English Reviewer

Speeches for Formal Gatherings

In formal gatherings, the welcoming remarks, introductory speech, and closing remarks are considered essential:

• Set the tone of the event

• Help the audience or participants understand the purpose of the occasion

Welcoming Remarks

The welcoming remarks usually have a dual purpose:

• To make the audience feel comfortable

• To inform them of what to expect in the event

1. Welcoming remarks are brief and concise.

   • They usually last about five to seven minutes.

   • It's helpful to write an outline first.

2. The language of the remarks is formal.

   • The sentences should be complete statements.

   • Avoid contractions, colloquialisms, and slang.

3. The remarks welcome the guests and acknowledge the important people in the audience.

   • Introduce yourself briefly.

   • You can talk about your relationship to the person for whom the event is held or your role in the organization that has organized the gathering.

4. The remarks provide brief information about the background and purpose of the event.

   • List the people, groups, or organizations involved.

   • Thank and acknowledge them.

5. Provide an overview of the event.

   • Research the event and the company or person for whom it is held.

   • Mention the history, organizers, purpose, and target audience of the event.

6. Write a concise background of the event and the company, organization, or person it is held for based on the information you have gathered.

7. Add humor to your remarks by opening with a catchy phrase or a funny joke.

Introductory Speech

After the welcoming remarks, the host introduces the:

• Guest speaker: The person invited to give a special speech at the gathering.

• Keynote speaker: The person who delivers the keynote address or the main speech of the gathering.

The goals of the introductory speech are:

• To prepare the audience for the speaker.

• To motivate them to listen to the speaker’s speech.

1. An introductory speech should be brief and concise.

2. The language should be formal.

3. The introduction provides background information about the speaker to establish their credibility and heighten the audience’s interest:

   • What is the speaker’s full name and preferred form of address?

   • What is their educational background or career accomplishments?

   • What occupies most of their time?

   • What other things would the speaker like the audience to know?

4. The introduction gives a brief preview of the speaker’s topic.

5. Provide a concise background about the speaker based on the information you have gathered.

6. Give a positive, realistic, and balanced description of the speaker.

7. Give a preview of the speaker’s topic and state the title of the speech. Avoid including your personal thoughts or comments on the topic.

8. End the introduction by expressing how honored you are to introduce the speaker.

Closing Remarks

The closing remarks conclude a formal event. It has a dual purpose:

• To give a recapitulation of the event.

• To leave the audience with the impression that the event was a success.

1. Closing remarks should be brief and concise.

2. The language should be formal.

3. The remarks provide a recap of the event.

   • Acknowledge sponsors, speakers, and participants for their contributions.

4. The closing remarks should have a grateful, congratulatory, and optimistic tone.

   • Thank the audience for their participation.

   • Highlight the success of the event and the importance of the connections made.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are words that stand in place of nouns and can be categorized based on their function within a sentence. The different cases of personal pronouns serve specific purposes and help in creating a more meaningful sentence. Below are the cases of personal pronouns:

1. Subjective Case (Nominative Case)

The subjective case (also known as the nominative case) refers to personal pronouns that function as the subject of the sentence. These pronouns are used when the pronoun is the main doer of the action in the sentence.

Functions of the Subjective Case:

• Subject of the sentence

• Direct Address

• Predicate Nominative

• Appositive to the Subject

Subjective Case Function #1: SUBJECT
The pronoun used in this function performs the action of the verb or is the one that the sentence is about.

Example:

• She enjoys playing the piano every day.
  Here, the pronoun she is used as the Subject of the sentence, performing the action of enjoying.

Subjective Case Function #2: DIRECT ADDRESS
A pronoun used as a direct address refers to someone who is being directly spoken to. This usually occurs when the speaker is calling someone or giving them an instruction.

Example:

• John, please pass me the book.
  In this sentence, John is the pronoun used as a direct address, indicating that the speaker is directly speaking to John.

Subjective Case Function #3: PREDICATE NOMINATIVE
A predicate nominative follows a be verb (such as is, are, was, were) and renames or identifies the subject of the sentence. It acts as an equal to the subject.

Example:

• The winner is he.
  In this sentence, he is a predicate nominative, renaming the subject winner after the linking verb is.

Subjective Case Function #4: APPOSITIVE TO THE SUBJECT
An appositive is a noun or pronoun that renames or explains another noun or pronoun. When a personal pronoun functions as an appositive to the subject, it adds more information or detail to the subject of the sentence.

Example:

• The teacher, Mr. Smith, is very kind.
  In this sentence, Mr. Smith is an appositive that gives more information about the subject teacher. Mr. Smith is also the appositive.

2. Objective Case

The objective case is used when personal pronouns serve as the object of a sentence. The object can either be the direct object, indirect object, object of the preposition, or appositive to the direct object.

Functions of the Objective Case:

• Direct Object

• Indirect Object

• Object of the Preposition

• Appositive to the Direct Object

Objective Case Function #1: DIRECT OBJECT
A direct object receives the action of the verb directly. It is the noun or pronoun that is acted upon in the sentence.

Example:

• She invited me to her birthday party.
  In this sentence, me is the direct object, receiving the action of being invited.

Objective Case Function #2: INDIRECT OBJECT
An indirect object is a noun or pronoun that indirectly receives the action of the verb. It tells to whom or for whom the action is done.

Example:

• He handed her the envelope.
  In this sentence, her is the indirect object, receiving the direct object envelope.

Objective Case Function #3: OBJECT OF THE PREPOSITION
The object of the preposition follows a preposition in the sentence. The preposition indicates the relationship between the object and other words in the sentence.

Example:

• I bought the gift for him.
  In this sentence, him follows the preposition for, making it the object of the preposition.

Objective Case Function #4: APPOSITIVE TO THE DIRECT OBJECT
An appositive to the direct object renames or gives more information about the direct object. It adds additional detail to the object of the verb.

Example:

• I saw the movie with Sarah and him.
  Here, him is an appositive to the direct object movie, adding more detail about who the speaker watched the movie with.

3. Possessive Case

The possessive case is used when personal pronouns show ownership or possession. There are two main types of possessive pronouns:

• Possessive Adjectives (modifies a noun)

• Absolute Possessive Pronouns (stands alone and doesn't modify a noun)

Functions of the Possessive Case:

• Possessive Adjective

• Absolute Possessive Pronoun

Possessive Case Function #1: POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE
Possessive adjectives modify a noun by showing ownership or possession.

Example:

• That is their house.
  In this sentence, their is a possessive adjective, modifying the noun house to show who owns it.

Possessive Case Function #2: ABSOLUTE POSSESSIVE PRONOUN
An absolute possessive pronoun does not modify a noun but rather stands alone, representing possession.

Example:

• This car is mine.
  In this sentence, mine is an absolute possessive pronoun, showing ownership of the car.

Some Guidelines Regarding the Use of Personal Pronouns

Guideline 1:
When a personal pronoun is joined with a noun by a conjunction, the case of the pronoun depends on its position in the sentence.

Examples:

• Incorrect: Mary and me will go to the market to buy vegetables and fish.

• Correct: Mary and I will go to the market to buy vegetables and fish.

• Incorrect: The package was for Victor and I.

• Correct: The package was for Victor and me.

Guideline 2:
Sentences containing comparisons may leave out some words, making it difficult to decide which case of the personal pronoun to use. When in doubt, complete the comparison in your mind to figure out the right pronoun.

Examples:

• Incorrect: Our car is larger than them.

• Correct: Our car is larger than their car.

• Correct: Our car is larger than theirs.

Guideline 3:
Personal pronouns functioning as the predicate nominative rename the subject of the sentence. They often follow linking verbs such as is, are, was, were.

Examples:

• Incorrect: It was her who cut the folders.

• Correct: It was she who cut the folders.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns identify or point out nouns and answer the question, "Which one?" They can also convey a sense of distance, either near or far.

Near vs. Far

Guideline 1: This and That are singular pronouns

• This: Refers to something near the speaker.

• That: Refers to something far from the speaker.

Examples:

• This is my favorite book.

• That was the best movie I’ve seen.

• This seems like a great idea.

• Can you give me that pencil over there?

Guideline 2: These and Those are plural pronouns

• These: Refers to things that are near the speaker.

• Those: Refers to things that are far from the speaker.

Examples:

• These are my shoes.

• I love these colors.

• Those are my friends over there.

• Those shoes look amazing!

Guideline 3: Demonstrative determiners function as adjectives

When demonstrative pronouns function as determiners, they act as adjectives and are followed immediately by the noun they modify.

Examples:

• Those are the cookies I baked. (Demonstrative pronoun)

• Those cookies are delicious. (Demonstrative determiner)

• This is the jacket I bought. (Demonstrative pronoun)

• This jacket is my favorite. (Demonstrative determiner)

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns are used to refer to people, things, or places that are unknown or not specific.

Indefinite Pronouns Chart

Guideline 1: Affirmative, Negative, and Interrogative Sentences

• Affirmative sentences use pronouns like everybody, somebody, nobody, everyone, someone, no one, everything, something, nothing.

• Negative and Interrogative sentences use pronouns like anybody, anyone, and anything.

Examples:

• Affirmative: Everyone enjoyed the party last night.

• Negative: I didn’t see anybody at the store today.

• Interrogative: Do you know anyone who plays the piano?

Affirmative, Negative, and Interrogative Examples

• Affirmative: Everyone deserves a second chance.

• Negative: There was nobody in the office when I arrived.

• Interrogative: Is there anything you need from the store?

Guideline 2: Quantifying Pronouns

Quantifying pronouns such as many, more, most, few, much, little, each, several, enough, and one function as pronouns when they are not used to modify a noun in the sentence. When used to modify nouns, they act as adjectives.

Examples:

• Pronoun: Many have already signed up for the event.

• Adjective: Many people attended the concert.

• Pronoun: I don’t know many of them.

• Adjective: There were several people waiting in line.

Guideline 3: Singular or Plural Pronouns

The indefinite pronouns more, most, all, any, none, and some can be singular or plural depending on their antecedent.

Examples:

• Singular: Most of the cake is gone.

• Plural: Most of my friends are here.

• Singular: All of the project needs to be finished by tomorrow.

• Plural: Some of the students are studying for the test.