| How to Think Before Speaking Posted: 20 Feb 2020 12:00 AM PST Thinking before you speak is an important skill to master for all kinds of situations. It can improve your relationships with other people and enable you to express yourself in a more effective way. Start by using the THINK acronym to decide if what you have to say is True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, or Kind. Then, look for ways to choose your words more carefully, such as by pausing and asking for clarification. You can also think before you speak by using thoughtful communication strategies, such as adopting open body language and focusing on making 1 point at a time. With a little practice, thinking before you speak will eventually become second nature to you. [Edit]Using THINK to Filter What You Say - Determine if what you want to say is True. Reflect on what you are about to say and ask yourself if it's the truth. Don't make something up just to have something to say and don't speak if you're about to tell a lie. If you need to respond with something, at least modify what you're about to say so that it is the truth.[1]
- For example, if someone asks, "How are you today?" and you're about to respond with something that's not true, stop yourself and tell the truth instead.
- Or, if you're telling someone how well you did on your math test and you're about to exaggerate, reel yourself in and be honest about your grade instead.
- Say something if it's Helpful or stay silent if it's not. Speaking up can be beneficial to other people if you have something to say that might be helpful to them, so if this is the case, go ahead and speak up.[2] On the other hand, saying something hurtful can harm your relationships with other people, so it's best to remain silent if you're considering saying something hurtful to someone.[3]
- For example, if you're watching a friend play a video game and you have a tip that might help them overcome a difficult level, this could be helpful to them and it's okay to say it.
- However, if you're watching a friend struggle to overcome a level on a video game and you are about to mock them for that, don't say anything.
- Be aware that saying something hurtful isn't the same as conveying an unpleasant truth, which might be meant to help someone. For example, if you are giving someone constructive criticism, then this can be helpful.
- Identify whether your comment might be Inspiring to other people. Saying something that will inspire, encourage, or uplift other people is always good to do. If you are about to pay someone a compliment, encourage them to keep working towards a goal, or tell them a story that might inspire them, do it![4]
- For example, if you're about to compliment a friend on their presentation, go ahead. This will make them feel good about themselves.
- Speak if your comment is Necessary. Sometimes speaking up is necessary to prevent something bad from happening, such as issuing a warning or delivering an important message to someone. If this is the case, speak up. But if what you are about to say is unnecessary, then don't speak.[5]
- For example, if someone is about to walk out in front of oncoming traffic, speak up to warn them immediately.
- Or, if your friend's mom calls and asks you to tell them to call, tell your friend this as soon as you see them.
- Stop yourself from speaking if what you want to say is not Kind. Offering kind words to someone is another good way to determine if you should speak or not. As the old saying goes, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." Consider if what you're about to say is kind. If it is, go ahead and speak. If not, don't say anything.[6]
- For example, if your friend shows up to your house wearing a flamboyant hat and dress, either pay them a compliment on their fashionable look if you think it looks good, or don't say anything at all if you're not a fan of the ensemble.
[Edit]Choosing Your Words More Carefully - Listen carefully if you're having a conversation with someone. Listen when someone else is talking and give them your full attention. Focusing intently on the other person's words will help you to respond in a more thoughtful manner when they are finished talking.[7]
- For example, if someone is telling a story about their weekend, give them your full attention so that you can ask them questions about it and comment sincerely on what they said.
- Don't focus on what you want to say next while the other person is talking. You won't really be listening to them if you do this and you might respond with something that doesn't relate to what they were just saying.
- Pause for a minute if you find yourself saying "um" or "uh." If you notice that you're doing a lot of umming and uh-hing, this usually indicates that you're unsure of what to say next and you're thinking out loud. If this happens, close your mouth and pause for a minute. Take the time to think about what you want to say before you continue.[8]
- It's fine to simply say, "I need a minute to think about that," if someone asks you a question.
- Clarify what the other person has just said by asking a question. If you're having a conversation with someone and unsure of how to respond to something they just said, ask them to clarify for you. Rephrase the statement they just made or the question they just asked and check to see if you're understanding them correctly.[9]
- For example, you could say something like, "What did you mean when you said you didn't like the movie's structure?"
- Or, you could say something like, "It sounds like you're saying you want to go home because you aren't feeling well. Is that right?"
- This tip can also be used to pass time to think.
- Take a few deep breaths or excuse yourself in tense situations. If you're in the midst of an argument or heated conversation with someone or if you're just feeling nervous about speaking, taking a few deep breaths is a good way to calm yourself down, collect your thoughts, and buy yourself a little extra time to think. Take a long, slow breath in through your nose to the count of 4, then hold it for 4 seconds, and exhale slowly through your mouth to the count of 4.[10]
- If you need a longer break to calm yourself down, try excusing yourself to use the restroom or take a quick walk around the block.
[Edit]Using Thoughtful Communication Strategies - Stay focused on the conversation by avoiding distractions. It'll be easier for you to think before you speak if you aren't constantly looking at your phone, TV, or computer. Put away or turn off anything that might distract you from the person you're speaking with and focus all of your attention on them.[11]
- It's fine to pause to remove distractions. Try saying something like, "Hang on one minute. I just want to turn off the TV so I can give you my full attention."
- Demonstrate that you're listening by using open body language. Adopting open body language can help you to communicate with someone in a more thoughtful manner. Become more aware of how you're sitting or standing when you talk with other people. Some things you can do to improve your body language include:[12]
- Facing towards the person rather than angling your body away from them.
- Keeping your arms loose and at your sides instead of crossing them over your chest.
- Make eye contact with the person you're talking to. Avoid staring off into the distance or looking around the room as this will send the message that you're not paying attention.
- Keeping your expression neutral, such as by smiling slightly and relaxing your eyebrows.
- Make 1 point at a time and offer additional information only if needed. If you tend to ramble or throw lots of information at people at one time, try to focus on making 1 point and supporting it with an example if needed. Then, pause for a minute to allow the other person to speak or ask questions and make another point or offer additional information if needed.[13]
- For example, if someone asks you about your day, you might start by saying that it was good and list one good thing that happened instead of launching into a full recall of your day.
- Or, if you're debating politics with someone, you could begin by offering your strongest point and its supporting evidence instead of listing off every reason why you hold the view that you do.
- Summarize what you have said if needed and then be silent. After you finish saying what you have to say, it's fine to simply stop talking. There's no need to fill the silence with more words if you don't have anything else to say. If you feel the need for some kind of conclusion, briefly summarize what you just said and then stop talking.[14]
- For example, you might say something like, "So basically, I had a very pleasant trip to Florida and I plan to go again next year."
- However, it's also okay to end a story without summarizing it. When you're done telling the story, it's fine to just stop speaking.
[Edit]Expert Advice Use these tips to prepare for a situation where you need to talk a lot: - Practice using the right body language for what you're saying. How you hold yourself is a critical factor in how your audience views what you're saying.
- Create and listen to a playlist that inspires you. You want to get excited and pumped up about talking in front of or to people. You don't want the conversation to turn into a chore.
- Stop and think about why you're speaking in the first place. Is your topic important to your intended audience, something that matters a lot to them? Remind yourself of how important your words are to these people.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Fold Clothes Posted: 19 Feb 2020 04:00 PM PST Whether it's in a dresser or a suitcase, folded clothes provide a helpful and less cluttered way for you to organize your everyday life. At any given time of year, you may have a variety of shirts, skirts, pants, shorts, and other clothes to fold and put away. With the proper methods, you'll be ready to store your tops and bottoms in no time. [Edit]Folding Shirts and Tops - Make your T-shirts as compact as possible. Place your garment facedown, and bring the left half of the shirt to the center. Flip the short sleeve so that it faces the outer edge of the shirt. Repeat this with the right half of the garment before tucking the curved neckline into the shirt to create a rectangular shape. Fold the shirt once more to get it ready for storage.[1]
- Once you've folded your shirt, you can keep it upright in your dresser or wardrobe drawer.
- If the T-shirt is on the larger side, consider folding it in thirds instead of halves.
- Fold polo shirts lengthwise to store them. Place the shirt facedown on a flat surface and check that the shirt is completely buttoned before continuing. Tuck the sleeves into the center of the back, and fold the shirt in half so that the shoulders are touching. Complete the fold by bringing the bottom hem of the shirt to meet the collar.[2]
- This method also works for dress shirts, or any shirt with buttons.
- Fold tank tops into a small square. Set the tank top facedown on a flat surface before folding it in half lengthwise, making the garment look like a narrow rectangle. Next, fold the tank top in half again so that it forms a square. Store the tank top in a dresser, or in any place where it will fit.[3]
- If your tank top has thinner straps, tuck them beneath the shirt.
- Keep your dress wrinkle-free by folding it into a rectangle. Set your dress on a flat, smooth surface and brush out any obvious wrinkles from the garment. Fold the dress in half lengthwise and tuck a third of the skirt into the dress, making the garment look like a rectangle. Repeat this process on the opposite side of the skirt before folding it in half or in thirds.[4]
- Smaller dresses can be folded in half, while larger dresses should be folded in thirds.
- If your dress is especially fancy, consider hanging it up instead of folding it.
- Tuck in the sleeves when folding a long-sleeve shirt. Set your shirt facedown on a smooth surface, like a table. Bring one third of the shirt into the center, folding the long sleeves into an "L" shape as you go. Bring the neckline of the shirt down to the hem so that the garment looks like a rectangle. Fold it half one more time before storing it.
- With this method, you can store your long-sleeved shirts in an upright position.
- Fold sweaters in half after tucking in the sleeves. Arrange the sweater facedown on a flat surface. Cross both of the sleeves into the center, as if the sweater is hugging itself. Finally, fold the sweater so that the bottom hem touches the neckline of the garment.[5]
- If your sweater is especially bulky or big, feel free to tuck in the bottom third of the garment before folding it in half.
[Edit]Putting Away Bottom Garments - Keep the seams lined up when folding shorts. Fold your shorts in half symmetrically, so the material is creased over the center seam. Next, fold the center seam into the middle of the shorts. Finally, fold the shorts in half lengthwise to hide the seam.[6]
- Use your hands to flatten the material as you go.
- Ideally, your shorts should look like a smooth, flat square of fabric.
- Fold skirts into thirds to store them. Smooth the skirt with your hands after placing it on a flat surface. Fold the skirt in half lengthwise so that it looks like a narrow rectangle before continuing. Next, tuck in the bottom and top portions of the skirt to make the garment more compact. Finally, fold it in half or in thirds to get your skirt ready for storage.[7]
- To prevent wrinkles, continue to smooth out your skirt as you fold it.
- Continue folding your leggings in half until they form a small square. Smooth out your leggings on a flat surface before you begin. Crease the material along the center hem so that the legs are touching before folding the leggings in half lengthwise. Finish the fold by tucking one end of the leggings into the waistband.[8]
- Since leggings are generally made of a stretchier material, try to squeeze them into smaller drawers.
- Fold dress pants along the crease to keep them smooth. Iron the fabric to remove any wrinkles, then fold them along the crease or center seam. Check to make sure that the material is smooth before folding the dress pants in half lengthwise.[9]
- If you don't have a lot of room to store your nice pants, consider folding them in thirds.
- If possible, try storing your dress pants in a garment bag.
- Fold jeans into thirds. Shake out the jeans on and smooth out the inner pockets with your hands. Next, fold the jeans in half so that the back pockets are touching. After arranging them on a flat surface, tuck the groin seam into the jeans. Fold the jeans lengthwise by halves or thirds depending on where you plan on storing them.[10]
- When you tuck in the groin seam, it should resemble a small triangle.
- Not all clothes should necessarily be folded. Fancier clothes, like long dresses, gowns, blouses, blazers, coats, and dress pants should be stored on hangers when possible.[11]
- If your clothes tend to get wrinkly, be sure to steam or iron them before you put them away.[12]
- When folding long socks, bring the cuff over to the toe.[13]
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Teach Active and Passive Voice Posted: 19 Feb 2020 08:00 AM PST Passive voice is used in writing when you want to emphasize the object of a sentence, while active voice is used when you want to emphasize the subject of a sentence. Knowing the difference between these 2 voices is vital for students and writers to understand. To teach active and passive voice, make sure to identify the subject and verb in a sentence, explain the difference between active and passive voice, and rearrange sentences from passive to active using the same verb tense. [Edit]Explaining the Active Voice - Identify the subject and the verb in a sentence. In order for a sentence to be a sentence, it has to have a subject and a verb. The difference between active and passive voice is dependent on the order that these parts go in. Write out a sentence and underline both the subject and the verb so that they are easily identifiable.[1]
- For example, "She threw the ball for her dog." "She" is the subject and "threw" is the verb.
- Explain that the active voice is when the subject comes before the verb. In order to use active voice, your students need to understand that the subject must come before the verb in a sentence. Make sure that they understand that the subject must be doing the verb in a sentence for it to be active.[2]
- In the sentence "She threw the ball for her dog," "She," the subject, comes before "threw," the verb.
- Emphasize the importance of active voice. In writing, active voice is the preferred voice since it engages the reader and flows well. Tell your students that whenever possible, they should be using active voice.[3]
- Passive voice is okay sometimes, but it should be used sparingly and in the right context.
[Edit]Identifying the Passive Voice - Explain that the passive voice is when the verb acts upon the object. The passive voice is defined as a sentence that does not have an active action happening within it. You can identify the passive voice by finding sentences where the verb does something to the subject or the object of the sentence.[4]
- For example, "The fish was caught by the seagull" uses the passive voice. "The fish" is the object of the sentence, and "was caught" is the verb.
- Use the passive voice when you don't know the subject of the sentence. The passive voice is okay to use sometimes, like in instances where the subject of a sentence is unclear or unknown. Tell your students to use the passive voice sparingly to add suspense to their writing.[5]
- For example, the sentence "The documents were stolen" uses the passive voice because you don't know who stole the documents.
- Look for forms of "to be" to identify the passive voice. Most often, passive voice sentences have some form of the phrase "to be" in them. Watch out for phrases like "has been," "have been," "is," "are," and "were" as a clue for the passive voice.[6]
[Edit]Changing Sentences from Passive to Active - Identify the verb in the passive sentence. The best way to start rearranging a passive sentence is to start with the verb. Look for action words that describe what someone or something is doing in the sentence.[7]
- For example, in the sentence "The cat is scared by the dog," "scared" is the verb.
- In the sentence "The machines are used to mix ingredients," "used" is the verb.
- Ask your students who or what is doing the verb to find the subject. You may need to add in new information to find out who or what the subject is. Identify the subject of your passive sentence to begin your new active sentence.[8]
- For example, in the sentence "The cat is scared by the dog," "the dog" is the subject.
- In the sentence "The machines are used to mix ingredients," you don't know who or what the subject is because it is not included. Use context clues to come up with the subject. In this example, "The chefs" or "The bakers" are 2 potential subjects.
- Keep the tense of the verb the same. When switching from passive voice to active voice, it is important to keep the integrity of the sentence. Make sure that you identify if the sentence is written in the past, present, or future tense and keep it the same as you transfer it over.[9]
- For example, in "The cat is scared by the dog," "is scared" is present tense.
- In "The machines are used to mix ingredients," "are used" is present tense.
- Put the subject before the verb in your sentence to make it active. The final step to completing a passive to active transition is to make sure your subject is before the verb. Rearrange the order of the words in the sentence so that it becomes active.[10]
- For example, "The cat is scared by the dog" becomes "The dog scares the cat."
- "The machines are used to mix ingredients" becomes "The chefs use machines to mix ingredients."
[Edit]Doing Activities to Teach Younger Students - Complete an action and ask your students to describe what you did. Stand at the front of the classroom and do a simple action, like dropping your pen on the floor. Ask your students to use their words to describe what you did. When someone says "You dropped your pen on the floor," write that sentence down on the board as an example of the active voice.[11]
- If you are teaching high school or college students, this activity may be too juvenile for them. Stick with changing sentences from passive to active voice.
- Do an action and write it with the passive voice. You can either repeat the active action or choose a new one. Tell your students that this time you'll tell them what happened. Drop your pen on the floor and then write "The pen was dropped on the floor." Point this out as an example of the passive voice.[12]
- If your students are understanding the passive voice so far, they may be able to figure out the passive form of your action on their own.
- Drop a few objects to teach the importance of changing the verb. It can be hard for students to remember to change the verb from singular to plural in a passive voice sentence. Drop 2 or more pens at the front of the classroom and ask your students to describe your action using the passive voice.[13]
- Your students should write "The pens were dropped on the floor." Point out the importance of "were" versus "was."
- Discuss things that the government does using passive voice. Ask your students to think about the kinds of things that the government does for the community. Tell them to create sentences describing what the government does without using "the government" in their sentences. This will force their sentences to become passive.[14]
- For example, your students could say, "The roads were fixed." "Hospitals were built." "The park benches were painted."
- You can start teaching the difference between active and passive voice to children between the ages of 9 and 11.
[Edit]References |
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