SE214
Presentation & Communication
Skills
Peter Gaughran
peterg@cs.may.ie
Why?
•Industry
– Software, design, bugs…
•Academia
–- Research, labs, tutorials…
•In short,
LIFE.
All of these skills will be beneficial, regardless of where
you end up!
Course Work
There is no University examination in this module!
However…
You must select a specific topic from Computer Science
(NOT a topic from one of the other modules in the BSc
in Computer Science and Software Engineering).
Prepare the following on your chosen topic:
·
·
·
a technical report of at least 2000 words,
a poster presentation for A1 paper,
a four-minute oral presentation.
Course Work
Overall marking scheme:
Technical report
60
Poster presentation
10
Oral presentation
15
Other continuous assessment
15
Course Work
Please remember:
-Your report, poster and presentation comprise the
University examination for this module.
-You should treat their preparation with appropriate
care and attention.
-In particular, they should be YOUR OWN WORK. Any
evidence of copying, plagiarism or other cheating will
be dealt with by the examination board in a similar
fashion to as if detected in an examination hall.
Course Work
Topic choice:

Select a specific limited subject for your report and
presentations. For example, Sorting Strings using Binary
Search Trees rather than Binary Trees.

Report titles should be submitted via email
(peterg@cs.may.ie) by 12 noon on 11th March 2005.

All candidates should choose a different topic
(although they can be closely related – for example
Traversal Algorithms on Binary Trees would be a different
topic than the one above).

In case of duplicate/very similar titles, the first one
received will be given preference. The second candidate
will have to choose another topic.
Course Work
Technical report: (to be submitted before 12 noon Friday
22nd April 2005)
The report should be prepared using MS Word or a similar
tool. The file must be in .doc or .pdf format, however.
You have to submit one printed copy, permanently bound
in a Department of Computer Science cover. (Facilities
and materials for binding available in Students Union,
Arts Block and Post Office). Also, submit an electronic
copy on floppy disc stuck inside the back cover.
Reports will not be returned. Make a second copy for
yourself!
Course Work
You will be marked on:






Overall Structure & Clarity
Introduction
Critical Validity of conclusions
Format, layout etc.
Use of English
Use of illustrations, diagrams etc.
Course Work
In order to pass, the technical report will have the
following characteristics:

A clear concise introduction using the situationcomplication-solution structure described in lectures.

A well-written middle section describing the
technical detail within the topic.

A conclusion summing up and critically appraising
the topic and suggesting other solutions, related topics
etc.

An abstract that concisely summarises the content
of the report.
Course Work

References, indicated in the text and listed at the
end in the prescribed format, showing the sources used
for the material presented.

A title page in the prescribed format.

No mistakes in spelling or grammar (use the MS
Word tools)
Main text to be 12 pt Times New Roman, 1.5 line spacing.
Pages numbering in footer.
A template for the report will be available from my webpage.
Course Work
 Poster :
To be displayed in the Callan Building foyer in week 25th –
29th April 2005.
• Presentation :
To be given at times to be announced 2nd – 6th May 2005.
Visual material to be prepared using MS Powerpoint or
similar program.
Talk for 4 minutes.
Be prepared to answer questions at the end.
Syllabus
NOTE – Subject to suggestion & therefore change…
•Grammar & syntax
•CVs & cover letters
•Interview skills
•Group problem solving
•Powerpoint and poster presentation
•Report writing & bibliographies
•Public speaking
•Basic UML & presentation of software design
Choose a topic, and make a presentation
Practical work
To complement the lectures, there will be a lab @ 1
hour a week, so no Monday lecture!
• Location – Lab 4.
• Time – 1pm, Monday.
• Purpose :
Less talk, more doing! Upon completion of the course, you will
have
- model CV(s)
- model covering letter
- have made UML designs and presentations
- public speaking skills
And many, many more…
Grammar
Possibly the greatest problem!
• Considered a pain, but used successfully everyday…
• A necessity for “getting your foot in the door”
• The ‘syntax’ of your language
• So it has to be done!
Sentence Structure
Terms we will need to know!
•Subject
•Verb
•Clause
-Independent
-Dependent
Sentence Structure
A simple sentence has one independent clause and
no dependent clauses:
The student yawned.
Sentence Structure
Although a simple sentence cannot have a dependent
clause, it can have modifiers:
The tall student sitting at the back of my algebra
class yawned loudly.
Basic sentence still the same!
The other words are all modifiers, descriptive words.
Sentence Structure
A simple sentence contains only one independent
clause, but it can have more than one subject or
verb:
•Two subjects: The student and his friend yawned.
•Two verbs: The student yawned and fell asleep.
Sentence Structure
A sentence with all of these elements will be long,
but it is still simple as it only contains one
independent clause:
The tall student sitting in the back in my algebra
class and his friend yawned loudly and fell asleep.
Can you identify the ‘real’ sentence and the
modifiers?
Sentence Structure
The tall student sitting in the back in my algebra
class and his friend yawned loudly and fell asleep.
This = ‘real’, this = modifiers
Compound Sentence
A compund sentence has two or more independent
clauses joined by a co-ordinating conjunction:
INDEP. CLAUSE + COORD. CONJ. + INDEP. CLAUSE
Stephanie got a new job, so she has to move.
I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I’m not going to do it
tonight!
Compound Sentence
Notice the difference between a simple sentence with
a compound verb and a compound sentence with two
clauses:
SIMPLE straight to
COMP. decided to
out.
My house guests returned from a long
day of shopping and went
bed.
My house guests returned home from a
long day of shopping and we
stay at home instead of going
What’s the difference?
Compound Sentence
Most compound sentences are formed with a
coordinating conjunction: and, or, but, so, for, nor,
yet. The last three occur almost exclusively in
writing, so they add a level of formality.
The experiment was deemed successful, yet our
results were unsatisfactory.
The students were unhappy with their professor, for
he was often late to class.
Complex Sentence
A complex sentence has an idependent clause with
one or more dependent clauses:
Since we got to the concert late, we had to make our
way to our seats in the dark.
We left class early so that we could attend a special
lecture.
Where are the independent clauses?
Complex Sentence
A complex sentence has an idependent clause with
one or more dependent clauses:
Since we got to the concert late, we had to make our
way to our seats in the dark.
We left class early so that we could attend a special
lecture.
(Italics are the independent clauses!)
Complex Sentence
Complex sentences should be punctuated in one of
two ways:
Independent clause, dependent clause (no comma)
We left class early so that we could attend a special
lecture.
Dependent clause, Independent clause (comma)
So that we could attend a special lecture, we left
class early.
Comparing Compound & Complex
Sentences
•Interest, variety and coherence
•Compound sentences differ from complex sentences
in one important way: in a compund sentence, both
clauses have equal importance, in a complex
sentence, the independent is more important.
Compare these sentences!
COMPOUND – John was tired, but he finished his
homework.
COMPLEX – Although John was tired, he finished his
homework.
Compare these sentences!
COMPOUND – John was tired, but he finished his
homework.
COMPLEX – Although John was tired, he finished his
homework.
In the first sentence, the writer is stating that both
clauses are equally important.
In the second, the subordinate clause (“John was
tired”) is less important than the independent clause
(“he finished his homework”).
Long, rambling sentences
Writing that has too many strings of independent
clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions can be
tiresome and frustrating for the reader.
These long, rambling sentences leave the reader out
of breath and wondering which information is
important.
Such sentences are also perceived as informal
because they replicate spoken language.
Long, rambling sentences
I went home, but my roomate wasn’t there, so I
started to cook dinner, but she came in and saw me
trying to cook her favourite recipe, but I didn’t really
know how to make it, and she got really angry, so I
stopped cooking, and she made dinner for us and
then everything was all right.
Long, rambling sentences
I went home, but my roomate wasn’t there, so I
started to cook dinner, but she came in and saw me
trying to cook her favourite recipe, but I didn’t really
know how to make it, and she got really angry, so I
stopped cooking, and she made dinner for us and
then everything was all right.
PHEW!
Long, rambling sentences
I went home, but my roomate wasn’t there, so I
started to cook dinner, but she came in and saw me
trying to cook her favourite recipe, but I didn’t really
know how to make it, and she got really angry, so I
stopped cooking, and she made dinner for us and
then everything was all right.
This = independent clause, this = coordinating
conjunctions.
So, how about…
When I went home, my roomate wasn’t there, so I
started to cook dinner. Then, she came in and saw
me trying to cook her favourite recipe even though I
didn’t really know how to make it. I stopped cooking
because she got really angry. In the end, she made
dinner for us, and everything was all right.
Recognizing Subjects of Verbs
Pattern : Subject + verb + indirect
object + direct object
Example:
The bookstore always sells to students many
books.
•The subject of a sentence is the ‘doer’ of the
action.
-John hit the ball. Subject?
-We added water to the solution. Subject?
Recognizing Subjects of Verbs
Pattern : Subject + verb + indirect
object + direct object
Example:
The bookstore always sells to students many
books.
•The subject of a sentence is the ‘doer’ of the
action.
-John hit the ball. Subject? John
-We added water to the solution. Subject? We
Recognizing Verbs
Verbs are action words.
Used to form tenses
-I add, I added, I have added, I will add, I
am adding
They change according to the person
-I / you / we / they add
-He / she / it adds
Subject/Verb Agreement
The verb that expresses the
action should agree with its
subject!
Recognizing Objects of Verbs
To find direct object, find subject and verb;
then use them in a question ending with
whom or what:
The bookstore sold what?
Transitive verb: Verb that requires a direct
object to complete its meaning.
Example:
The explosion levelled the building.
Word Order
Learn to recognize meaningful English word
orders. The most commonly used patterns
are:
Pattern 1:
Subject + verb
Pattern 2:
Subject + verb + direct object
Pattern 3:
Subject + verb + indirect object +
direct object
Word Order
NOTE!
Sometimes these patterns are rearranged:
Example: His last question I did not answer.
Pattern:
Object + subject + verb
Recognizing the Eight Parts of
Speech
I. VERBS:
A part of speech used to make a statement, to ask a
question, or to give a command or direction.
Examples: notify, notifies, are notifying, notified
Note: Do not confuse verb forms with verbs!
Examples of verb forms:
Participle: "a word having the characteristics of both
verb and adjective" [Webster Ninth New Collegiate
Dictionary]
E.g. "She gave him written instructions."
("Written" is a modifier.)
Recognizing the Eight Parts of
Speech
Examples of verb forms (cont.):
Gerund: (ending)
"the English verbal noun in -ing that has the
function of a [noun]…” [Webster Ninth New
Collegiate Dictionary]
E.g. "His writing all night long tired him."
("Writing" is the subject!)
Recognizing the Eight Parts of
Speech
Examples of verb forms (cont.):
Infinitive:
"a verb form normally identical in English with the
first person singular that performs some
functions of a noun and at the same time
displays some characteristics of a verb…”
[Webster Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary]
E.g. "I want to write."
("To write" is the direct object.)
E.g. "The urge to write left him."
("To write" is a modifier.")
Recognizing the Eight Parts of
Speech
II. NOUNS:
Examples: man, men; kindness, kindnesses; United
States; an understanding; nation's, nations'
A part of speech that names a person, place, thing,
idea, animal, quality, or action.
Example:
The breakthrough came just before midnight.
Recognizing the Eight Parts of
Speech
III. PRONOUNS:
Examples: I, me, my, mine, myself; they, you, him, it,
this, these; who, whose, whom; which, that one,
ones, one's; both, everybody, anyone.
A part of speech that serves the function of a noun in
a sentence.
Example:
He paid them for it.
Recognizing the Eight Parts of
Speech
IV. ADJECTIVES:
Examples: good; young, younger; youngest; a, an,
the three men, educated people, this day
A part of speech that modifies or qualifies nouns and
pronouns; sometimes they modify gerunds.
Generally adjectives are placed near the words
they modify.
Example:
Tired and disheartened, she decided that the problem
was unsolvable.
Recognizing the Eight Parts of
Speech
V. ADVERBS:
Examples: rarely saw, call daily, soon left, left sooner,
nearly always cold, very short
A part of speech regularly used to modify a word or
word group other than a noun or pronoun.
•
An adverb may restrict, qualify, or limit a verb, an
adjective, another adverb, an infinitive, a gerund,
a participle, a phrase, a clause, or even the rest of
the sentence in which it appears.
Recognizing the Eight Parts of
Speech
VI. PREPOSITIONS:
Examples: at times, between us, because of rain,
before class
A part of speech that is used to show the relationship
of a noun or the object of the preposition to some
other word in the sentence.
Example:
The answer is in the book.
(Shows the relationship of the "book" to the noun
"answer.")
Recognizing the Eight Parts of
Speech
VII. CONJUNCTIONS:
Examples: Math and Computer Science, in or out,
long but informative, long because it is complex
A part of speech used to connect words, phrases, or
clauses.
VIII. INTERJECTIONS:
Oi! Oh, pardon me.
A part of speech used for simple explanations.
Classifications of Sentences
1. Simple sentences: those with only one subject and
one predicate
Example: The proof is straightforward.
2. Compound sentences: those made up of at least
two main clauses
Example: One window contains text, and the other
window contains graphics.
Classifications of Sentences
3. Complex sentences: those made up of one main
clause and at least one subordinate clause
Example: The proof is omitted because it is lengthy.
4. Compound-complex sentences: those made up of
at least two main clauses and at least one
subordinate clause
Example: The proof is omitted because it is lengthy,
but a proof outline is given below.
Sentence Fragments
Important Rule:
Never put a full stop at the end of a fragment.
Fragment:
A part of a sentence written with the capitalization
and punctuation appropriate to a sentence.
Example:
A computer consists of
• A CPU.
• A main memory.
• I/O devices.
Sentence Fragments
Important Rule:
Never put a full stop at the end of a fragment.
Fragment:
A part of a sentence written with the capitalization
and punctuation appropriate to a sentence.
Example:
A computer consists of
• A CPU.
• A main memory.
• I/O devices.
Sentence Fragments
Correctly written as:
A computer consists of
1. a CPU,
2. a main memory, and
3. I/O devices.
Test for Sentence Completeness:
When proofreading a manuscript, see if the sentence
fragments make sense as a whole!
Comma Splice and Fused Sentence
Do not carelessly link two sentences with only a
comma (comma splice) or run two sentences
together without any punctuation (fused
sentence).
Examples:
Sentences: The processor is a Pentium. It runs three
times faster than an 80486.
Comma splice: The processor is a Pentium, it runs
three times faster than an 80486.
Fused sentence: The processor is a Pentium it runs
three times faster than an 80486.
Comma Splice and Fused Sentence
How to correct a comma splice or a fused sentence
Comma splice example:
The processor is a Pentium, it runs three times faster
than an 80486.
Correct either a comma splice or a fused sentence by
one of the following methods:
1. Subordinate one of the main clauses -- usually the
best method.
Corrected: The processor is a Pentium, which runs
three times faster than an 80486.
Comma Splice and Fused Sentence
How to correct a comma splice or a fused sentence
2. Make each main clause into a sentence.
Corrected: The processor is a Pentium. It runs
three times faster than an 80486.
3. Join the main clauses with a semicolon.
Corrected: The processor is a Pentium; it runs
three times faster than an 80486.
Conjunctive Adverbs Require
Semicolons
Conjunctive Adverbs: An adverb used to connect or
relate main clauses:
accordingly, also, anyhow, besides, consequently,
furthermore, hence, henceforth, however, indeed,
instead, likewise, meanwhile, moreover,
nevertheless, otherwise, still, then, therefore, thus,
and so on.
Example: I don't like the answer; however it appears
to work.
Transitional Phrases Require
Semicolons
Transitional Phrase: A phrase used to provide
transition between clauses or sentences:
as a result, at the same time, for example, in addition,
in fact, in other words, on the contrary, on the
other hand, that is
Example: Past papers conjectured that the answer is
zero; on the contrary, it is one.
Grammar - Adjectives
Definition - Adjectives are words that describe or modify
another person or thing in the sentence. The articles — a, an,
and the — are adjectives.
E.g.,
•the tall professor
•the stoic lieutenant
•a solid commitment
•a month's pay
•the unhappiest, richest man
Grammar - Adjectives
Adjectives are frail; don't ask them to do more
work than they should!
Be cautious in your use of adjectives that don't have
much to say in the first place: interesting, beautiful,
lovely, exciting.
Also there are participles, i.e. verb forms acting as
adjectives, e.g.
burnt leaves in October
seasoned well with salt
An excerpt from Thomas Wolfe's
Look Homeward, Angel.
He remembered yet the East India Tea House at the
Fair, the sandalwood, the turbans, and the robes, the
cool interior and the smell of India tea; and he had felt
now the nostalgic thrill of dew-wet mornings in Spring,
the cherry scent, the cool clarion earth, the wet
loaminess of the garden, the pungent breakfast smells
and the floating snow of blossoms. He knew the sharp
excitement of hot dandelions in young earth; in July, of
watermelons bedded in sweet hay, inside a farmer's
covered wagon; of cantaloupe and crated peaches;
and the scent of orange rind, bitter-sweet, before a fire
of coals.
An excerpt from Thomas Wolfe's
Look Homeward, Angel.
He remembered yet the East India Tea House at the
Fair, the sandalwood, the turbans, and the robes, the
cool interior and the smell of India tea; and he had felt
now the nostalgic thrill of dew-wet mornings in Spring,
the cherry scent, the cool clarion earth, the wet
loaminess of the garden, the pungent breakfast smells
and the floating snow of blossoms. He knew the sharp
excitement of hot dandelions in young earth; in July, of
watermelons bedded in sweet hay, inside a farmer's
covered wagon; of cantaloupe and crated peaches;
and the scent of orange rind, bitter-sweet, before a fire
of coals.
This = regular adjectives, this = participles.
Position of Adjectives
• Nearly always appear immediately before the noun or
noun phrase.
• Sometimes appear in a string of adjectives
- If so, appear in a set order according to category
- Why little brown house, not brown little house?
- Or red Italian sports car, not Italian red sports car?
Honestly? Talk to a linguistic philosopher!
Position of Adjectives
Capitalizing Proper Adjectives
• An adjective that owes its origins to a proper noun should
probably be capitalized.
E.g.,
Christian music, French fries, the English Parliament,
the Ming Dynasty.
Some time periods :the Nixon era, a Renaissance/Romantic/Victorian poet
But not
a contemporary novelist and medieval writer
Capitalizing Proper Adjectives
Personal pet hate
•Directional and seasonal adjectives are not capitalized
unless they're part of a title:
We took the northwest route during the spring thaw. We
stayed there until the town's annual Autumn Festival of Large
Cattle.
Adjectival Opposites
•Usually opposites, as in the opposite of beautiful is
ugly, the opposite of tall is short.
•Prefixes as in fortunate to unfortunate, prudent to
imprudent, considerate to inconsiderate, honourable to
dishonourable
No real rules for this!
And remember, flammable and inflammable mean the
same thing!!!
However…