Talk about confusing! Which is which, and how do we know when we should use "all together" versus "altogether?"
Don't feel badly if you are having difficulty determining how to use the words "all together" and "altogether" correctly. Most of us do! The word "altogether" is one word, where "all together" is a compound word containing two words. While that doesn't mean anything in spoken English, it does matter in writing. These words sound exactly the same, but have different meanings. Most people don't realize this. As a result, they are misused in speaking and in writing.
Like most things in the English language, there is a great deal of memorizing when it comes to mastering many areas. The areas that lend themselves to confusion include pronunciation, grammar and words that sound the same, just to name a few. This is one of the reasons that many people who learn English as a second language find it so difficult to master. Just so you know, native American English speakers also have difficulty with grammar and word usage!
Let's take a look at each one and the correct way to use them. First, we will talk about the word "altogether."
Altogether 
The word "altogether" is considered an adverb and can have a few definitions. Probably the most common definition is "completely" or "entirely." 
For example: 
"Let's forget about that idea altogether." 
"My manager thinks this idea is altogether ridiculous." 
"We will have an altogether wonderful time."
The word "altogether" can also mean "with everything included." 
For example: 
"The bill for our dinner came to fifty dollars altogether." 
"Altogether, our hotel room cost "$100."
In another example, the adverb "altogether" can occur at the beginning of a sentence to mean "with everything considered." 
For example: 
"Altogether, I think this project will be very valuable."
So you can see from the usages above, the word "altogether" can be used in a few different situations with slightly different meanings.
Now let's take a look at the words "all together."
All together 
The word "all together" is a compound word because it is made up of two words that go together. This word means "all in a group" or "everyone together."
For example: 
"We went to dad's birthday party all together."
Here is another example: 
"Are we going all together in my car?"
Now that you are completely confused, will you forget about these two words altogether or will you give a shot and memorize them?

Contact Speaking Your Best today and let us help you become a success by speaking your best!

A reminder that one word in the English language that can be a noun, verb, adjective, adverb and preposition.     "UP"
This two-letter word in English has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is 'UP.' It is listed in the dictionary as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].   
It's easy to understand   UP , meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake   UP ?   
At a meeting, why does a topic come   UP ? Why do we speak  UP , and why are the officers   UP   for election and why is it   UP   to the secretary to write   UP   a report? We call  UP   our friends, brighten  UP   a room, polish UP  the silver, warm   UP   the leftovers and clean  UP   the kitchen. We lock   UP   the house and fix  UP   the old car.   
At other times, this little word has real special meaning.  People stir   UP   trouble, line  UP   for tickets, work  UP   an appetite, and think  UP  excuses.   
To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed  UP  is special   
And this  UP   is confusing: A drain must be opened   UP   because it is stopped  UP.
We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!   
To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of  UP , look   UP   the word   UP   in the dictionary.  In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes  UP   almost 1/4 of the page and can add   UP  to about thirty definitions.   
If you are  UP   to it, you might try building   UP  a list of the many ways  UP   is used. It will take   UP   a lot of your time, but if you don't give   UP , you may wind  UP   with a hundred or more.   
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding  UP . When the sun comes out, we say it is clearing   UP . When it rains, the earth soaks it  UP . When it does not rain for awhile, things dry  UP . 
One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it   UP , for now . . . my time is   UP !   

We have all heard the term “millennial” and know that it is the term typically used to describe individuals born between the early 1980’s and mid 1990’s.  Individuals born during this time often have some unique styles of speaking. 
 
Do you speak like a millennial?  Here are a few ways to tell:
 
You might sound like a millennial if:

• You speak with a gradually rising pitch, both when pausing and when ending sentences.  This makes it sound like you are asking questions, rather than speaking in sentences. It’s, “I go to work every day” and NOT “I go to work every day?”
• You use the word “like” often when you speak.  It’s like you might use it, like, all the time, so it sounds like it might be, like, your favorite word!
• You speak very quickly. Young adults seem to want to get everything they want to say out as quickly as possible.  We usually associate a very fast pace with someone who is young and inexperienced.  Most seasoned professionals speak more slowly and are viewed as more experienced, confident and convincing. If you want people to take you seriously, speak more slowly.
• You use the word “dude” for everyone, even in a professional setting.  This is a "no-no" in the professional business world because it is too informal and sounds unprofessional.  So, dude, don’t use that word at work, especially with leadership.
• You say, “I know, right?” too often.  Yes, millennials are famous for saying this when someone says something that they agree with.  For example, if someone says, “You’re a great worker”, the millennial might say, “I know, right?” to agree with you. 

 
So, dude, speak more slowly to sound experienced and, like, end your sentences with a downward pitch so people don’t think you are asking questions or pausing all the time.  At work, be as professional as possible, and you will quickly be viewed as a person who takes their work seriously. I know, right?

Do you want to improve your spoken English?  Many non-native speakers of English complain that Americans can't understand their speech, and they don't know what to do about it. Here are two simple tips that will help you speak clearly instantly!

Rule 1: Open your mouth and move your lips when you speak.  
Many languages don't require speakers to open their mouths and move their lips much at all. When they go to speak English, they naturally keep their teeth close together and their lips fairly flat. Does this sound familiar? 

When you speak American English, opening your mouth and moving your lips is a must.  If you watch any good public speaker, then you'll know what I mean.  Pay attention to opening your mouth more when you say vowels. Creating a little more space in your mouth goes a long way in improving speech clarity.  

Rule 2:  Reduce your speaking rate
Many languages are spoken more quickly than American English.  Chances are, your native language is one of them. Combine a fast speaking rate with an accent, and you have someone who Americans most likely have a hard time understanding.  

Speaking more slowly doesn't mean speaking TOO slowly.  It means slowing down enough so that you have time to form all of the sounds and syllables in words.  People who naturally speak quickly often omit run their words together, so a sound or part of a word may be missing. Speaking more slowly can also mean that you pause more often when you speak, and always pause at the end of a sentence.

The nextt time you speak, keep these two tips in mind.  They will help you reduce your accent and speak more clearly!

 I should use “who” with “whom?”

There are two words in English that you have heard and most likely used, but one of them may be challenging to use correctly: that would be the word "whom."

Let’s take a look at both “who” and “whom” in more detail, and hopefully it will all make sense.

When to use “who”
The word “who” is used as the subject of a sentence, which means it’s a noun, the person the sentence is about, or the person who is doing the action.  It is used as a pronoun.  This is the easy word to use correctly in American English.

For example:  
Who is that?
Who are you?
Who hit my car?  

When to use “whom”
The word “whom” is never the subject, it is always what we refer to as the “object of the sentence.”  This is the word that most people are not sure how to use or when to use it. 
For example:  
You are going with whom?  
Mark recommended whom for the new position?  

There are two tricks you can use to tell when to use “whom” that should help make it easier to use correctly.
1.  When “whom” is the object of the sentence, you should be able to replace it with “him” or “her”, and the sentence will still be grammatically correct.
For example:
You recommended whom for the position?
We can also say:  You recommended him for the position?
                         You recommended her for the position?
The words “whom”, “him” and “her” are all objects of the verb “recommended.”

2. The word “whom” is often used before a preposition.  When this happens, we say that “whom” is the object of the preposition.  Common prepositions that come just before “whom” may be “with”, “after”, “before”, “over”, “next to”, “under”, etc.

For example:  With whom are you driving?
                    You are in line after whom?
                    I don’t know from whom that package came.

Now that you know when to use “who” and “whom” correctly, it may sound somewhat weird or awkward to use “whom”, even when it is technically correct.    Why is this?  American English is changing, and even though grammar rules for these two words still apply, the word “whom” is gradually being used less and less. It may even eventually disappear from the language altogether.   When in doubt, use “whom” in a very formal speaking situation, especially is others around you are using it.  

As I always say, you cannot go wrong following grammar rules!  It just may depend on “with whom” you socialize or “who” is with you!
​

In the business world, so many of us are required to give presentations and engage our audiences.  There is usually a lot of information to present, and we are left wondering how we can connect with our audience and leave a lasting impression.  How do we make our presentations memorable?  After all, there is nothing more boring than someone showing us charts and spitting out numbers and percentages.  

While there are obviously important facts that are mandatory, remember that a presentation is really a way to “talk” to your audience and let them become a part of your message.  What better way to do that than to tell a story?

So, how do you do create a story that makes your audience truly interested in what you have to say and want to hear more?

Your story must be relevant and fit your audience.
Telling just any story won’t make a great presentation.  You need to make sure that our story is relevant to your topic and fits your audience.  You want to the audience to respond with an “oh!” or “ahhh”, or be surprised in a way that really gets their attention.  

Your story must have a point
You want to build the story right into our presentation framework so that it is something they can relate to and makes practical sense. The point of the story must be clear.  Rather than just spitting out numbers and charts, make it realistic and fun.  The story puts everything together so that all of those numbers and all of the information make sense.  

Make your audience laugh
If your story is funny, that’s even better. Sometimes, you might want to relate something that actually happened to you that was funny and relevant to your project.  This keeps the audience engaged and interested. 

Always tell a story about a person and an experience they had.
Your story can be a success story, a failure, a humorous story, or something personal.  You may even want your story to have a lesson for others to learn.  If your story doesn’t have a personal message, then it won’t hit home with your audience. They should reflect on how the story affected someone and how it relates to the topic.

It’s not enough just to present information in a presentation, as it tends to make it dry and dull.  Spicing it up with a story or two that are relevant to your topic, teaching a lesson and saying something funny all help to engage your audience and keep them asking for more.  Your presentation is a way to deliver a message in the most interesting way possible so that they walk away actually remembering what you said, the important information and practical ways to use it.  ​