I have just finished a college course in business English. I did well, but I want to be able to look at parts of speech in a sentence and understand enough to know for sure why I am using who or whom or when to choose subjective or objective pronouns. (Example: Do you think it was THEY who left the door unlocked overnight?) My textbook spent more time telling you to substitute he or him for who or whom, but I wanted to be able to understand what part of speech was responsible for the choice. What is the best college level or above textbook to teach me this? Thank you in advance.
posted by Leah
on May 7, 2013 -
3 answers
I am looking for an online service in which a group of volunteers could use to transcribe an audio or video file into text. Is there anything that will allow 10-15 volunteers to simultaneously log in and do this?
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posted by perpetualstroll
on Apr 16, 2013 -
3 answers
Is there any software out there which can give me feedback on rhythm, timing and flow for language learning? Karaoke for Norwegian speech patterns?
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posted by Eltulipan
on Mar 18, 2013 -
3 answers
In order to reduce eyestrain when on the computer, I use the basic OSX (10.6.8) Text to Speech (System Prefs -> Speech -> Text to Speech) software for the computer to read out long-form articles found online. This works great! Except....sometimes when I ask "Alex" to read out to me it will skip or garble words from the highlighted article, usually one word per sentence or after
x number of words. Why?
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posted by carabiner
on Mar 11, 2013 -
1 answer
How possible would it be to write an app or piece of software that could take a piece of speech text and change the accent of the speaker? What challenges would there be given the current level of speech recognition and audio processing technology and linguistic knowledge?
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posted by TwoWordReview
on Mar 4, 2013 -
4 answers
I teach for a living but have a lot of linguistic baggage that I'd like to get rid of. Specifically, I have some weird pronunciation/accent issues and would like to speak "General American" or newscaster English. Is this something I can do on my own? What resources should I use?
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posted by mecran01
on Feb 27, 2013 -
7 answers
I am considering writing a novel/story that involves the idea of people living among us who are somewhere between three and eight inches tall, but I don't know enough about the physics of sound to know if normal height humans would be able to speak to these tiny people. Would their voices be too high-pitched to hear at all, or just very difficult to understand? Would our voices be understandable to them?
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posted by Rock Steady
on Feb 15, 2013 -
18 answers
What annoying words and phrases are popping up too often in the US workplace? Whenever I try to think of an example, it is at least 5 years old and people aren't really using it anymore. For example, "hit the ground running" or "the competition ate our lunch". (But those are too old.)
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posted by ErikH2000
on Jan 9, 2013 -
225 answers
What technology and software I should look at inorder to be able to record interviews on Skype on to my hard disk (MacBook Pro) and then be able to manipulate the recording easily in order to type out a transcript? Or, preferably , find reliable speech recognition software that will automatically produce a written transcript I can enter into my word processing program (Open Office.) ? I'm willing to change up software and able to spend no more than $100 to make this work. Is it possible?
posted by NorthCoastCafe
on Dec 18, 2012 -
8 answers
Is there any way to talk to my spouse about saying "like" too much, particularly in a professional setting?
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 10, 2012 -
51 answers
Is your voice like handwriting? Can you improve the quality and pleasantness of your natural voice (pitch, intonation, etc) like you can with penmanship so that the changes you focus on become the default? Or will you always be in some way "singing" your words?
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posted by Feel the beat of the rhythm of the night
on Oct 29, 2012 -
10 answers
[Astronomy-filter] Giving a speech about Astronomical Discoveries of 2012 to an informal group of friends. Looking for suggestions on 3 main points to cover. Your input greatly appreciated!
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posted by Draccy
on Oct 9, 2012 -
8 answers
I need help so I don't miss out on watching the best "can't miss" speeches of the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
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posted by marsha56
on Sep 6, 2012 -
10 answers
I can't remember where I read it - can someone help me find a eulogy from a scientist?
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posted by msali
on Sep 2, 2012 -
5 answers
I apparently stopped talking from just before I was one till I was about four. Should I be worried?
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posted by divabat
on Jul 29, 2012 -
23 answers
Earlier this year I was asked by a friendly co-worker to be his best man. I accepted against my better judgement because I got the sense he had no one else he could ask. Now faced with writing an appropriate heartfelt (possibly humorous) speech I am at a loss.
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posted by iheijoushin
on Jul 23, 2012 -
20 answers
Please suggest a good elocution and diction program I can use at home with my kids.
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posted by katyh
on Jul 2, 2012 -
2 answers
I'm the host/presenter at an event where there will be multiple contestants presenting speeches onstage to a high school-aged audience. What types of things could I say between speakers to fill the time as they set up and judges deliberate? Something interesting/funny to keep the audience interested...
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posted by nzydarkxj
on May 26, 2012 -
4 answers
Commencement Address Filter: Can you help me find a graduation speech (I think it was given by a celebrity, and I think at an Ivy League school) about how modern relationships have the problem of depending on
one person to be
all the people in someone's life. Other hints inside.
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posted by chocolatemilkshakes
on Apr 25, 2012 -
3 answers
I will participating in a speech competition early next week and I am feeling extremely anxious. Help?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 10, 2012 -
9 answers
How to best go about finding a speech-language pathologist that is willing to do Skype sessions?
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posted by trogdole
on Mar 22, 2012 -
5 answers
How do you give a presentation with confidence, without reading your notes word-for-word?
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posted by oceanview
on Mar 12, 2012 -
29 answers
Recently I entered a discussion about the following scenario: If a college student at a state university says they can't take a test on Friday, because of their religious beliefs, should their professor be required to honor that and reschedule the test for that student? I am talking about some sort of a formal requirement, as opposed to the professor being an accommodating sport. Read below for details.
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posted by josefk
on Feb 23, 2012 -
31 answers
A child, is 3 1/2 years old, and has never spoken a word. Parents (very, very born again Christians) finally decide, maybe they should take him to a doctor to get checked out or something.
This is my grandson.
MeFites, potential jury pool, what is going on with this beautiful young boy?
And how do I quell the urge to knock my daughter and son-in-law's heads together like Larry and Shemp?
Go look up pissed-off in the dictionary, I'll wave back.
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posted by timsteil
on Jan 24, 2012 -
16 answers
Are there any named speech disorders equivalent to
rhotacism but involving difficulty in pronouncing another specific alphabet letter?
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posted by cp311
on Jan 3, 2012 -
7 answers
I've had a very mild stutter since early adolescence. I'm 30 now. For most of this time, I had it under control such that I was able to go through high school, college, a few years of working, and law school without anyone ever being aware of it. It was always there to some extent, but it never posed a real problem and never weighed too heavily on my mind. The stutter has gotten significantly worse just in the past couple months though, and is beginning to affect both my quality of life and my job.
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 3, 2012 -
10 answers
What’s a sure-fire way of knowing the difference between “their” and there; I always end up getting confused between the two.
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posted by hadjiboy
on Nov 21, 2011 -
19 answers
How can I work on a more "natural" delivery (emphasis, pitch, etc.) when reading books aloud?
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posted by yersinia
on Nov 16, 2011 -
9 answers
What would be a good topic for a 5-6-minute demonstration speech in a college speech class? Caveat: It must involve the use of a tangible, 3D object, but I have absolutely
no ability with crafts, cooking, or sports.
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posted by datarose
on Sep 12, 2011 -
48 answers
I once heard an apocryphal story about Abraham Lincoln being interrupted by crickets and responding with an impromptu appreciation for their chirping. Have you heard this story? Does anyone know of a source for it?
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posted by Pater Aletheias
on Jul 30, 2011 -
4 answers
I'm toying with an idea for a blog. On this blog, I would write short fiction entries in which a specific product, manufactured by a very well-known brand, would be exposed in every entry as particularly loathsome and subsequently disposed of or even destroyed.
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posted by amusem
on Jul 9, 2011 -
15 answers
Is there a text to speech tool that will allow me to control the speed in Words per minute?
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posted by TigerCrane
on Jun 28, 2011 -
1 answer
I've lost my mojo for participating in group conversations and would like to get it back. Rather than getting advice from talkative people (whose skills are ingrained) I'd prefer suggestions from people who've dealt with group conversation problems firsthand or have a quiet conversation style.
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 19, 2011 -
21 answers
What should I say when people ask me "what's new?" when nothing is really new...? usually takes place in an elevator or lunch line.
posted by Jason and Laszlo
on Mar 23, 2011 -
45 answers
In his
recent kids-these-days piece, Clark Whelton says "Even nasal passages are affected by fashion. Quack-talking, the rasping tones preferred by many young women today, used to be considered a misfortune." Do you get what he's talking about, and can you point me to an audio example?
posted by ottereroticist
on Mar 1, 2011 -
15 answers
