Chapter 12 Using Language

To ensure that your speech uses language appropriately, you should make sure it is appropriate to which of the following?

Occasion. topic.audience and speaker

Consider the vague statement, "The guy said your vehicle would be ready in a while after a small problem is fixed." Which of the following revisions puts this sentence in the most concrete terms?

"Pete said your truck will be ready at 3 p.m. He needs to replace a cracked hose in the cooling system."

Which of the following are used to create rhythm in a speech?

Choice of words Arrangement of words

Thomas is giving a keynote speech at a formal convention of highly respected medical researchers. Which of the following greetings would be the most appropriate to the occasion?

Distingushied guests

In his speech on concerts, Dan referred to the overture (which comes at the beginning of a performance) as being at the end of the performance. What mistake did he make?

He did not use language accurately

Which of the following best describes inclusive language?

Language that does not stereotype or demean people on the basis of gender, age, race, and other factors

Words that refer to which of the following are considered concrete words?

People, Place and things

Gary is assigned to speak at his school about the 1986 disaster in which the Challenger space shuttle exploded, so he watches the speech President Reagan gave after the tragedy. What are the best ways for Gary to use that speech to ensure his own language will be appropriate to the speaker?

Study President Reagan's techniques for achieving vividness. Try to adapt President Reagan's clarity, blending it with his own style.

Ben is giving a speech in his chemistry class in which he describes a recent experiment he conducted. Which of the following language should he use in his speech?

Technical Language

Which of the following is a good rule of thumb to follow when considering whether language is appropriate to an audience?

When in doubt-dont

Imagery makes speech language vivid because it

creates word pictures that let you experience concepts and ideas by appealing to the five senses.

To avoid clutter, speakers should eliminate

redundant adjectives and adverbs

Stacy uses slang and abstract words during her everyday speech, but during her speech on a recent change to her state's tax laws, she uses her own developed style that avoids both of these things. By using her own developed style, Stacy is using language that is

Appropriate for the speaker

During his speech, Ari quoted article 1, section 9, of the U.S. Constitution to his class without further explanation: "The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. No bill of attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed." In what ways did Ari not follow rules of good language?

He did not use language clearly. He did not use words likely to be familiar to the audience.

Joyce, a college student, used the words "dudes" and "you guys" when addressing her school's faculty about her concerns. Which are true of these word choices?

She did not use language that was appropriate to the occasion. She did not use language appropriate to the audience

Maria is giving a speech on inexpensive vacationing to a group of seniors and says the following: "A rad place to find cheap flights is on Web sites like Kayak or Orbitz. There y'all can easily compare different flights from different carriers. Be sure to look out for deals on first class, too. They're still loads more expensive than coach, but YOLO, right?" Which of the following did Maria do in her speech?

She failed to use appropriate language

Jess is the coach of a youth basketball team, and she gave several speeches to her team during a recent game. When she described how to run a certain play, she used plain and direct language. When she wanted to motivate her team to play to the best of their abilities, she used elevated language filled with metaphors and alliteration. In this example, Jess was using language that is appropriate to the

Topic

The best time to search for and eliminate clutter from a speech is

While you are writing your outline

Which of the following should be avoided in an inclusive speech?

Assumptions based on common stereotypes Jokes making fun of someone's gender

True or false: Audiences expect speakers to use inclusive language

True