Communication Techniques

verb to avoid talking about something directly or to talk about something without making much progress

• During the meeting, the speaker did not beat about the bush and went straight to the main points.
• Stop beating about the bush and just tell me what you want.
• Quit beating around the bush and get to the point.
• She beat about the topic for hours without really addressing the issue at hand.

adjective describing the color of something as a shade of blue

adverb modifying the verb 'turn' to indicate the extent or degree to which someone's face has turned blue

preposition used to indicate the color of something

• She argued with her colleague until she was blue in the face, trying to convince him of her point of view.
• I've told him a million times to clean his room, but he just ignores me until I'm blue in the face.
• I yelled at him until I was blue in the face, but he still wouldn't listen.
• The teacher explained the concept over and over again until the students were blue in the face with boredom.

adjective relating to or involving communication or the expression of thoughts or feelings

• She is a very communicative person, always sharing her thoughts and ideas clearly.
• I love chatting with Sarah, she's so communicative and easy to talk to.
• Dude, that guy is super communicative, he never shuts up!
• The painting was so communicative, it seemed to speak to me through its colors and shapes.

adjective Concise is an adjective that describes something that is brief and to the point, without unnecessary details.

• It is important to be concise when writing a research paper.
• Can you give me a concise summary of the meeting?
• Just give me the concise version, I don't need all the details.
• His concise speech cut through the confusion like a sharp knife.

noun a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities

adjective confident (having a feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; self-assured)

• She exuded confidence during the job interview.
• I have confidence that we will win the game tomorrow.
• You gotta have confidence in yourself to succeed.
• His confidence was like a shining light in the darkness of self-doubt.

adjective characterized by evasion or avoidance; deliberately vague or ambiguous

• The witness was being evasive during cross-examination.
• Stop being so evasive and just tell me the truth!
• She's always so evasive, it's annoying.
• His evasive maneuvers helped him avoid the oncoming traffic.

adjective describing something that is not done or communicated directly, but through a third party or intermediary

• The report highlighted the indirect impact of climate change on global food security.
• She gave me an indirect answer when I asked about her plans for the weekend.
• He was being super shady and indirect about where he got the money from.
• Her indirect approach to problem-solving often leads to creative solutions.

noun a word used in asking a question, such as 'who', 'what', 'where', 'when', 'why', or 'how'

adjective relating to or denoting a question

• The interrogative tone of the prosecutor's questions made the witness uneasy.
• Why are you always asking so many interrogative questions?
• Stop with the interrogative talk, it's annoying.
• The interrogative nature of her art leaves viewers pondering deeper meanings.

noun a person who listens, especially in an attentive manner

• The speaker emphasized the importance of active listening skills in order to be an effective listener.
• I can tell she's a good listener because she always pays attention when I talk.
• She's a great listener, always there to lend an ear when you need it.
• The music spoke to the listener's soul, evoking deep emotions and memories.

noun a temporary stop in action or speech

verb to stop temporarily in action or speech

• The speaker asked for a brief pause to gather their thoughts before continuing.
• Let's take a quick pause and grab some snacks before we continue watching the movie.
• I need to hit the pause button on this conversation and take a break.
• Sometimes we need to hit the pause button in life and reflect on our choices.

noun a person who performs yodeling

• The yodeler demonstrated incredible vocal control during the performance.
• I heard that yodeler is going to be performing at the festival this weekend.
• That yodeler really knows how to hit those high notes!
• She was a yodeler when it came to expressing her emotions through song.

verb a word used to describe an action or state of being

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence

• During the presentation, the speaker decided to go off script and speak from the heart.
• I love it when comedians go off script and start improvising on stage.
• The actor totally went off script and started ad-libbing in that scene.
• When things started going wrong, I had to go off script and come up with a new plan.

verb a word that expresses an action or a state of being

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

• The candidate's extensive experience in project management will bring valuable skills to the table.
• I hope your friend can bring some good music to the table for the party.
• Let's see what kind of ideas these new recruits can bring to the table.
• His unique perspective really brings a fresh angle to the table during our discussions.

noun a pair of quotation marks made in the air with one's fingers to indicate that the enclosed text should be understood as being ironic or otherwise non-literal

• During the presentation, the speaker used air quotes to emphasize certain key terms.
• She always does this thing with her fingers when she's talking, like air quotes or something.
• I can't stand it when people use air quotes like they're too cool for regular words.
• His apology seemed insincere, as if he was using air quotes around the words 'I'm sorry'.