Indianisms are words / phrases that are particular to India.
In this photo, departmental is an Indianism.
In the US, the word would be replaced with department.
We do use the word departmental, but in a different context. For example, Rani attends a departmental meeting. After the meeting, she buys accessories at a department store.
There are other words and expressions which qualify as Indianisms:
No issues. This is fine when used among Indians. If you work in an international setting, you could say instead: ‘no worries’ or ‘no problem’.
Concerned department.Concerned person.In the US, people say relevant department or relevant person. To my ears, this sounds better.
Godown. In the US and UK a godown becomes a warehouse.
The photo is of a bridge near my home. If you can peer through the Delhi smog, you’ll spot some writing: Qasim love Shasli.
I wish Qasim well. But, I would like to point out a grammatical error. It should read: Qasim loves Shasli.
This type of grammatical error happens when the subject and verb do not agree. The absence of subject-verb agreement is a very common error.
Let’s look at the verb: to love. Here are its different forms in the present tense:
I love
You love
He loves / She loves
Qasim loves / Shasli loves
We love
You love
They love
Other verbs receive the same treatment. I like becomes Rahul likes. And I meet becomes she meets.
The next time you hear someone speak, keep your ears peeled for subject-verb agreement. You may be surprised to hear how many times the subject and verb just don’t agree!
Many candidates find IELTS to be challenging. If you prepare well, you can do well. Here are some tips:
Practice your paraphrasing skills. This will especially help you in the writing section.
Use simple language. You do not have to use fancy words to do well. If you do use advanced vocabulary, make sure that you know what it means.
Read the question! Many times, candidates start answering the question they are expecting, and not the question that has been asked. When you do this, you go completely off topic.
Many candidates ask: What should I study to prepare for IELTS?
There is a lot of material out there, and it can get overwhelming at times. Here are some IETLS resources that I strongly recommend.
If you are serious about getting a high band, do consider purchasing this book:
Official Guide to IELTS It’s published by Cambridge. And it will give you a good idea as to what types of questions to expect and how to answer them.
Here are some helpful websites:
The official IELTS website has sample tests and other resources. I highly recommend it.
IELTS Liz is a popular website with tips and practice lessons.
TakeIELTS from British Council has many helpful videos. Do visit.
This British Council post has useful tips and strategies for succeeding in IELTS.
When you travel on the road, there are signs which give information.
A sign could tell you the number of kilometers between you and your destination. A sign may warn you about a sharp turn just ahead. Another sign could tell you to slow down to a particular speed.
While driving, signs are helpful.
Imagine a road journey without any signs.
Wouldn’t that make you feel uncomfortable? Wouldn’t you be surprised to find that you have to make a hairpin turn without any warning?
What if a wild animal suddenly darts in front of the car? I’m sure you would have preferred to be warned about something like that. You could then be mentally prepared to better respond.
Yes, signs on the road are essential. They help us to reach our destination safely. At times, they may even save our lives.
Signs are important when making presentations as well.
In a presentation, there are words, phrases, and sentences that give structure and a sense of direction to the audience.
For example:
‘Today, we’ll be focusing on three key issues affecting production in China.’
‘My presentation is divided into two parts.’
‘The presentation will be for 10 minutes.’
All this language (Today, we will look at three key issues… My presentation is divided into…) is called signposting language.
Signposting language is important because it helps your audience to listen better. They become more engaged.
It gives your audience a sense of control.
This is because they know what to expect (e.g. the talk is for 10 minutes). Also, the audience will be able to understand the progression of your presentation from one stage to the next. This will make it easier for them to absorb and retain what you say.
By providing structure, signposting language alerts your listeners to key messages and important transitions within your presentation.
Signposting language can help you when preparing
Here is something many people do not know. Signposting language helps you–the speaker. You start thinking about the logical flow of your presentation. It makes you consider how to sequence the main points.
It may even help in generating new ideas or new ways to present a topic.
For instance, just by saying: my presentation is divided into two parts, you may gain clarity on how you want to present your thoughts and ideas. You may even think that it would be better to divide the presentation into three rather than two parts.
When preparing for your next presentation, use some of the signposting language given below for introductions, middle parts, and endings.
When presenting, signposting language gives you a sense of direction and control over your thoughts.
For example, when you say–okay, now that we have discussed the customer survey questions, let’s review the key findings–you are preparing yourself mentally to present the next part of the presentation.
To sum up about the importance of signposting, it helps both the presenter and the listener. Signposting language provides structure. And having structure is vital. You know that.
Use of voice
Be aware of how you use your voice when using signposting language.
Emphasize signposting language.
For instance: FIRST, we will look at customer feedback. SECOND, we’ll look at how we analyze that feedback. And FINALLY, how we use the feedback to make changes in our processes.
You should pause after using signposting language.
For example, after saying in conclusion, pause before saying what you want to say.
Pausing makes a difference.
It signals to the audience to pay attention to what comes next.
It gives you time to gather your thoughts and choose the most appropriate words. After the pause, when you speak, you speak with confidence.
Here is some signposting language:
Signposting language to use for introductions
Good morning, my name is …
Hello, my name is … I am a …. And have been in this sector for the past …. years. (to establish your credentials)
I’m going to talk about …
I’ll be going over…
My presentation is divided into three parts… To begin with, we will look at …. Then, we will turn to… And finally, we will consider …
The presentation will be for 15 minutes. After the presentation, we will have 10 minutes for Q&A.
Signposting language for the middle of your presentation
Introducing the main parts of the presentation
The first point is… The second point is… And the last point is…
Transitioning from one part to the next
Moving to the second point…
Now let’s turn to…
Now let’s consider…
We have talked about X in some detail, so let’s now look at Y.
Transitioning to a sub-part
An example of this is…
When we look at the graph, what is striking is…
As you can see from this slide…
Signposting language to use for the end of your presentation
To summarize…
To sum up…
So, let’s review…
To conclude…
The most important point to remember is…
The takeaway from today’s talk is…
The end
Signposting language does its work quietly and efficiently. It allows you to control the direction of your presentation. It gives the audience a road map–telling them where they are and where they are going to.
Do you have to make a presentation soon? Use signposting language.
This post tells you how to be a bad presenter. Of course, once you read it, you’ll know how to be a better one.
FAQs
What is an example of signposting in a presentation?
Signposting tells the listener about the structure of the presentation.
Here is an example: This presentation is divided into two parts. First, we will look at X, and then we’ll talk about Y.
We use signposting language when transitioning to a new point: Now that we have looked at X, let’s talk about Y.
And to signal the conclusion: This is what I want you to remember…
What is signposting language?
Signposting language consists of words, phrases, and even sentences the presenter uses to give structure and direction to her speech.
At the start of the presentation, signposting language could be: This presentation will be for twenty minutes. After which, there will be a Q&A session for about ten minutes.
An example of signposting language in the middle of the presentation is: Now that we have reviewed how the data was collected, let’s turn to how it was analyzed.
And at the end of your presentation, you could use this signposting language: The key takeaway is ….
Many people find it difficult to express themselves in English.
Simply put, they do not have enough words in their ‘vocabulary bank’.
Learning new words take time. It is said that you have to come across a word six to twenty times before it becomes ‘yours’.
Some people use big words to impress others. Be careful! Make sure that the word you use means what you think it does. If it means something else, your listeners could get confused. And it may look like you are trying to show off!
To improve their vocabulary, many learners learn (or memorize) lists of words. That is a very, very difficult way to learn new words. Learning words without a context is no fun. And you may not remember them.
I believe that the best way to improve your vocabulary is to be an active reader and listener. Being a coach potato who watches lots of TV can actually help!
When you come across a new word, do not ignore it. Instead, check its meaning. If you come across it again and are not sure what it means, look it up again. Don’t be lazy! Over time, you’ll be able to use the word accurately.
Here are some excellent resources for learning new words.
If you want to find out the meaning of a word and practise using it, go to Vocabulary.com.
Curious to know what friendflation is? Find out from Cambridge dictionary’s blog. (It’s under the section: New Words–20 October 2025.)
To learn more vocabulary, try watching this:
Enjoy the process of learning new words. Make a mental note of how they are pronounced. Be curious to know their meaning.
What I find interesting is that after learning a new word, I suddenly start noticing it being used. This could happen to you!
Remember, you are building a castle–brick by brick.
We usually refer to a dictionary to find out the meaning of a word.
Let’s consider the word opportunity.
To search for its definition we can go to an online dictionary. When we are there, we check how it is pronounced (both UK and US).
But there is more to discover.
You have a group of friends that you prefer spending time with. Words feel the same way. They like to be around familiar words that they know. When words do this, we call it collocation.
How many words do you know that collocate with the word opportunity?
Here is a screenshot from the Cambridge Dictionary. Can you spot the collocations?
By spending just a few minutes reading these collocation, you enrich your word bank–allowing you to express yourself with greater precision. Your language gains more flexibility. You widen your range of vocabulary.
This is a goldmine–expanding your vocabulary could not be easier. Would you agree?
At the earliest opportunity, use one of the collocations.
How many collocations can you think of with the word risk?
People ask me what are the best sites for learning English. I understand that there are a lot of websites out there, and it can get overwhelming.
Here are 3 websites I always recommend:
1. British Council covers a lot of ground, from vocabulary to grammar to business English. Spend time here to get acquainted with all it has to offer. I especially recommend this site for learners at the beginner to upper-intermediate levels.
2. BBC Learning English has engaging videos and articles on current affairs. It is an excellent site if you want to improve your general knowledge or if you are preparing for English exams where you will need to read passages about current affairs. The site also covers the basics in grammar and vocabulary. Overall, an excellent resource. One of my favourites. Here’s my post that takes a deep dive into this website.
3. ThoughtCo. is for people who are fluent speakers of the language. If you are at the upper-intermediate level and above, do visit this site. You will find it rewarding. Look out for articles by Richard Nordquist, an American professor. I find his articles on grammar to be insightful.
This is a little known article. The reason for that, is that it is invisible!
When we use no article in front of a noun, it is called the zero article. To understand the zero article, you need to know about two concepts:
Abstract noun – this is a noun that you cannot know through your five senses. (e.g. peace, hate, love)
Plural count noun – these are nouns that cannot be counted. (e.g. cars, cellphones, paperclips)
We use the zero article before abstract nouns and plural count nouns. For example:
History is a fascinating subject. (History is an abstract noun.)
She collects photos of cats. (Cats is a plural count noun.)
We are talking about history and cats in general.
Not:
The history is a fascinating subject.
She collects photos of the cats.
Now, here is the catch. There are times when we use the definite article with these nouns. We use the definite article when talking about specific abstract or plural count nouns. For example:
Mary has specialized in the history of medieval India.
She takes care of the cats in her building.
In the above sentences, we are talking about a specific history (medieval India’s) and specific cats (the ones in her building).
We cannot write:
He has specialized in history of medieval India.
She takes care of cats in her building.
Hope you are now more aware of this lesser-known article. Look out for them when you read and write.
amalfabian 