# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
English Language Grammar - Conditionals: Mixed Conditional Sentences

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Conditionals online worksheet for Upper Intermediate, Advanced. You can do the exercises online or download the worksheet as pdf.

# data[].attributes.body
The subjunctive mood

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
If I was...? If I were...? - Learn The Subjunctive Mood!

# data[].attributes.body
Transition words

# data[].attributes.body
Addition

# data[].attributes.body
Ideas for essay PT4
BY Niki Gligori

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Technology is so powerful that even the very young get hooked on it. Children and computers make a good team. But, it is important for parents to know the advantages and disadvantages of computers to children.

The Advantages
Educational Value
Academic growth is one the best advantages of computers to children According to a research, toddlers who use computers gain more learning which result to better development as compared to children who do not use computers. Clicking on icons teaches cause and effect. Teaching a toddler how to e-mail can improve his writing skills while searching the internet exposes a toddler to various resources which helps expand a child's knowledge.
Boosts Motor Skills
Using a mouse and pressing keys gives your toddler's chubby hands the same type of exercise he gets from drawing or coloring. These movements also improve hand-eye coordination that will pay off in the years to come as your toddler learns to tie his shoes, use scissors or throw a ball.
Hones Performance of Toddlers With Special Needs
Toddlers with special needs can greatly benefit from computers. There are a lot of activities and lessons designed for children with special needs you can find online. With these learning materials, a toddler with special needs is able to execute tasks he cannot normally do. In addition, since they are found online, it can be accessed by the toddler at his convenience unlike a special needs teacher.
Source of Entertainment
Another advantage of computers to children is entertainment value. Toddlers can spend a couple of minutes playing games online. There are a lot of child-friendly websites your toddler can visit to play games. Most of these websites are educational so a toddler can learn the ABC's, numbers, shapes, words and other basic concepts he has to learn for preschool.

The Disadvantages
Limits Interaction With People
The main disadvantage of computers to children is that it limits social interaction. A toddler needs to interact with people, especially kids his age to hone his social skills and learn empathy.
Too Much Stimulation
Bold colors, loud sounds, flashing lights and continuous action can overwhelm a toddler. This can make a toddler irritable after a computer session and give him a hard time focusing on quieter activities such as reading.
Impedes Physical Development
Too much sedentary time is not only bad for your toddler's posture but it also limits him from moving. Physical play is essential to toddler growth as it helps build strong muscles. Computers rob off a toddler's chance to figure out how to stack blocks to construct a building or shovel sand into a bucket - hands-on activities that can help a toddler discover the world around him.
Vision Problems
A toddler who spends too much time staring at a computer is at risk of having childhood computer vision syndrome. Children are prone to this because computers require motor skills from eyes that are still underdeveloped.

In this modern time, computers are undoubtedly a part of a toddler's development. While computers are beneficial to children, too much exposure can cause harm. Thus, it is important for parents to guide their children so they know how to balance cyberworld and real world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Children and Computers - Advantages and Disadvantages | ToddlerHub

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Technology is so powerful that even the very young get hooked on it. Children and computers make a good team. But, it is important for parents to know the advantages and disadvantages of computers to children.

# data[].attributes.body
Common Mistakes in English - ESLBuzz Learning English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What are some common mistakes in English, and how can you avoid them.

Common Grammar Mistakes in English | Video

Common Mistakes in English

Correct: It was difficult to get a good job.

of getting his work done without help.

of getting his work done without help.

Correct: I will go but I have not finished my homework .

The old man was towards the entrance although it had closed slowly.

spare parts are rather expensive nowadays.

My aim is to communicate and with my colleagues.

Correct: My aim is to communicate and with my colleagues.

Correct: He has an interesting little shop.

You may need English in correspondence or meet foreigners.

OR

The adjective for something which is at a fairly low temperature is "cool". The word "cooling" is used for something which causes something else to become cool.

The word for a single symbol used in the written form of a language is "letter". An alphabet is a full collection of such letters.

Correct: There were several incidents of burglary in that neighborhood.
The word for an occurrence is "incident", the plural of which is "incidents". The word "incidence" indicates the level of an occurrence.
Correct: Why didn't the postman come today ?

The past participle of the verb may also be used adjectivally, but it should not be used to refer to human being.

The past participles of the verbs may also be used adjectivally, but they should not be used to refer to human being.

I've waited three weeks but I didn't get a single mail.

Correct: I've waited three weeks but I didn't get

In Standard English would is used in conjunction with the past tense. It can be used with the present tense if a condition is involved. eg. [ I think she would benefit if she studied a little more. ]

Correct: I have a headache. OR I've got a headache.

Have/has is used to refer to possession ( I have a car ) or sensation ( I have a cold )

I'll give to you next week.

Common Mistakes in English | Image

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Common Mistakes in English - ESLBuzz Learning English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What are some common mistakes in English, and how can you avoid them. Correct: It was difficult to get a good job. of getting his work done without help. of getting his work done without help. Correct: I will go but I have not finished my homework .

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to succeed in the ECPE Writing, Listening & GCVR Sections

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How stress affects your body - Sharon Horesh Bergquist

# data[].attributes.body
Ecpe quizlet

# data[].attributes.body
Pages 97-101

# data[].attributes.body
Stars & Stripes unit 5

# data[].attributes.body
Stars & Stripes Unit 5

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The security system for this website has been triggered. Completing the challenge below proves you are a human and gives you temporary access.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Grammalysis C2 Test 5 Modules 13-15 worksheet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Grammar and Vocabulary online worksheet for Proficiency / C2. You can do the exercises online or download the worksheet as pdf.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Join a 'Virtually Brilliant' FREE Webinar: power up your online meetings & presentations

Great opening lines to a speech get us curious and can set the direction for a powerful talk.

In those first few seconds you have the chance to gain your audience's attention, earn their trust, and persuade them you are someone worth listening to.

The best introductions to speeches are a mile away from the standard welcomes and thank yous that set the snoozometer to max. Get it right, and those initial words can captivate the crowd from the off, creating a connection with every individual in the room.

But how do you go about opening your speech with something different and memorable? A great place to start is looking at examples of introductions to speeches to see what you can learn from them.

To show you what we mean, we've picked some of our favourite opening lines from TED talks, home to some of the best conference speeches in the world. From funny stories to hard-hitting introductions, TED talks show the art of the possible when it comes to getting your speech off to a kick-ass start.

Have a go at guessing the speaker, or the focus of the rest of their talk (hint...we give you the answers later on).
Do you want to improve your public speaking? Why not view our Public Speaking Courses!
Guess the Speech: Five of the best speech opening lines

Speech A: Good morning. How are you? It's been great, hasn't it? I've been blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I'm leaving.

Speech B: For a long time, there was me, and my body. Me was composed of stories, of cravings, of strivings, of desires of the future. Me was trying not to be an outcome of my violent past, but the separation that had already occurred between me and my body was a pretty significant outcome. Me was always trying to become something, somebody. Me only existed in the trying. My body was often in the way.

Speech C: Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead from the food that they eat.

Speech D: Okay, now I don't want to alarm anybody in this room, but it's just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar. (Laughter) Also, the person to your left is a liar. Also the person sitting in your very seats is a liar. We're all liars. What I'm going to do today is I'm going to show you what the research says about why we're all liars, how you can become a liespotter and why you might want to go the extra mile and go from liespotting to truth seeking, and ultimately to trust building.

Speech E: Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.

Answers: Who delivered these great opening lines?

These examples pack a punch for very different reasons. There's absolutely no chance of the audience zoning out when the speaker goes straight in with such a powerful start.

So, who gave these speeches, and why are the introductions so good? Time for the big reveal....
A: Sir Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity
Deceptively simple, the opening lines for this speech set the tone for what has become the most viewed TED talk of all (currently nearly 57 million views). Far from being just 'throat clearing', Sir Ken's funny introduction cleverly paves the way for a talk that will gently but profoundly show us a new way of looking at education. It's as if we are at a dinner party, being hosted by Sir Ken - he makes us feel comfortable, interested and open all at once. We are not being lectured to (which is always a possibility when education is the subject matter of choice), we want to learn and hear more. Very skilful indeed.
Ginger tip: funny introductions
Using humour in your introduction can be a great way to get your speech off to a flying start - but only if you do it in a way that feels natural. This example shows how you can make people laugh without telling a joke. It's about finding your own funny and feeling totally comfortable with what you're saying. If it feels a bit forced to you, it definitely will to your audience. You don't have to make people roll around on the floor laughing, but light-hearted and amusing anecdotes can add energy and engagement to your talk. Remember, when you open your speech with something funny, you are setting the tone for the rest of your talk - so you'll need to pepper humour throughout.
Extra Ginger nuggets How to write a funny speech B: Eve Ensler: Suddenly, my body
Ginger tip: going unscripted What kind of funny are you Extra Ginger nuggets How to start a speech with power and confidence C: Jamie Oliver's TED Wish: Teach every child about food
Ginger tip: punchy facts How to remember a speech without notes Extra Ginger nuggets: The key to presenting data...is not to present data D: Pamela Meyer: How to spot a liar
Ginger tip: setting up a problem How to make a powerful point with your speech Extra Ginger nuggets: The best way to engage your audience E: Ric Elias: 3 things I learned while my plane crashed
Ginger tip: start with a story Five methods to master audience interaction Extra Ginger nuggets: Why is it so important to tell your story?
3 storytelling secrets for public speaking
Public speaking pitfall: over preparing
Becoming a naked speaker
Funny inspiring speakers talks
As you'd expect from a the writer of the Vagina Monologues, the start of this speech opening was profound, stark in its honesty and inviting. We empathize and want to know more. Unfortunately this speech suffered from a common affliction that writers face; in getting focused on the precise words of the speech (in this instance, Eve Ensler read her speech), we can get disconnected from the full power of the material. Whilst the words were powerful, we would have enjoyed the rest of this speech more if Eve had given herself permission to find the right words in the moment, rather than needing to be perfectly scripted.

You want it to be perfect. You're worried about forgetting something vital. You're scared of doing it wrong. These are common and perfectly understandable reasons why people opt to script their speech and read it word for word. But rather than delivering a foot-perfect performance, you're more likely to lose the vital connection with the audience. Not to mention risking plunging yourself into the dreaded 'I'm sorry I've lost my place' scenario. More than anything, people want you to be human and to speak from the heart. It takes confidence to ditch your notes, but with some simple techniques, you can prepare and remember your speech in a way that allows you to deliver a clear, compelling and authentic talk.

This is one of our favourite ever TED talks, and it doesn't pull its punches from the very first line. Jamie Oliver manages to balance preparation (statistics, stories, well-developed ideas) with heart in his TED talk. This speech opening line both makes our jaws drop to the ground in shock at such a statistic and opens our hearts to the human side of the story. Powerful stuff.

Opening your speech with a hard-hitting fact can quickly add credibility to your talk and demonstrate the scale of an issue. It's best to keep statistics simple and make them as relevant to the audience as possible, so it feels memorable rather than dry. Resist the urge to stuff the rest of the speech with stats. Try to stick to a few powerful facts and bring them to life with real examples.

We love talks that balance humour and connect us to the subject matter in hand - and Pamela Meyer does this perfectly in her TED talk opening line. By bringing a challenge straight to us, in our very seats, Pamela engages us and makes sure the talk is about 'me' the audience member. We're laughing and ready to listen. Great job.

Setting up a problem at the start of your speech immediately creates a reason for listening and a direction for your talk. And if you involve the audience in the problem, it's even more powerful. It doesn't have to be something completely new, in fact telling us what we already know and explaining why that's a problem can be a really engaging way to start. Depending on the subject matter, you can frame the problem in different ways - from serious to humorous. And it gives a natural structure to the rest of your talk as you explore how to solve the issue.

Wow, what an opening! Who wouldn't want to know more? Ric Elias showed here how powerful it is to jump straight into a story, with no fussing around with thank yous and throat clearing. Unfortunately after the winning start, the rest of the talk lacked some of the gusto and drama of its opening lines. What can we learn from this? Start with power, but make sure you back it up with a journey that will continue to keep us involved all the way through.

Stories are one of the most effective ways to inspire others. We're hard wired to connect with stories and your experience of the world is one of the most valuable speaking tools that you possess. Telling a story is a popular way to open a speech because it can quickly build that all-important human connection with your audience. If you have a message that's personal, or if you're trying to influence your audience to make a change, a story is a great place to start.

Creating the best introduction for your speech

We hope these examples of great opening lines demonstrate that you don't have to conform to the 'safe' introductions we're all used to hearing at corporate conferences. In fact, at Ginger, we dare our speakers to rip up the 'rulebook', to be courageous, and to take a different approach to setting the scene. You can find even more tips in our free guide, The 10 best ways to start your talk.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on these and other examples of great opening lines - so please share your ideas in the comments below.

Beyond introductions

Of course, it's all very well creating a captivating introduction, but you don't want the rest of your talk to fall off a cliff edge after you've built it up so spectacularly. Maintaining the audience's attention for the rest of your speech is just as important.

We've developed the TED-styleTalk Guidebook to help you through the process of writing a brilliant speech. Whether you're crafting a short talk or a keynote, it will help you create a speech that's as good as a TED talk - so you can wow your audience from the first word to the final thank you.

If you'd like to get hands-on support with becoming a better public speaker, then take a look at our training courses. There's something for every level, from nervous beginners to becoming a leading speaker on the world stage. We'd love to welcome you along.
UK based? Here's some courses that you might enjoy: Speaking Resources Wall of Women
This showcase of inspiring female speakers is part of Ginger's work with game changing leaders.
Discover More NEW! Bitesize Leadership Communications Training for Virtual Teams Join a Course 1-day virtual courseSpeaking with Presence & Impact Related Articles Have you heard the one about the public speaker? How to write a funny speech What is the language of leadership? Why failure is essential in public speaking Knocking knees: How to control your legs when you speak The Power of Logic in Memorizing a Speech

NEW Bitesize Leadership Communications Training Series
Learn how to amplify your online impact and strengthen your leadership of virtual and hybrid teams
Begin Now!

Ginger Leadership Communications
71-75 Shelton Street
London
WC2H 9JQ
United Kingdom

Registered Number: 07476105
VAT Registration No: 159711489 Leadership communications programmes About Ginger Get in touch © 2021 Ginger Leadership Communications Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy
Photography by: Rita Abreu / AraPhotographyUK

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Join a 'Virtually Brilliant' FREE Webinar: power up your online meetings & presentations Great opening lines to a speech get us curious and can set the direction for a powerful talk. In those first few seconds you have the chance to gain your audience's attention, earn their trust, and persuade them you are someone worth listening to.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's that horrible moment. You've just been called to stage, your audience is silent, waiting for you to open your mouth and now it's your turn. But what do you say? How do you start a speech with power and confidence, rather than the usual "Erm... thanks very much for inviting me here..."

The simple truth is... your audience will judge you from the moment you start your speech. It may sound harsh but it's very true. So it's a good idea to start your speech with certainty and confidence, to quickly build a connection with the audience so they are eager to hear what you have to say next.

There are many different ways to start your speech but it's not just about the words you use. Creating a strong first impression is about more than your opening lines.

1. Prepare to be yourself!

2. First words count

3. Telling your story

4. Trying different approaches

5. Reconnecting with yourself

1. Starting a speech: Prepare to be yourself!

Before you start to write your speech, think about your natural style and how you want people to feel. Give yourself time to consider:

What qualities would you like to display as a speaker?

What benefit would you like to give to your audience?

This will help you choose an authentic way to start your speech and will guide the rest of your talk in a direction that stays true to your individual personality and purpose. But that doesn't mean playing it safe and being predictable. You can step out of your comfort zone - in fact, we positively encourage our speakers to be fearless - but that's about stretching your true self rather than trying to be someone you're not.

2. Starting a speech: First words count

And now onto what you're going to say. First off, avoid starting a speech with lines like:

Thank you so much, it's a pleasure to be here

I'm sorry, this isn't going to take very long

I was only asked last week/yesterday/10 minutes ago to do this speech

A funny thing happened to me whilst trying to find the venue...

Thanks for coming

BORING!

This is your moment to shine, so shine from the get-go. To start a speech with power, find something unique, engaging and memorable to say. And make sure it's a line that you're 100% comfortable with, so your talk flies rather than sags from the beginning.

Here are some ideas from some of our favourite speech beginnings:

You might start your speech with a provocative question -

"How do you explain why some people are able to achieve things that seem impossible?" - Simon Sinek, TEDx Talk

"What do I know that would cause me, a reticent, Midwestern scientist, to get myself arrested in front of the White House protesting? And what would you do if you knew what I know?" - James Hansen, TED Talk

An amazing or shocking fact -

"Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead from the food that they eat." - Jamie Oliver, TED Talk

"I'm talking to you about the worst form of human rights violation, the third-largest organized crime, a $10 billion industry. I'm talking to you about modern-day slavery." - Sunitha Krishnan, TED Talk

A joke -

"Good morning. How are you? It's been great, hasn't it? I've been blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I'm leaving." - Ken Robinson, TED Talk

"Okay, now I don't want to alarm anybody in this room, but it's just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar." - Pamela Mayer, TED Talk

By evoking an image -

"Imagine, if you will -- a gift. I'd like for you to picture it in your mind. It's not too big -- about the size of a golf ball." -Stacey Kramer TED Talk

"Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D." - Ric Elias, TED Talk

All of these speech beginnings get the audience connected and ready to listen. And a great opening line allows you to settle into your speech so that you can shine.

It feels a little scary cutting to the chase rather than dwelling on niceties. But you will have far more impact if you draw people into your talk immediately. And the audience will have heard the same bland introductions over and over again, so you're actually doing them a favour by getting straight to the point!

4. Starting a speech: Trying different approaches

Once you've narrowed it down to a few different ways to begin your speech, it's time to try them out. It's a bit like choosing a new item of clothing - it might look good on the hanger but it's not until you try it on that you know whether it's the right fit for you. By saying the opening lines out loud, you'll get a feel for which ones are right for you.

Having said that, it's important to challenge yourself to do something different, which may feel a little uncomfortable at first. One of the best ways to find out how your speech is likely to go down with the audience is to get independent, expert advice. The opportunity to explore and experiment with different styles in a safe environment is a huge benefit to our clients at Ginger. Our experienced coaches provide affirming feedback to help people understand and develop their strengths while challenging them to be even more ambitious with their speaking. If you feel like you are playing it a bit safe, then have a look at our training options so we can help you speak with more impact.

5. Starting a speech: Reconnecting with yourself

As it gets closer to the big day when you are going to deliver your talk, you can spend all the time in the world worrying about speaking. Am I wearing the right clothing? Do I have all my stuff here? What will the audience think of me? What if I forget what I'm going to say? It's really common to find yourself in a whirl of endless questions which only serve to build your nerves.

Many people describe public speaking as an 'out-of-body' experience, where they become so disconnected with themselves and the audience that they are unaware of what they are doing and can't remember a thing about it afterwards.

But the best speakers are fully present in the moment. According to Ginger coach Liz Balmford: "We can't say for sure that they're 'relishing' it, but perhaps one of the things that makes them compelling is their surrender to the moment, being fully present in their story and their message. I believe it's this presence that makes them believable, that captivates us and makes us want to follow them."

To start a speech with power and confidence, it is vital that you reconnect with yourself before you get up to speak. That means spending a few moments getting back to yourself by finding a method to quieten the nerves and break the distance between yourself and your speaking. You might like to head outside for a few moments or even go to the loo; or find a place that is a little bit quiet and do a short breathing exercise. Focus in on your breath as well as your intentions for your speaking.

Doing this allows you to be grounded and will help you to start your speech as yourself, rather than starting from a place of panic or self-doubt.

Many people find it helpful to start this reconnection much earlier than the few minutes before their talk - for example, starting the day with meditation or mindfulness, taking a walk in nature, or going for a run. Whatever helps you to minimise distractions and worries.

Putting it all together

So, starting a speech is not as much about what you say as you might think. In fact, the key thing about starting a speech is to get yourself in the right state. If you show your confidence, your audience will have confidence in you too. But you don't have to start 'all-guns-blazing'.

The biggest cause of nerves in public speaking is that most of us try to be someone we're not; so to get started with confidence, begin by being yourself. If the kapow, kapow approach just isn't your style, then don't start your speech like that. Find a different way to start that's powerful for you.
Permission to be authentic.

The key to starting a speech with power and confidence involves knowing what you're good at and doing more of that; pushing yourself to try different ways to start your speech; telling your story; getting feedback on what works from the audience's perspective; and staying connected with yourself as you step forward to do your talk. If you bring these elements together, you'll captivate your audience as soon as you start speaking.

As the wise Maya Angelou said:
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
If you'd like to find out more about how you can get your talk off to a strong start, you can download our free guide: The 10 best ways to start your talk. And if you'd like to maximise your public speaking impact, take a look at our classes page for a range of training options.

Learn to speak with Power and Confidence. Here's a selection of courses that will help you develop your sills as a confident public speaker:
Pubilc Speaking Essentials Leadership Communications TED Style Presentation Training

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to start a speech with power and confidence

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's that horrible moment. You've just been called to stage, your audience is silent, waiting for you to open your mouth and now it's your turn. But what do you say? How do you start a speech with power and confidence, rather than the usual "Erm... thanks very much for inviting me here..."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Introduction Speech . -You will be signing up to introduce another class member's demonstration speech (should be a different day from your demonstration speech) Slideshow 2876131 by rudolf

# data[].attributes.body
LanguageCert

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Φόρμες Απαντήσεων LanguageCert International ESOL

Παρακάτω μπορείτε να βρείτε τις Ειδικές Φόρμες Απαντήσεων για όλα τα επίπεδα εξετάσεων LanguageCert International ESOL.

Τα παρακάτω έγγραφα περιέχουν πληροφορίες σχετικά με τις απαραίτητες προϋποθέσεις για κάθε επίπεδο των Γραπτών και Προφορικών εξετάσεων LanguageCert International ESOL.

Qualification Handbooks:

Βιβλία για το LanguageCert International ESOL

Συνεργαζόμαστε με τους σημαντικότερους εκδοτικούς οίκους για να διασφαλίσουμε ότι οι συνεργάτες και οι υποψήφιοί μας έχουν πρόσβαση σε κορυφαίο υλικό προετοιμασίας για τις εξετάσεις LanguageCert International ESOL. Παρακάτω μπορείτε να βρείτε μια λίστα με τους διαθέσιμους τίτλους, με link για την ιστοσελίδα των εκδοτικών οίκων.
Υλικό προετοιμασίας LanguageCert Young Learners ESOL Fox & Owl

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
english language qualifications. languagecert. esol a1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
c2 cefr level certificates. written (listening

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
writing) & spoken (speaking) exams. young learners. spanish language qualifications. espro bulats.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Υλικό προετοιμασίας LanguageCert International ESOL & Young Learners ESOL

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Φόρμες Απαντήσεων LanguageCert International ESOL Παρακάτω μπορείτε να βρείτε τις Ειδικές Φόρμες Απαντήσεων για όλα τα επίπεδα εξετάσεων LanguageCert International ESOL. Τα παρακάτω έγγραφα περιέχουν πληροφορίες σχετικά με τις απαραίτητες προϋποθέσεις για κάθε επίπεδο των Γραπτών και Προφορικών εξετάσεων LanguageCert International ESOL.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Table of Contents

Introduction

New Lad culture

Gender identity - Hegemonial concepts of masculinity

Analysis
The protagonist
The role of the father
Freud's Oedipus Complex
The role of women
The working-class identity

Rites of passage

Bibliography

Introduction
" Football is not a woman ' s game, it ' s not a pastime for milksops or sissies, it ' s a man ' s game. " -Trevor Ford
The enthusiasm for the game of football extends far beyond the crowded bleachers of modern stadiums in metropolitan areas around the globe and handcrafted goal posts on agrarian fields in the British Lake District. The so called "beautiful game" has served as a template for countless movies, books, plays and other cultural goods.

One of the most prominent writings on football and football fandom is Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch. Besides the topic of football, it is the author's own story about growing up as a British child of the 1960s, an era which was shaped by issues of class and questions about the existence of a British identity. As a semi-autobiographic coming-of-age narrative about love, friendship, labour and Nick Hornby's obsession for football, the luck and success of Arsenal, the author's favourite team, reflects the ups and downs of his own life. Grouped as a series of short contemplations in chronological order, each chapter is given the title of a certain football match that the author had attended. One chapter, for example, is titled "Just like a woman" followed by the subheading "Cambridge United vs Exeter City, 29.4.78" (Hornby, 1992, p.96). Fever Pitch is almost written like a journal, but uses the mentioned football matches instead of dates. The author states: "I have measured out my life in Arsenal fixtures" (Hornby, 1992, p.81. Just like a traditional coming-of- age narrative, the reader follows the protagonist from childhood into adulthood.

According to the author, Fever Pitch is not just about a man's obsession for football: "The book is also, in part, an exploration of some of the meanings that football seems to contain for many of us" (1992, p.3).

One could say that, as a whole, it is an "extended metaphor on the ways in which football provides analogies to other aspects of life" (Bentley, 2008, p.118).

First published in 1992, it was Hornby's first book and has since sold over a million copies in the United Kingdom and is considered to be a vanguard in the literary genre of New Lad writings. In August 2012, it was selected as a Penguin Modern Classic.

In this term paper, the author will analyse the depiction of masculinity in Fever Pitch, taking it as a representative for the New Lad genre of the 1990s. He will compare it to a hegemonic, traditional understanding of masculinity and work out Nick Hornby's understanding of masculinity, as presented in the book.

New Lad culture

Men struggle to define their gender's identity - According to modern day media, the perfect man must simultaneously be sensitive and aggressive, while being a smart, beloved and emotional member of society who does not try to be an overachiever (Elmore, 2001, p.3). Shortened, men are in crisis.

The new, presumably British, lad has shaped popular culture since the beginning of the 1990s. Writers of the New Lad genre, such as Nick Hornby or Tony Parsons, were the forerunners of a literary countermovement to, then popular, Chick Lit writings, such Candace Bushnell's Sex And The City. They tried to reject the glorified image of men as wealthy, athletic, successful and well-mannered human beings, as it is being presented in most popular Chick Lit novels. According to O'Hagan of the British magazine Arena, the new lad was unable to shake off his manliness, but in a different way, than rowdy "prehistoric predecessors". O'Hagan saw them as intelligent and smart men who used their cleverness as a seduction strategy (O'Hagan, 1991).

Imelda Whelehan argues that the New Lad culture is a "nostalgic revival of old patriarchy; a direct challenge to feminism's call for social transformation, by reaffirming - albeit ironically - the unchanging nature of gender relations and sexual roles" (Whelehan, 2000, p.5). The British cultural theorist and sociologist R. Gill described the literary figure of the new lad with the following words:

"The figure of the new lad has been a significant feature of popular culture since the early 1990s. He materialised as a new masculine figure, a distinct articulation of masculinity, across a variety of cultural sites, most notably zoo radio formats, popular TV quizzes and sitcoms, and men's magazines" (Gill, 2009)

In 1988, Frank Mort, Professor of Cultural Histories at the University of Manchester, described this new, contemporary understanding of masculinity as "the noise coming out from the fashion house, the market place and the street" (p. 194).

While football, and sports in general, are often depicted as a modern, socially acknowledged form of gladiatorial combat, New Lad writings reject the traditional categorization of men as warriors. Instead, the new 'male icons' of the 1990s, as presented in this particular genre, are often unsuccessful and struggling, when it comes to their social skills, their career or their ability to interact with the other sex. The New Lad's image of a male hero strongly contradicts the usual powerful and successful image, as it is being presented in traditional romances.

Gender identity - Hegemonial concepts of masculinity

''What do masculinity and femininity stand for?'' This question has been asked and answered an innumerable amount of times. Not just by people from the field of academia but also by self-help manuals, popular culture, governmental legislations and psychoanalytic theory. There are so many different perspectives, theories and understandings that entire volumes could be written on the subject of hegemonic masculinity. The classic images of females as collectors and males as hunters, which are probably amongst the oldest classifications of gender identities, have developed over time and both men and women are socialized into believing that certain character attributes and behavioural patters determine their gender affiliation. This process of socialization commences right after birth, at the first stages of infancy.

Since I will analyse the depiction of masculinity in Fever Pitch, I am not going to focus on working out a personal definition of femininity. As mentioned before, the concept of masculinity is squishy. A basic understanding of masculinity would be that it consists of cultural and organizational norms, such as behaviours, languages and practices, which are commonly associated with males and, therefore, are not considered feminine (Itulua-Abumere, 2013, p.42). To fully approve this concept, though, a common understanding of male and female features would need to exist, which is not the case - Different societies and cultures throughout the world have different understandings of masculinity.

Hegemonic concepts of masculinity define what it means to be presumably manly in a traditional, antiquated manner. Hegemony is achieved through a collective understanding of cultural and institutional practices, which allege their authority through the media (Kenway, 1997, p. 52). The concept of hegemony was, in a great measure, influenced by Marxist ideology (Marx and Engels, 1992). According to Antonio Gramsci, former General Secretary of the Italian Communist Party, the concept could be illustrated as the domination of a group, or society, over another (Bates, 1975, p.352). Hegemonic masculinity is a belief in the existence of a normative ideal of male behaviour that is represented by tendencies for male dominance and superiority. It represents the thought of men as the 'privileged' sex (Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005, p. 852). Furthermore, hegemonic masculinity is not alone about the dominance of men over women. Modern forms of hegemonic masculinity have their roots in the colonial era (Connell, 1995). Back then, colonizers were amongst the most common symbols for this hierarchy-based form of masculinity. They were admired by many and had the command over entire cultures, since their white and 'cultivated' background made them presumably better and smarter than the natives of the colonized country. Today, hegemonic aspects of masculinity, naturally associated with male dominance, are ubiquitous. The perception that "football is a major signifier of successful masculinity" (Epstein, 1998, p.7) points out the affiliation between football and hegemonic masculinity.

According to David Mayeda, the 2012 Super Bowl commercial by H&M would be a picture-perfect example for modern hegemony. Protagonist of the television commercial is the British football player David Beckham, who carries multiple cultural traits that ad to his masculine status: Besides his lean and tattooed appearance in the commercial, he is a celebrity, financially wealthy and married to a successful icon of popular culture. His marriage and his heterosexuality are crucial for his standings as a 'real man' (Mayeda, 2012). Sabo and Panepinto display another example of the male gender's hegemonic dominance over the female sex in contemporary football culture:

"Football's historical prominence in sports media and folk culture has sustained a hegemonic model of masculinity that prioritises competitiveness, athleticism, success (winning), aggression, violence, superiority to women, and respect for the compliance with male authority" (Sabo & Panepinto, 1990, p. 115)
[...]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
GRIN - Figures of masculinity in New Lad fiction. Nick Hornby's "Fever Pitch"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Introduction New Lad culture Gender identity - Hegemonial concepts of masculinity Analysis The protagonist The role of the father Freud's Oedipus Complex The role of women The working-class identity Rites of passage Bibliography " Football is not a woman ' s game, it ' s not a pastime for milksops or sissies, it ' s a man ' s game.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Nick Hornby, born in 1957, is now a recognised novelist. His career began after studying English at Cambridge University, after which he taught there. Following this he worked for the major electronics company Samsung and then went on to freelance journalism before becoming a novelist.

His career took off with the success of Fever Pitch and he is still recognised as his most recent novel 'How To Be Good' made the 2001 Booker Prize list. His work as a whole can be put into three with separate themes: Relationships and their trickiness, London life and obsessions.

Hornby is noted by critics for his high sense of humour and the earthiness in his writing. Most people consider Hornby's writing as 'middle-brow' and perhaps 'laddish' books. His talent is the way in which he makes the experiences of his characters become gripping and easy to recognise or identify with. Often this is on account of how ordinary they are.

Chirazi calls Fever Pitch 'A loving account of the way his home team, Arsenal, has been symbolically linked to every significant event in his life.' Even though Chirazi supports Tottenham, so he is reticent.

Nick Hornby was in a variety of careers before he was a novelist. When he went back to writing he decided that he would write about the one thing he knew best 'football'. Hornby being a mad Arsenal fan, writes down his reminisces and thoughts about his passion, which is at times illogical.

Fever Pitch along with High Fidelity (about obsessions with music, exploring the weird adolescent hangover that seems to strike men in their 30's, mediation on lost loves, friendships and music) and About a Boy (about the struggle to grow up, responsibility and fatherhood) have been made into successful films starring such actors as John Cusack, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. On asking if Hornby likes watching his work being reinterpreted on the screen Hornby replied 'Once I get the money that's that!'

Critics have said that the book is more about obsession and football; they praised it for it's wry humour and the shrewd insight to human behaviour.

I believe that Hornby is successful because of the way he can relate to other people's emotions. He, like so many other men are dedicated to football, not as much as a hobby more of a religion. We have all felt that familiar feeling, a last-minute chance to score a winner only to have the shot stopped by what you believe is the goalkeeper's luckiest stop of the day or the late tackle from your captain results in you going down to ten men and asking why they did it in the first place. The presentation of this behaviour, or dare I say simply human behaviour makes the book that so much more enjoyable.

This book is more autobiographical than anything else and thus the events are placed chronologically. From the start we hear of the broken family in which he has been brought up. In 1968 his father met someone else and moved out, Hornby lived with his mother and sister in a small detached house in the Home Counties.

'I fell in love with football as I was later to fall in love with women:' the opening words of the first chapter show how strong his obsession is with football. Even though football is inanimate so it cannot love him back.

'No thought to the pain or disruption it would bring' this is almost a future reference to the disruption that football will bring to his life. The Highbury atmosphere gets him so enchanted; his obsession goes much deeper than results, he even knows the name and personalities of each player's wife or girlfriend as if they were his own!

'One-parent Saturday-afternoon-at-the-zoo problem' this is one of the typical problems of having separated parents shows a lack of family entertainment, doing same thing week in week out. 'Things had to change' Nick is fed-up with this life of nights in hotels and eating in deserted restaurants. His father has been drinking too much and he wanted change.

His father had previously tried to get him to go to football matches, and he was amazed when he agreed to go with him on the second time of asking. He previously had been made to go to the theatre.

Hornby describes 1968 as 'the most traumatic year of my life.' He had had to move into a smaller house and was homeless for a while. Hornby became seriously ill with jaundice, but had no idea that 'Arsenal fever' was about to grip him.

During 'Islington Boy' the chapter of early 1972, Hornby encounters the feeling of rootlessness. 'Ever since I have been old enough to understand what it means to be suburban I have wanted to come from somewhere else, preferably north-London.' Hornby decides that the best way is to adopt an accents where he drops as many aitches as he can, and live far away, where people might believe that my Thames Valley home town had its own tube station and a West Indian community and terrible, insoluble social problems.

Reading played Arsenal in the 4th round cup-tie; it was one of Hornby's most painful of his exposures to come. Hornby describes the Reading as 'my nearest league team, an unhappy geographical accident that I would have done anything to change.' Here Hornby meets a family of Reading supporters asking about Arsenal and making jokes about Charlie George's hair.

The father inquired where Hornby lived, but after replying Maidenhead the father pointed out that he should not be supporting Arsenal and should be supporting his local team, causing him to blush. Hornby describes this feeling as 'the most humiliating moment of my teenage years. A complete, elaborate and perfectly imagined world came crashing down around me and fell into chunks at my feet.' Hornby was already gripped with 'Arsenal Fever' and to be told that what Hornby felt, one of the best things that had happened to him in his troubled up bringing, was wrong must have been a terrible thing to have said to you in your adolescence.

'Graduation Day' is the chapter that Hornby realises he is growing up and becoming a man. He is no longer allowed in schoolboys' enclosure at 15 he must move to the North Bank. This was to be a major change to Hornby's relationship with Arsenal. It was almost as if Hornby had become a man the day he went to the North Bank. 'All the things that were supposed to change me - first kiss, loss of virginity, first fight, first drink, first drugs- just seemed to happen:'

Hornby describes the fact that people not only come to watch football on the pitch but to feel the atmosphere and watch others watch the match and provide their own commentary. It also seems that class barriers are mixed once you're in the stadium, as if to say everyone's a fan so everyone is equal. I found this quotation, which I think, agrees with a how the atmosphere in a full of stadium will sound like.

'Football is a game of 2 goalkeepers, 20 outfield players, 2 linesman and at least 30,000 referees!'

Hornby is continually telling us how the atmosphere in the ground seemed to affect the performance of the Arsenal team almost as much as who was plying for either side. This sense of belonging is to something more than football but more to a community fans all cheering and jeering at the players on the pitch.

Another Major influence in Hornby's life is women. During the chapters 'Boys and Girls' and 'Just Like A Woman' we learn that Hornby is being educated by women and about women. These chapters are based around late 1970s and I find the first line of the chapter to be very funny as it truly shows how much football is apart of this man's life.

'I did something else that year, apart from watch football, talk and listen to music: I fell stomach-churningly for a smart, pretty and vivacious girl from the teacher-training college.'

This can be related back to the opening line in the first chapter, in that football wasn't the only thing that affected Hornby's life, women have and will always be a constant reminder of reality (the life away from football!).

Hornby tells us that he has met women who love football, and go to watch it a number of games a season, but he's never met one so willing as to make a trip to Plymouth in midweek. He tells us that the difference between men and women in his that men had passions and not personalities and this is why Hornby relates the main reason that his girlfriend wanted and had gone to Highbury: there wasn't really much else of him! Hornby questions himself on how individual he is, responding with telling us of his 'solitary and intense devotion to Arsenal,' which makes him, himself!

Hornby, a temporary supporter of Cambridge United, was watching the game that would decide if they were to be promoted for a second year in row with his girlfriend, her girlfriend and her girlfriend's boyfriend. During a match his girlfriend had fainted, meanwhile, Hornby did nothing apart from pray for an equaliser. Hornby complains 'how was I supposed to get excited at the oppression of females if they couldn't be trusted to stay upright during the final minutes of a desperately close promotion campaign?' Yet again Hornby questions himself as an individual, complaining of his lack of sensitivity, even putting himself in situations such as becoming a father on the cup final day!

Another major part of football is its advertisement on radio or television. In The Match Hornby describes how television broadcasting had completely changed the game, saying it seemed that the TV companies had more control over the times of the game than the club did. Hornby states that this liberty takes away what football is all about, turning up in rain or shine, being a football fan! Hornby hopes that everyone is going to watch football at home so it will show how the atmosphere is less without people who are regularly turning up, for the convenience to watch it from your favourite lounge chair! This can be related to belonging in that they would take away all the privileges of being there, removing the whole 'fan' part of true devotion to football.

Hornby in 'No Apology Necessary' admits that football had meant too much to him, and had come to represent too many things. This sense of belonging to the crowd as part of the atmosphere, which affects the level of Arsenal's performance has reached a climax, causing Hornby to ask himself how he spent so much money on seeing so many games for so many years.

In conclusion Hornby's writing, in ways, just connects with us a bit more than other writers. He can make us feel his emotions as much as feeling our own. Devoted to football as much as we are with other things be it literature or poetry, this sense of belonging is almost second nature to us and Fever Pitch is an amazing example of how our human behaviour actually is. Human nature makes us need to belong to something, be it a club, a team or a society we all feel the need to be part of something. This book is although autobiographical a commentary on growing up and a diary of human behaviour.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Explore some of the ways in which Hornby show a sense of belonging in Fever Pitch Essay Example

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Nick Hornby, born in 1957, is now a recognised novelist. His career began after studying English at Cambridge University, after which he taught there. Following this he worked for the major electronics company Samsung and then went on to freelance journalism before becoming a novelist.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The purpose of this essay is to discuss the theme
of loyalty within Fever Pitch and how Nick Hornby
does so by use of humour, characterisation and
setting. The genre of this novel is that of
humour. Fever Pitch is a book that has no chapters
but a series of match reports that fall into three
time frames within the authors life childhood,
adolescence and manhood. The time span ranges from
1968 to 1992 The novel is an autobiography about
the author, Nick Hornby, a memoir of a life
devoted to Arsenal Football Club. However, it is
also a book which deals with rights of passage
within the authors life. Hornby begins the book in
the year 1968, the year he turned eleven.

The book explores the nature of his
obsessions and uses his feelings to explore
questions of his masculinity, growing up and looks
at the effect obsession and loyalty can have on a
person..

Research essay sample on Fever Pitch

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Example research essay topic: Fever Pitch - 1,519 words - EssayBirdie.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The purpose of this essay is to discuss the theme of loyalty within Fever Pitch and how Nick Hornby does so by use of humour, characterisation and setting. The genre of this novel is that of humour.

# data[].attributes.body
Tenses overall

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How many verb tenses are there in English? - Anna Ananichuk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
cefr toefl ielts exam practice english language elt efl grammar writing structure teofl toeic ket pet fce cae cpe

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
C2 level English language practice tests

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Practice tests for English exams at C2 level: CAE, BEC Higher, PTE General, IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC & BULATS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
www.englishaula.com is the webiste where you will find anything to do with Official English exams and online English learning, exercises, videos, courses, Cambridge First Certificate, TOEFL, Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English, Certificate in Prficiency English, Business English. You can also find Business concepts, grammar, Use Of English, Speaking elements, Street talk.

# data[].attributes.body
https://youtu.be/6a6kbU88wu0

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to recognize a dystopia - Alex Gendler

# data[].attributes.body
https://youtu.be/GQxOKXEff4I

# data[].attributes.body
https://youtu.be/tiGMX6-7VFE