Grammar Girl here, today we're going to tackle two of the scariest things you may ever

be asked to do, writing and delivering a speech.

To help your next presentation go well, guest writer Erica Enoch has pulled together the following

tips.

First, keep it short.

Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address is one of the most famous speeches in history,

and it's just ten sentences long.

Of course not every presenter can be as brief as Lincoln, and a two minute speech wouldn't

be appropriate if you've been asked to fill half an hour.

Don't cut yourself short, but do fill your time with relevant material that will keep

your audience interested.

Second, take control of your listener's expectations.

A strong introduction is important, whether you're writing or speaking, but it takes a lot

longer to listen to a speech than to read an article, and it'll help your audience commit

to your presentation if you start by telling them why it's important.

For example, we're going to spend the next 30 minutes talking about the zombie apocalypse,

because if you're prepared for zombies, you're prepared for anything.

It also helps to include an interesting anecdote or question to hook them.

Like, did you know that FEMA recently released tips on how to survive a zombie apocalypse?

It's true.

Also, remember that your presentation begins as soon as you take the podium.

Don't spend ten minutes thanking everyone in the room before you get to the meat of your

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