance.  In example A above, the recommendation, or suggestion is mine ( I suggest / recommend), and the desired action is of a different person (...that we use social media.)

E) Here is a list of common verbs & expressions that are usually followed by the subjunctive in a secondary noun clause:

suggest      recommend       demand     insist     request     advise     ask   propose


it is important that...
it is necessary that...
it is essential that...
it is vital that...
it is imperative that...


PRACTICE: 

A)   If you attended class on Friday, January 13, 2017, then you were present for Susi Billingsly's guest lecture and Q & A session.  She offered many pieces of advice about how to get into, and stay in a career in fashion, or other creative fields. Do you remember what she suggested and recommended that you do? Write 3-5 suggestions. Use the verbs or expressions from above as listed in section E. 

B) Make a list of five suggestions you have for 1st year students at the I.E.D.

C)  Complete these sentences about school work:

1.  Our teachers insist that we......
2.  For our final projects, the administrations requests that students....
3.  To increase our English vocabulary, Mary advises that we....
4.  In the creative professions, it is essential that all students....
5.  So we don't become bored with the lessons, we suggest that we...

U5: Reading: packaging with recycled materials

Unit 5: Production: Behind the Package: Using Sustainable Materials for Packaging

This New York Times article explains clearly how one paper mill in the Netherlands uses waste from other factories as fuel and material for its own recycled paper production.

If you are familiar with the simple past, present perfect, and passive verb tenses, you should be able to read this article. There are a few technical words, but ones that may serve you in you ever become involved in the planning of packaging for fashion items.

Two good dictionaries online to help are Longman (http://www.ldoceonline.com) and Oxford (http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/19/business/energy-environment/closing-the-loop-on-recycled-paper.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3As&_r=0

U6: Conversation: Words with Brand & Product. / Press Release practice worksheet.

Unit 6:  Using collocations, or words that commonly go together with BRAND and PRODUCT.

BRAND…..

loyalty

image

stretching

awareness

name

Here are some conversation questions that could help you recycle those collocations with BRAND:

1. To which brands are you loyal?

2. Can you think of an example of brand stretching?

3. Compare Zara’s brand image with a brand of your choice.

4. What is the most popular way to raise brand awareness?

5. On average, how many words do you think are used to name brands? Give three examples.

PRODUCT…

launch

lifecycle

range

placement

endorsement

Here are some conversation questions that could help you recycle those collocations with PRODUCT:

1.  Have you ever attended a product launch party? Where? How was it?

2.  Can you think of an example of a product that is either at the beginning or end of its product lifecycle?

3.  How many brands can you think of  that have large product ranges?

4.  Have you seen a movie recently that used product placement? 

5.  What was the movie and which product did they use?

6.  Name a celebrity that has recently done a product endorsement.

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Unit 6, Promotion.  Press Release practice worksheet.

Instructions: Put the press release elements (A-I) in the correct order. Re-write the press release as a Word document.  Follow the suggestions and example on page 49.

A) The fashion movie is set in New York City and lasts three minutes. Nicole Kidman plays a famous dancer who wants to escape from reality. To do this, she escapes from a red carpet event and jumps into a taxi where she finds a young artist, played by Pierre Niven.  She asks him to take her away, and he leads her to his roof top terrace. The artist has no idea who she is and she tells him in few details, preferring to dance, or escape. Soon, her manager shows up and orders her to attend a red carpet event the following day. She agrees, but does not forget her artists, nor he her perfume.

B)  The Chanel N°5 fashion film will be aired on television beginning next week, January 25, 2012, and will be visible in North America and Europe.

C)  CHANEL

756 5th Avenue, Suite 1052                                       

New York, New York 10028

D)  The Chanel N°5 fragrance division announces its latest fashion movie directed by Baz Lhurmann and featuring Nicole Kidman.

E)  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

F)  Giselle  Smith, Director of Marketing at Chanel, says, “Today, the fashion film is becoming more and more important to relate the Chanel perfume brand.”

G)  20 January 2017                     

H)  Baz Lhurmann, who also directed Kidman in the movie Moulin Rouge, says that Nicole was a natural choice, “She was perfect for Moulin Rouge, and I thought recalling that dancer image was important for the N°5 fashion film.”

I)  CHANEL N°5 LAUNCH TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENT WITH NICOLE KIDMAN AND BAZ LUHRMANN

J)  -###-        

K) Suzanne Russeau

PR Manager, New York

212-334-9874

s.russeau@chanel.ny.com

L)  FOR MORE INFORMATION: