How to Start a Presentation

Conor Neill, 'How to Start a Speech' Posted on You Tube 12th Mar 2012

Present perfect

The present perfect tense has two main elements. It is formed from (a) the present tense of the verb have and (b) the past participle (III form) of the main verb. [this often ends in -ed: searched, asked, but many important verbs are irregular: lost, found, dug]

We use the present perfect to talk about something in the past that in some way connects with the present. Like:

• for something that started in the past and continues in the present:

They've been digging that hole for nearly four hours.
He has studied archaeology all of his life.

• to write or talk about our experience up to the present:

I've seen that You Tube video before.
I've used that brand of metal detector ever since I was a teenager.
He has written three books and he is working on another one.

We often use the adverb ever to talk about experience up to the present:

My last visit to the museum was the worst day I have ever had.

[if you see/use words like just, ever, already etc., you will need to use the present perfect]

For the negative form we use never:

Have you ever met Prince Philip?
Yes, but I've never met his wife.

Pronouncing the Past Tense '-ed' Ending

There are three different ways to pronounce the –ed ending at the end of regular past tense verbs in English.

The pronunciation of the –ed ending depends on the final sound in the verb.

If the verb ends in a –d or a –t, the –ed ending is pronounced as a new syllable, /id/.

If the verb ends in a vowel sound
or
a voiced consonant (l, n, r, b, g, m, z, s, v),
then the –ed ending sounds like a /d/ and does not create a new syllable.

If the verb ends in an unvoiced consonant (p, k, f, gh, sh, ch, ss, c, x),
then the –ed ending sounds like a /t/ and does not create a new syllable.

(If you are unsure if a consonant is voiced or voiceless, put your fingers on the side of your neck and feel for the vibration that occurs when you say voiced consonants: l, n, r, b, g, m, z, s, v).

This is explained in this webpage (Woodward) with a You Tube video

There are other internet resources explaining this:
EnglishClub: Pronunciation : -ed (with a sound file - with American accent)
Tanya Trusler, 'Pronunciation of Past Tense Endings' April 12, 2018

'Practice the PRESENT PERFECT TENSE in English - A Game

Canadian English teacher Emma:

Learn English with Emma -
'Practice the PRESENT PERFECT TENSE in English ', 6 Mar 2019 14

What is the difference between its and it's?

It's is always the abbreviation of "it is" as in "It's (= it is) a nice day, isn't it?" 

Its is the possessive of "it" as in, "That is Morton's puppy but I don't know its name." 

In the second sentence, its means "belonging to it".

See this explanation from ProWriting Aid:

It's vs its is one of the most common English grammar mistakes made.

Its (no apostrophe) is the possessive form of the pronoun it. Most possessives use an 's, which is probably the reason that many people find this confusing.

It's (with apostrophe) is the shortened form of it is. This contraction is the reason why the possessive form lost its apostrophe.

English has many confusing homophones, which are words that sound the same but are written differently and have different meanings. Two of the most easily confused homophones are its and it’s. Though these two small words look very similar, that apostrophe completely changes the meanings.

In English, apostrophes have two main functions. They connect words in contractions, and they show possession. But its and it’s are exceptions to these rules. It’s is a contraction, but it is not the possessive form of "it".

It’s
It’s means "it is". This is a contraction, and the apostrophe replaces the letter "i" in "is". Here are some examples of how to use this word.

• It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

• Let me know when it’s over.

• It’s going to be a long day.

• The weatherman said it’s going to be eighty degrees next week!

Its
Its is the possessive form of "it". Normally, we use apostrophes to show possession, but itsdoesn't need one.

• Its fur is a lovely shade of brown.

• Give the dog its bone.

• The tree had a heart carved in its trunk.

• The city has decorated all of its official buildings.

It’s vs. Its
Sometimes both of these words are used in the same sentence. It’s important to use the correct form in writing for clarity since they have very different meanings.
Remember, only use it's when you can replace it with the words "it is".

• That silly dog! It’s going to hurt its paw if it doesn’t stop digging in the backyard!

• It’s time to give the car its annual tune-up.

Let's take a closer look.
Examples of "its"

• Its mouth opened wide like a dark cave.

• That was the second time I saw its effects.

• When you see its eyes open, you should run.

You can test whether you need its [noun] by substituting the [noun] of it and seeing if the sentence still works. Taking the first example above, "The mouth of it" makes sense, so we know "Its mouth" is correct.
Examples of "it's"

• It's time to leave right now.

• Make sure it's written correctly this time.

• There's no doubt it's the best option.

Remember, if you can write "it is" instead, then use "it's".

What is the difference between there and their?

There indicates a place as in, "I live here not there." It is the opposite of here. 

Their is the possessive of they, as in "They live there but it isn't their house". Here you want to indicate that the house belongs to them.

They're is the shortened form of "They are", as in "They're in the bin".


For a fuller explanation see “Their” vs. “There” vs. “They’re”: Do You Know The Difference? by Dictionary.com:

The trio of their, there, and they’re can flummox writers of all levels. It’s confusing; they are homophones, meaning they have the same pronunciation (sound) but differ in meaning and derivation (origin).

Even though they sound the same, they aren’t spelled the same … cue the noticeable errors! Let’s explore the correct usages of the three.
How do you use their, there, and they’re?

These three words serve many functions.

Their 
Their is the possessive case of the pronoun they, meaning belonging to them. As in:
     They left their cell phones at home. 

Their is generally plural, but it is increasingly accepted in place of the singular his or her after words such as someone:
     Someone left their book on the table. 

There 
There is an adverb that means in or at that place. In this sense, there is essentially the opposite of here.
This is what’s known as an adverb of place, which answers the question where an action is taking place. (Many common adverbs end in -ly, like quickly, usually, and completely, but not all adverbs do.)
        She is there now.

There is also used as a pronoun introducing the subject of a sentence or clause:
     There is still hope. 

They’re 
They’re is a contraction of the words they and are.
     They’re mastering the differences between three homophones!

The authors suggest that if you are lost, 'take a hint from the spelling!':

Their has the word heir in it, which can act as a reminder that the term indicates possession.
There has the word here in it. There is the choice when talking about places, whether figurative or literal.
They’re has an apostrophe, which means it’s the product of two words: they are. If you can substitute they are into your sentence and retain the meaning, then they’re is the correct homophone to use.

How to Use the Apostrophe

Greengrocer's apostrophe (plural greengrocer's apostrophes): an incorrectly used apostrophe, especially one mistakenly used to form the plural of a noun, for example to write the plural of banana as banana's instead of bananas.

Nouns with plural 's' in standard written English do not have an apostrophe, e.g. books not book's, teams not team's.

For photos of some examples of misuse see: The Greengrocer's Apostrophe - Vivian Cook

"Could of"

The English don't know English...

Search Results

Web results

"Could Of" Or "Could Have"?

Is 'Could Of' an Accepted Form of 'Could Have'? 

Metal Detecting Glossary

Metal Detecting Jargon - Glossary of Terms - The Metal Detecting Forum Welcome to our forum's Glossary of Terms for metal detecting. This has been a team effort in the hope we can take some of the mystery out of the many terms and acronyms associated with our hobby. We consider it a work in progress and welcome any suggestions, additions or mistakes to be pointed out to us.


Key - (S) = slang term

A
Air test
This is where various metal objects are waved under the coil, under artificial conditions.
It is used to give an idea of the machines response to various metal objects at varying distances.
The jury is still out on the tests accuracy compared to metal targets we find in the ground with the same machine.

Artefact
An item that was made by humans many years ago.

All-metal
This is a mode that allows the metal detector to see all metal types.

Alloy
A metal composed of two or more metals.

B
Bullhead
Silver coin of George III 1816-1818 were designed that made his portrait look like a bull

Bump (S)
This is the terminology for bringing a thread back up to the top of the page on a forum, usually happens at busy times of the day. Anyone can "Bump" a thread.

Broad Band Spectrum (BBS)
Simultaneously transmits, receives and analyses a broad band of multiple frequencies, 1.5kHz through to 25.5 kHz

Bronze disease
This is where the acids and salts combined with moisture attack the bronze coin/item whilst in the ground, once air is introduced after finding the coin/item the problem will worsen and can destroy the item if not treated. A green/blue powder will form on the coin/item.

C
Cache
A hoard of coins or other valuables purposely buried or hidden.

Cuts (S?)
Normally a term used in beach detecting which describes the erosive action of the sea on the sand that creates gullies. These gullies, when exposed can often prove quite fruitful for detecting finds.

Crown Estate Foreshore Permit
This was needed to detect on the beaches in the UK. It was free but is no longer required.
http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/marine/metal-detecting/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Clipping
This was the practice of clipping bits of silver from hammered coins to melt down and make new coins or sell as bullion.

Code of Practice (COP) for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales (2017)
This provides guidance for metal detectorists who wish to contribute to our understanding of the history of England and Wales. It combines both the requirements of finders under the law, as well as more general voluntary guidance on accepted best practice. https://finds.org.uk/getinvolved/guides/codeofpractice

Coil cover
A non metalic cover placed over the coil to protect it from stones and abrasions.

Coke
Coke is burnt or super heated coal that finds its way onto the fields. It will give a conductive signal on some machines, other machines auto discriminate this out.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS)
This provides financial incentives for land managers to look after their environment through activities such as: conserving and restoring wildlife habitats, flood risk management, woodland creation and management, reducing widespread water pollution from agriculture, keeping the character of the countryside, preserving features important to the history of the rural landscape, encouraging educational access.

Crotal bell
A hollow spherical bell with a loose metal pellet inside.
These have been used for many centuries. They were cast in 2 halves and later were cast as a whole bell. Often used on horses to alert people they were coming.

Cut halves/quarters
Hammered coins were often cut in halves or quarters to produce smaller denominations of that coin.

D
Deserted medieval village (DMV)
In the United Kingdom, a deserted medieval village (DMV) is a settlement that was abandoned during the Middle Ages, typically leaving no trace apart from earthworks or cropmarks. If there are three or fewer inhabited houses, the convention is to regard the site as deserted; if there are more than three houses, it is regarded as shrunken. There are over 2000 known sites of deserted medieval villages in England. Some villages were depopulated gradually by disease, enclosure or depleted local resources, others destroyed for aesthetic reasons by landowners, and others swept away by the effects of a changing climate.

Decimal
15th February 1971 was the day the United Kingdom changed from the pre-decimal coinage system to a decimal coinage system where 100 pennies = £1

Discrimination
This is where you can set parameters on your machine to reject certain metals from giving a signal on the machine, usually Iron, but beach detectorists will often try to discriminate ring pulls too.

Double struck
This is an error that happened whilst the hammered coins were being made. It usually happened when one of the dies moved and the coin was hit for a second time.

E
Electromagnetic interference (EMI)
EMI is interference to your detectors electrics through outside sources, such as, power lines overhead, radio masts nearby, underground electrics, mobile phones etc. It can be reduced on detectors that have "noise cancel", where you can search through your detectors channels to find a quieter one.

Electrolysis
An electro-chemical process, where a direct electrical current is passed through two metal electrodes immersed in a liquid solution (the electrolyte). One of the electrodes is the artefact undergoing electrolysis, the other is an appropriately chosen 'donor' metal. Commonly used to remove patina from copper alloy and silver artefacts, but can also be used to restore rusted iron. The composition of the electrolyte and electrode vary depending on the artefact being treated.
Be warned that the wrong solution or passing the current through for too long will damage the coin.

F
Ferrous
Any metal containing or made up of Iron is a ferrous metal. These metals will be attracted to a magnet.

Falsing/false signal
A desirable sounding signal given by the machine that usually turns out to be Iron. Can be caused by high ground mineralisation, large rusty deep Iron, pointed nails, and high sensitivity settings on the machine. Further investigation on the signal is required.

FID
The Federation of Independent Detectorists.
A membership organisation that gives the detectorist valuable insurance, and is also a voice for detectorists and our issues.

Finds Liaison Officer (FLO)
The core role of an FLO is to record archaeological finds to further our understanding of the archaeology of England and Wales. They record items for the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS)

Full band spectrum (FBS)
Simultaneously transmits, receives and analyses a full band of multiple frequencies.
28 in total, through 1.5 kHz and 100 kHz.

G
Green waste
This is biodegradable waste that can be composed of garden or park waste, such as grass or flower cuttings and hedge trimmings, as well as domestic and commercial food waste. When its mentioned in metal detecting circles it’s usually because a field has been spread with green waste that has been contaminated by pieces of shredded metal.

Grot (S)
This is a slang name for a known Roman coin that has little or no markings or writing on it.

Ground balance
This is a very under rated issue, especially with older machines that require "manual" ground balancing. Up to date machines mainly use "auto ground balance" where the machine constantly tracks the ground and detects changes in mineralisation and compensates the machine to keep in balance.
Manual ground balancing is an art form, and one that you should try and learn as it can make or break a good or bad days detecting.

H
Halo effect
A conductive increase in target size caused by the oxidisation of a ferrous object, this causes the machine to sometimes see this as a good conductive target. It will disappear if the "halo" is disturbed, and returns to a ferrous signal.
Whether a coin or artifact can produce the halo effect is a huge debating issue for the detecting community. Some mineral and precious metal experts say it does happen for coins and artifacts, other people completely dismiss it as nonsense or insignificant.

Hammy (s)
This is the slang term for a gold or silver and copper or hammered coins.These coins were struck from a single round disc of gold or silver or copper between 2 dies and striking the top die with a hammer to produce the images and writing on both sides.

Hedge-fodder (S)
This is a slang term for finds that are not historicaly significant, usualy modern junk items. The term hedge fodder should not be used literally and all rubbish should be disposed of in the correct way.

Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER)
Information on the historic environment features of interest within a defined area (typically a farm) submitted as part of a Countryside Stewardship application. The HEFER derives from the SHINE dataset and may include management advice.

Historic Environment Record (HER)
These are sources of, and signposts to, information relating to landscapes, buildings, monuments, sites, places, areas and archaeological finds spanning more than 700,000 years of human endeavour. Based mainly in local authorities, they are used for planning and development control but they also fulfil an educational role.These records were previously known as Sites and Monuments Records (SMRs), but have been developing into systems representing the wider historic environment.
https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/CHR/

Hoard
A hoard is a collection of coins /artefacts sometimes purposely buried in the ground with the intention of recovering them at a later date, quite often the person who buried them never survived long enough to recover them.

Hot rock
A hot rock is a stone or rock that has a different or higher mineralisation content to its surrounding ground and the balance of your machine. This will confuse the machine and will often cause a signal. Hot rocks are generally non conductive and not to be confused with "coke" which are conductive.

I

J
Jetton
These are coin like tokens often used for calculations. Later they were also used as money substitutes for games. They were produced between the 13th and 17th centuries.

K

L
Legend
This is the name given to the coin inscription. This can be put together with the other terms such as, for example, "OBVERSE LEGEND" which means, "the coin inscription on the head side."
Lidar
Lidar (also called LIDAR, LiDAR, and LADAR) is a surveying method that measures distance to a target by illuminating the target with pulsed laser light and measuring the reflected pulses with a sensor. Differences in laser return times and wavelengths can then be used to make digital 3-D representations of the target.

Long cross
This is where the cross on a hammered coin goes all the way to the edge of the coin. This was an attempt to stop unscrupulous people from "clipping" silver from the coin to melt down to sell as bullion.

M
Masking
A huge problem for detectorists, usually when a rusting or large item will "mask" a desirable target from the machine.

Milled coins
Is used to describe coins which are produced by some form of machine, rather than by manually hammering coin blanks between two dies. The edges have a "milled" surface to prevent clipping.
The earliest milled coins produced in England date from the early 1560s, but milled coinage did not entirely replace hammered coinage until 1662.

Mint
The place where coins are made.

Moneyer
Someone who is responsible for the striking or making of coins.

Moo tube (S)
A slang term for an aluminium medicine tube (like a small tube of toothpaste) used for animal treatments.

N
NE - Natural England
Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved. It also has a responsibility to help people enjoy, understand and access the natural environment.

Notch
A form of discrimination that will reject any target that falls into the conductivity window preset at the factory. Dangerous thing to use in the UK because of the chance of notching out hammered coins with your pulltabs.

Non-ferrous
Metals not containing iron such as gold, silver, copper, aluminum, etc.

Nighthawk
This is an unscrupulous person who illegally uses a detector without permission on fields and monuments, usually selling their finds without declaring them. This is usually (but not always) done under the cover of darkness.

NCMD
National Council for Metal Detecting.
A membership organisation that gives the detectorist valuable insurance, and is also a voice for detectorists and our issues.

Nulling, null
This is when your machines threshold sound will fall silent when the coil passes over a metal you have discriminated out.

O
Obverse
This means the front face of the coin (heads).

OP
Original poster. The person who created the first post on a topic on the forum.

P
Partifact
A piece of something that has been broken away from the original whole artefact.

Pinpointing
The art of trying to align the centre of the target to the centre of the coil to allow for a neat and safe extraction of the target, using the machines pinpointing feature,or by sweeping the target in an X pattern.

PI
Pulse induction. This type of detector excels on the beach and wet sand. It has no discrimination at all. The PI fires a high-voltage pulse of signal into the ground, if no metal is present then the voltage pulse decays at a uniform rate. The time the pulse takes to reach zero is accurately measured by the machine. If the pulse hits metal a small current would flow in the metal, and the time for the voltage pulse to drop to zero would be increased. These minute time differences can alert the machine to metal at great depths.
One huge advantage to using a PI machine is they are completely impervious to the effects of mineralisation and highly mineralised black sand.

PM
Private message. A message sent on the forum to your private message box.

Q

R
Recovery time
The time it takes the machine to recover from a previous target response to the next target.

Reverse
This means the back face of the coin (tails).

S

Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England (SHINE)
SHINE is a single, nationally consistent dataset of undesignated historic environment features from across England that could benefit from management within Natural England's Countryside Stewardship scheme. Data about suitable sites is created by local authority Historic Environment Records (HERs) and fed into the national SHINE dataset.

Sensitivity
Often a misunderstood feature of a metal detector.
It should be used to compensate for heavy ground mineralisation, trashy fields, power lines and outside electrical interference.
To do this you lower the sensitivity of the machine until it becomes stable and stops chattering at every inch of ground it covers.
You can run your machine "hot", this means you have the sensitivity setting at max. You will get increased depth,and better signals from small, deep items but your ears will be bombarded with false signals and chattering. It takes experience to know what to listen for at this level. If your machine settings are incorrect, then increasing sensitivity is useless, like turning up the radio volume when the programme is not tuned in properly.

Shrunken medieval village (SMV)
In the United Kingdom, a deserted medieval village (DMV) is a settlement that was abandoned during the Middle Ages, typically leaving no trace apart from earthworks or cropmarks. If there are three or fewer inhabited houses, the convention is to regard the site as deserted;if there are more than three houses, it is regarded as shrunken.

Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs)
SSSIs are protected by law to conserve their wildlife or geology. Natural England can identify land you own or occupy as an SSSI - this is called being designated.
Use Natural England’s ‘MAGIC’ map to check if your land is on an SSSI.
http://www.magic.gov.uk/

Spit and foil test
This is where a silver coin is placed in the fold of kitchen foil and human spit is added, the foil is then folded over where a electro chemical reaction takes place. You will get a smell of rotten eggs whilst this is happening. You can damage and decrease the coins value by doing this.

Shotty (S)
A spent, discarded shotgun cartridge, usually just the metallic end piece.

T
Target separation
The ability of a metal detector to respond to individual targets within a closely spaced group.

Toasted
This is a slang term for an item, usually a coin, which is corroded and, as a result, is unidentifiable.

Trashy (S)
This is a slang word for an area littered with iron or undesirable targets.

Treasure Trove See also Treasure Act 1996
Treasure Trove was the old UK law governing items found by members of the public that were gold or silver, these belonged to The Crown. This law was changed to the Treasure Act in 1996.

Treasure Act 1996
This is far too complex to fit into a few sentences, please read here.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/24/contents" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Threshold
This is a constant "humming" sound you hear on machines when not operating in a silent search mode.
It should be set at a minimum level so you can hear very small and deep targets.
When you go over an object that you have discriminated out the threshold should "null" (silent) until it recovers and you move away from the object.

Tune 
The adjustment required to set a detector up to its best performance.  

U

V
Variable discrimination
This is a control on many modern metal detectors which allows the level of junk rejection to be modified by the user.

VLF
Very low frequency also known as induction balance. Very popular metal detector design technology, using a transmitter coil and a receiver coil.

Voided long cross
On long cross coinage, voided means the arms of the cross are made using parallel lines creating a cutting void to aid official cutting of coins to create smaller currencies (cut halves/quarters done at the time of striking by the moneyer).

W
Widescan
This is a Double D or 2D coil capable of finding a target across the diameter of the coil.

X

Y

Z

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