PRESENTING (describing trends)

Describing Trends, Graphs, and Changes

In business and everyday English, you sometimes have to describe changes in trends (movement or tendency), graphs, and diagrams.

In the business context, you may have to describe trends in reports, meetings, and presentations. In everyday life, you could describe changes in any subject because things change all the time!

Describing changes and trends generally consists of three parts:

·                     Use a verb (or an adjective and a noun) to describe movement

·                     Describe the speed or size of the movement

·                     Explain the reason or consequence of the change

You can also view it this way: Verb + Speed or Size + Result/Reason/Consequence

Example 

In 2011, Samsung's profits increased considerably thanks to its successful Galaxy S series.

Part 1

Here are some verbs you can use to describe change and movement.

Upward  Movement

To climb

To rise

To go up

To improve

To pick up

To recover

To increase

To reach a peak

Downward Movement

To fall

To decline

To bottom out

To decrease

To drop

To plummet

To deteriorate

To hit a low

To slip back

To do down

Horizontal Movement

To even out

To remain stable

To stabilize

Part 2

Here are some adjectives and adverbs you can use to describe the speed and size of change.

Speed of Change

Rapid - Rapidly

Slow - Slowly

Sudden - Suddenly

Sharp - Sharply

Steady - Steadily

Gradual - Gradually

Fast - Quickly

Size of Change

Noticeable - Noticeably

Substantial - Substantially

Considerable - Considerably

Slight - Slightly

Significant - Significantly 

Dramatic - Dramatically

Negligible - Negligibly

Part 3

Here are some expressions you can use to express reason, consequence, and result:

·                     As a result of

·                     Due to

·                     Because of

·                     Was the reason for

·                     Caused

·                     Resulted in

·                     Explains

·                     Accounts for

·                     That is why

·                     Consequently

·                     So

·                     Thanks to

Time Expressions You Can Use

·                     In January / In 2011

·                     In Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 (In the first quarter / second quarter / third quarter / fourth quarter)

·                     From January to March

Examples

·                     Apple's sales increased significantly due to the launch of the iPhone 4.
[verb + adverb construction]

There was a significant increase in Apple's sales due to the launch of the iPhone 4.
[adjective + noun (word) construction]

·                     Our turnover remained stable in January and February. However, in March and April, it dropped suddenly as a result of the financial crisis.
[verb + adverb construction]

In March and April, there was a sudden drop in our turnover as a result of the financial crisis.
[adjective + noun (word) construction]

DAFTAR PUSTAKA

http://experience-english.blogspot.co.id/2012/05/best-practices-describing-trends-graphs.html

MEETINGS (giving a report)

Giving a Report

Pengertian Report Text

Istilah report text sering juga dikenal dengan sebutan informational report. Report, dalam Concise Oxford Dictionary Edisi 10, diartikan sebagai 1) an account given of a matter after investigation or consideration. 2) a piece of information about an event or situation. Jika disimpulkan, secara bahasa report text adalah teks yang berfungsi untuk memberikan informasi tentang suatu peristiwa atau situasi, setelah diadakannya investigasi dan melalui berbagai pertimbangan.

Definisi report text ini juga hampir mirip dengan apa yang sering disebutkan dalam berbagai buku bahasa Inggris di tingkat menengah, "Report is a text which present information about something, as it is. It is as a result of systematic observation and analyses." [Report adalah sebuah teks yang menghadirkan informasi tentang suatu hal secara apa adanya. Teks ini adalah sebagai hasil dari observasi dan analisa secara sistematis.]

Dengan demikian, sebenarnya teks report dan descriptive mempunyai perbedaan yang cukup jelas, meski nampak keduanya dikatakan sebagai "saudara kembar" sekalipun.

Generic Structure Report Text

Seperti halnya dengan descriptive text, Report text juga hanya memiliki dua struktur umum [generic structure] yaitu :

General Clasification; Pernyataan umum yang menerangkan subjek laporan, keterangan, dan klasifikasinya. 

Description: tells what the phenomenon under discussion ; in terms of parts, qualities, habits or behaviors; Pada bagian ini biasanya memberikan gambaran fenomena-fenomena yang terjadi; baik bagian-bagiannya, sifat-sifatnya, kebiasaannya, ataupun tingkah lakunya. Intinya adalah penjabaran dari klasifikasi yang disajikan dengan ilmiah.

Ada juga beberapa keterangan mengenai generic structure report text, yang meliputi :

1.      General information

2.      Bundles of Specific Information

General information adalah bagian yang menyebutkan informasi umum dari tema tulisan yang. Sedangkan Bundles of specific information, adalah penjabaran dari informasi umum tersebut.

Saya sendiri lebih cenderung setuju dengan generic structure kedua; karena hal ini bisa membuat siswa lebih paham akan cara menulis report text.

Tujuan Report Text

Setiap tulisan pasti memiliki tujuan mengapa tulisan itu ditulis. Begitu juga dengan report text. Beberapa pakar menyebutkan bahwa tujuan teks report adalah :

Its social purpose is presenting information about something. They generally describe an entire class of things, whether natural or made: mammals, the planets, rocks, plants, countries of region, culture, transportation, and so on. 

Jika disimpulkan, tujuan report text adalah untuk menyampaikan informasi hasil pengamatan dan analisa yang sistematis. Informasi yang dijelaskan dalam report text biasanya bersifat umum, baik itu alamiah ataupun buata seperti binatang mamalia, planet, bebatuan, tumbuh-tumbuhan, negara bagian, budaya, transportasi, dan lain sebagainya.

Pola Tata Bahasa dalam Report Text

Setiap tulisan pasti memiliki ciri bahasa tersendiri; jika recount text dan narrative text cenderung memiliki ciri menggunakan simple past, lalu bagaimana dengan report text? Oke berikut adalah pola grammar yang umum digunakan dalam teks report, yang meliputi :

§  Use of general nouns, eg hunting dogs, rather than particular nouns, eg our dog;

§  Use of relating verbs to describe features, eg Molecules are tiny particles;

§  Some use of action verbs when describing behaviour, eg Emus cannot fly;

§  Use of timeless present tense to indicate usualness, eg Tropical cyclones always begin over the sea;

§  Use of technical terms, eg Isobars are lines drawn on a weather map;

§  Use of paragraphs with topic sentences to organise bundles of information; repeated naming of the topic as the beginning focus of the clause.

Keterangan :

§  General nouns, maksudnya adalah, suatu benda (baik itu hidup atau mati) yang bersifat umum. Coba bandingkan : Hunting dogs >< My dog. Hunting dogs bersifat umum; sedangkan my dog bersifat khusus. 

§  Relating verbs, dalam grammar disebut juga dengan linking verbs. Seperti to be [is, am, are: present], seem, look, taste dan lain sebagainya. 

§  Timeless present tense adalah salah satu penanda waktu dalam simple present seperti "often, usually, always" dan lain-lain. 

§  Technical terms, maksudnya adalah istilah-istilah yang meliputi teks report tersebut. Misalnya tentang "music" maka, istilah-istilah musik harus ada.

DAFTAR PUSTAKA

http://www.englishindo.com/2012/03/report-text-penjelasan-contoh.html

MEETINGS (making and responding to suggestions)

Making and Responding to Suggestions

Suggestions

The following English phrases and expressions are all used to make suggestions and give advice to people.

Making suggestions:

·         Let’s revise our lessons.

·         What about going to the cinema tonight?

·         How about playing cards?

·         Why don't we do our homework?

·         Couldn't we invite your grandmother to our party?

·         Shall we have a walk along the river?

·         What would you say to a cup of coffee?

·         Don't you think it is a good idea to watch TV?

·         Does it matter if we use your car?

Accepting suggestions:

·         Ok. Yes, let's.

·         Yes, I'd like to.

·         Yes, I'd love to.

·         What a good idea!

·         Why not?

·         Yes, with pleasure.

·         Yes, I feel like taking a walk.

·         That sounds like a good idea.  

Refusing suggestions:

·         No, let's not.

·         No, I'd rather not.

·         I don't feel like it.

·         I dislike going for a walk.

·         What an awful / bad idea!

Things to remember about suggestions:

1.The verb "suggest" can be followed by either:

·         should + verb = I suggest (that) we should go to the theater.

·         a verb (in the subjunctive form)= I suggest (that) we go to the movies.

2."That" is optional:

·         "I suggest that we should visit Paris."

·         "I suggest we should visit Paris."

Dialogue:

Two friends talking about where to go this evening:

Alice:	You know Alan, why don't we go to the cinema to watch Titanic?
Alan:	No, let's not. We've seen the film many times before. What about going to the library? We have to finish our school project!
Alice:	That sounds like a good idea. But when we finish let's go to the cafè.
Alan:	Yes, I'd love to.

DAFTAR PUSTAKA

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/communication-lesson-suggesting.php

EXCHANGING INFORMATION

SHOWING UNDERSTANDING AND SUGGESTING SOLUTIONS

Showing understanding and suggesting solutions

Business Result

Starting at the top one, take turns explaining your situation to your partner and responding to theirsuggestions about what you should do.

Situation 1

You’ve applied for three promotions and didn’t get any because your English isn’t

good enough, but the company hardly ever pays for English courses.

Your company rarely or never advertises jobs internally, and sometimes long after advertising themexternally.

Situation 2

Your project manager only gives negative feedback.

Annual appraisals don’t always happen, perhaps because the managers don’t

like doing them.

Some managers have bad communication skills.

Situation 3

You only got one week of training when you first joined the company, and nothing since then.

I can rarely ask my colleagues questions because I am always out visiting customers.

All my projects are very different, so it’s difficult to be an expert in all those

different things.

Situation 4

People don’t work together as a team. There’s an Employee of the Month award,

but it just makes people more selfish.

All the situations above are actually in one company. Work together to decide how the company’s systems should be changed.

Suggestion (Saran)

1.      Would you be so kind enough + to + Verb

Contoh Kalimat:

Would you be so kind enough to go with me?

(Artinya: Maukah anda berbaik hati untuk pergi dengan saya?)

Would you be so kind enough to help me?

(Artinya: Maukah anda berbaik hati untuk menolong saya?)

Etc.

2.      I would be very grateful if you would …

Contoh Kalimat:

I would be very grateful if you would come to my party.

(Artinya: Saya akan sangat senang sekali jika anda mau dating ke pestaku)

I would be very grateful if you would help me to finish this task.

(Artinya: Saya akan sangat senang sekali jika anda mau membantu saya menyelesaikan tugas ini)

I would be grateful if you would be here.

(Artinya: Saya akan sangat senang sekali jika kamu ada disini)

Etc.

3.      How/ what about + Gerund (Verb+ ing) …

Contoh Kalimat:

How about dancing? (Artinya: Bagaimana kalau kita berdansa?)

What about watching TV? (Artinya: Bagaimana kalau kita menonton TV?)

Etc.

4.      Suppose

Contoh Kalimat:

Suppose you agree with my idea.

(Artinya: Mungkin kamu setuju dengan pendapat saya)

Suppose you can leave now.

(Artinya: Mungkin kamu dapat pergi sekarang)

Etc.

5.      Perhaps you would

Contoh Kalimat:

Perhaps you would accept my proposal.

(Artinya: Mungkin kamu mau menerima lamaranku)

Perhaps you would have a dinner with me.

(Artinya: Mungkin anda mau makan malam denganku)

Etc.
Untuk informasi selengkapnya, kami sarankan silahkan baca juga artikel kami mengenai:
Giving Suggestion Menggunakan “Could, Let’s, Why Don’t, Shall I/ We” atau
Giving Suggestion Menggunakan “Should, Ought to, dan Had Better”.

1.      Advice (Nasehat)

2.      Menggunakan modal auxiliaries “Must, Ought to, and Should”.

Contoh Kalimat:

You must take care of yourself carefully!

(Artinya: Kamu harus menjaga dirimu sendiri dengan hati-hati)

You ought to write a letter to me not to her.

(Artinya; Kamu seharusnya menulis surat untukku bukan untuknya)

You should study hard.

(Artinya: Kamu seharusnya belajar dengan giat)

Etc.

2.      If I were you I should + Verb

Contoh Kalimat:

If I were you I should work at the hospital.

(Artinya: JIka saya jadi kamu saya akan bekerja di rumah sakit)

If I were you I should take English course.

(Artinya: JIka saya jadi kamu saya akan kursus Bahasa Inggris)

Etc.

3.      You had better + Verb

Contoh Kalimat:

You had better brush your teeth. (Artinya: Kamu lebih baik menggosok gigimu)

You had better refuse this job. (Artinya: Kamu lebih baik menolak pekerjaan ini)

Etc.

4.      Why don’t you + Verb …

Contoh Kalimat:

Why don’t you sit down beside me?

(Artinya: Mengapa kamu tidak duduk di dekatku?)

Why don’t you go home now?

(Artinya: Mengapa kamu tidak pulang sekarang?)

Etc.

5.      It’s time you + Verb 2 (Past Form)

Contoh Kalimat:

It’s time you said the truth.

(Artinya: ini saatnya kamu mengatakan yang sesungguhnya)

It’s time you stopped smoking.

(Artinya: ini saatnya kamu berhenti merokok)

DAFTAR PUSTAKA

https://tefltastic.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/showing-understanding-and-suggesting-solutions.pdf