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How to create and deliver a winning team presentation

Get your team on prezi – watch this on demand video.

Anete Ezera May 31, 2024

Team presentations are about creating a dynamic experience for your audience whilst working together to share valuable information.

You might need to do a team presentation in various situations. For example, in a school project, a team presentation lets each member highlight their contributions. In the workplace, team presentations are great for updating projects, pitching ideas to clients, or sharing research findings with stakeholders. 

Using a platform like Prezi can really boost your team’s presentation. Let’s look at what makes team presentations effective and how you can create a successful one.

Team presentations explained

So what exactly is a team presentation? Simply put, in a team presentation you’re working with others to share information or ideas. Each person brings their strengths and viewpoints, making the presentation more engaging.

Typically, the team divides the content so everyone has a part to focus on. This involves planning, creating visual aids like slides, and practicing together. The goal is to ensure everything flows smoothly and the message is clear. By combining everyone’s efforts, you end up with a presentation that effectively shares your team’s insights and knowledge.

How to create a great team presentation: a step-by-step guide

When done right, team presentations can be a really rewarding experience for everyone involved. To make sure the creation process runs smoothly, follow this step-by-step guide.

1. Gather your team

To start, you need to get everybody together. Use this opportunity to discuss the purpose of the presentation and what you want to say. This way, everyone understands the goal and can be on the same page with the project.

2. Divide the responsibilities

During the discussion, pinpoint what each team member is good at and assign roles based on their strengths. For example, one person might be great at research, another at designing slides, and someone else might excel at public speaking. By dividing tasks this way, you ensure a high-quality presentation as everyone gets to contribute the best way they can.

3. Plan the content

When planning your content, outline the key points you want to cover. Break down the presentation into sections and decide who will handle each part. Make sure the content flows logically from one section to the next. This planning phase is crucial for a cohesive presentation.

4. Develop visual aids

Great visuals can make your presentation stand out. That’s where Prezi steps in to help you create engaging visuals that complement your content. Also, make sure to keep the design consistent and not too cluttered. Remember, visual aids should enhance your message, not distract from it.

5. Rehearse together

Practice makes perfect! Schedule a few rehearsals where everyone presents their part. Pay attention to the transitions between speakers to ensure they’re smooth. Rehearsing together helps you catch any issues and make sure everyone is comfortable with their role.

6. Get feedback

To improve your delivery, practice in front of a trusted audience of friends or colleagues, and get their honest opinions. They can give you feedback on any tweaks you can make to improve your presentation. Following this, you can then make any necessary adjustments based on their feedback.

7. Prepare for Q&A

Be ready to answer questions from your audience. To prepare, discuss potential questions with your team and decide who will answer which types of questions. This preparation helps ensure you can handle the Q&A session confidently.

8. Present with confidence

On the day of the presentation, stay calm and confident. Trust in the preparation you’ve done. Remember to engage with your audience, make eye contact, and speak clearly. Most importantly, support each other as a team, and have fun with it.

To learn more about delivering a successful presentation with two or more people, explore our article on co-presenting tips and techniques .

9. Reflect and learn

After the presentation, gather your team to reflect on what went well and what could be improved for next time. Learning from each experience helps you continually improve your presentation skills.

By following these steps, you can be sure that every aspect of creating a team presentation is covered, allowing maximum success. 

What are the advantages of team presentations?

Collaborating as a team for presentations has many advantages, including: 

The opportunity to work together as a team provides a sense of unity. Whether it’s in the workplace or an educational setting, relying on each other and sharing insights can really improve morale in any team. Also, being in a group provides motivation and excitement that you may not necessarily experience in solo presentations. 

Understanding of each other

In education and business settings, working on a team presentation means interacting with other members. Hearing other’s opinions and suggestions can help in getting to know your team better, which can help in other aspects of work or school. 

Promotes teamwork 

The ability to work together effectively for a team presentation can improve other team interactions further down the line. It’s a great opportunity to get everyone involved, especially those who might usually shy away from group discussions. This creates a more forthcoming team for the future. 

Less opportunity for errors

Having more than one person contributing to a presentation means that there’s less chance of making mistakes. There’s going to be more than one person looking over progress, which means that any initial errors will likely be spotted by someone in the team. Even when working on your own sections, the chance to rehearse together means that you can all pick up on potential mistakes before the big day. 

Diverse perspectives

Having a whole team involved means that several different viewpoints are brought together. Having each team member contribute their unique insights can lead to a richer and broader presentation overall. This ensures your presentation has a bigger impact on your audience. 

Shared workload

With a team presentation, the workload is distributed among the group, making it more manageable. This should reduce the pressure off any one individual and allows for more thorough preparation before you take to the stage. 

Improved audience engagement

Having multiple speakers can help to keep your audience interested. Each presenter will have different voices and styles of presenting, which can help maintain the audience’s attention throughout the whole presentation. 

Demonstrates team strength 

For business professionals in particular, creating and presenting a successful team presentation shows the power of your company. It portrays to your audience how reliable you are as a team and how you can work together to deliver great results. This is going to help you with future prospects and gaining the trust of clients, investors, and partners. 

Top tips for creating and presenting your team presentation

Here are some top tips to help you nail a team presentation, with some advice on what to do and what to avoid.

Do: plan early

Start planning your presentation as soon as possible. Early planning gives you ample time to organize content, assign roles, and create visuals. Don’t wait until the last minute – good preparation is key to a smooth presentation.

Don’t: overload slides

Avoid cramming too much information onto your slides. Instead, keep them clean and simple with key points and visuals. Your audience should be listening to you, not reading dense text on the screen.

Do: practice together

Rehearse your presentation as a team several times. This helps ensure smooth transitions between speakers and a cohesive delivery. In addition, practicing together builds confidence and helps you refine your timing.

Don’t: ignore feedback

Constructive criticism can help you improve your presentation. However, don’t take feedback personally – use it to make your presentation stronger.

Do: engage your audience

Keep your audience engaged by incorporating questions or a brief activity into your presentation. This interaction helps maintain their interest and makes your presentation stand out.

Don’t: monopolize the presentation

Ensuring everyone on the team has a chance to speak values each member’s contribution and keeps the presentation dynamic and interesting.

Do: use effective visuals

Visuals are great for engaging your audience and capturing their attention! That’s why make sure to incorporate charts, images, and videos to illustrate your points. Compelling visuals can make complex information easier to understand – just make sure they’re relevant and support your message.

Don’t: forget to smile

A friendly demeanor can make a big difference. Smiling helps you appear confident and approachable, and it can put both you and your audience at ease. Remember, you’ve prepared well, so enjoy the experience!

Do: use Prezi

If you want to stand out, use Prezi for your presentation! Its dynamic, non-linear format can make your content more engaging and visually appealing. Prezi allows you to create a more interactive and memorable presentation experience and makes the presentation creation process even easier with AI-powered functionalities .

Don’t: rush through transitions

Transitions between speakers are crucial. Don’t hurry through them; take your time to smoothly hand over to the next person. This maintains the flow of the presentation and keeps the audience engaged.

Creating a team presentation is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your collective talents and knowledge. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to delivering a presentation that’s both impressive and enjoyable.

Why Prezi is perfect for team presentations: the power of Prezi AI

Prezi is the go-to platform for team presentations, thanks to its incredible AI features. Prezi AI makes creating a polished, professional presentation a breeze, allowing you to focus on your content while it handles the design.

With Prezi AI, you can simply provide a prompt about your subject, and it will suggest the best layout, color scheme, and design elements. This means you don’t have to be a design expert to create a visually stunning presentation. Prezi AI can even put your entire presentation together for you, ensuring that it looks cohesive and engaging.

One of the standout features is the Prezi AI text tool. It can suggest edits to improve your content, recommend the best way to display your text—whether it be in lists, bullet points, or paragraphs—and even adjust the length of your text to fit perfectly on your slides. This not only saves time but also means you don’t need to constantly double-check your work. You can present with assurance, knowing your presentation is professionally polished.

Presenting with Prezi is incredibly easy, making it ideal for both virtual and in-person settings. For virtual presentations, Prezi Video allows you to display your slides live next to you, creating a more engaging experience for your audience. Prezi’s collaborative features are perfect for team presentations, enabling the entire team to present together virtually. Each member can take turns presenting their sections seamlessly, making it feel as if you’re all in the same room, even if you’re miles apart.

Prezi AI takes the stress out of creating and presenting, making it the best tool for team presentations. With its intelligent design suggestions, text editing capabilities, and seamless virtual presentation features, Prezi ensures your team can deliver an impressive and professional presentation every time.

Here’s a summary of the key things Prezi AI can do

Build your presentation: Prezi AI can literally put together your team presentation for you. It will come up with the best theme and layout and put the whole presentation into action. 

Suggest improvements: Prezi AI can offer suggestions to make sure your presentation looks visually appealing and engaging. By proposing matching color palettes, images, and layouts, Prezi AI helps you create a polished presentation that leaves a lasting impression.

Text editing: To make your message clear and concise, use the Prezi AI text editing tool. It can generate text based on prompts you provide as well as offer edit suggestions on existing text. This way, you know your text is correct and makes sense. 

Team presentation ideas from Prezi

Here are some Prezi presentation examples that would work well as team presentations: 

TED talks: From Inspiration to innovation

The Prezi presentation by Neil Hughes is a great example of a team presentation because it’s divided into sections, giving each participant a chance to share their insights. Incorporating videos for each section, where specific team members speak, effectively ensures that everyone has their say. This approach helps convey the message clearly and makes sure all voices are heard.

Adopting a gratitude frame of mind

The layout chosen for this presentation is ideal for a team effort. With four main points, each delved into further, it allows each team member to take responsibility for one point. This ensures a fair division of speaking time and workload among all team members.

UX design tips for product managers

Similar to the previous example, this serves as great inspiration for team presentations due to its division into five main points, each explored in detail. Assigning one team member to focus on each area allows them to dedicate their full effort to their section, resulting in a high-quality presentation overall. Additionally, this showcases how Prezi’s open canvas can create an immersive experience by zooming in and out of points, making your message much clearer.

Hopefully, these examples have given you more of an insight of what your team presentation could look like. Allocating one team member to each key point is a great idea to split the workload and ensure everyone gets their chance to speak and show off their expertise. 

However, not all team presentations require every team member to be involved in the presenting stage. Sometimes, tasks may be split in a way where some participants focus on the creation process, while others focus on the presenting aspect. It purely depends on where the talents of your team members lie. 

Wow your audience with a team presentation created with Prezi

Team presentations provide many positives that may not be attained with solo presentations. The opportunity to have different ideas and points of view can really broaden the perspective of your audience. They can deliver a sense of team unity and strength, which is particularly important in business. When it comes to educational settings, team presentations are a great opportunity to practice working in a group and identify each student’s strengths and weaknesses. 

Creating a team presentation should be more about the content you’re sharing and less about spending hours on design. This is why utilizing Prezi AI to create your finished product is a great choice, as you can focus more closely on working as a team. 

By using Prezi for your next team presentation, you can take your audience on an immersive journey through your words, ensuring your audience is hooked from start to finish.  

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Active Listening: Definition, Skills, & Benefits

Sara Viezzer

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc in Applied Neuropsychology

Sara Viezzer is a graduate of psychological studies at the University of Bristol and Padova. She has worked as an Assistant Psychologist in the NHS for the past two years in neuroscience and health psychology. Sara is presently pursuing a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

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Active listening is more than ‘hearing’ someone’s words. It means fully attuning to the feelings and views of the speaker, demonstrating unbiased acceptance and validation of their experience (Nelson-Jones, 2014). 

When we practice active listening, we pay attention to what is being communicated both verbally and nonverbally, focussing on the content of the message but also on the interpretation of the emotions conveyed through it and the body language.

In addition, we make an effort to show our understanding of the message, acknowledging the speaker’s internal frame and reflecting back on their emotions (Miller and Rollnick, 2012). 

Components of Active Listening

The concept has its roots in the formulation of psychologists Rogers and Farson (1987), who describe active listening as an important tool to foster positive change, in both dyadic and client-helper interactions and in group contexts. 

According to their perspective, there are three main components of successful active listening:

• Listen for total meaning 

When someone is communicating a message, there are two different layers to pay attention to the content and the feeling or attitude that underlies the content. By attuning to both these aspects, it is possible to fully engage in what a person is saying and accurately understand the meaning of the message. 

• Respond to feelings 

After listening, it is essential to respond to the feeling component of the message at the appropriate time. In this way, the speaker feels believed and supported, and an empathetic relationship is established. 

• Note all cues 

Nonverbal cues include the person’s facial expressions, eye contact, body posture, and voice tone. Paying attention to these signals can help gain a better understanding of the speaker’s emotional state and level of comfort. 

Overall, by putting in place these principles, it is possible to create a climate of respect and acceptance that provides a sense of psychological security to the speaker.

This, in turn, makes people more aware of the experiences that have been shared in the conversation and open to reflecting on alternative perspectives that can prompt a personal positive change. 

Ultimately, active listening helps build deeper and stronger relationships between the listener and the speaker (Rogers and Farson, 1987).

How to Improve Active Listening Skills

Since active listening requires a set of skills that goes beyond typical social skills used in everyday interactions, it is important to increase awareness of which behaviors can improve the quality of our listening experience, serving the values of empathy , genuineness, and unconditional positive regard (Westland, 2015). 

Paraphrasing

Restating what a person has said in our own words gives us the opportunity to understand whether we captured their point of view accurately. It also conveys interest in the content of the conversation and prevents potential miscommunications (Garland, 1981). 

For example, what we might say is, “I understand that this X situation has caused Y,” followed by, “Is that correct?”. 

In this way, we encourage the speaker to keep talking and further elaborate on their thoughts.

Receiving active listening paraphrases also creates a greater sense of closeness with the listener and can increase perceptions of social attractiveness, meaning that the target person is more likely to be considered a pleasant member of one’s social circle (Weger, Castle, and Emmett, 2010).

Open-ended questions

Asking closed, “yes or no” questions can block access to the speaker’s internal frame of reference, reducing the amount of information shared and preventing the conversation from flowing.

Instead, open-ended questions do not contain predetermined answers and are, therefore, a more powerful tool for obtaining expansive responses. 

In practice, we can replace the question “Do you think this was the wrong decision?” with “What do you think about this decision?” and “How do you think you could have responded differently?”.

In general, questions starting with “What?”, “How?” and “Why” are less biased and more likely to generate a full answer.

Verbalizing emotions

Although similar to paraphrasing, verbalizing emotions refers less to the content and more to perceiving the feelings expressed by the speaker and reflecting them back (Miller and Rollnick, 2013).

It involves listening for words and phrases manifesting emotional states ranging from fear , lack of self-confidence, and boredom to cheerfulness and excitement. 

For example, if a person says, sighing, “Tomorrow I have got an early shift at work,” we can verbalize their emotions by saying, “You don’t seem to be looking forward to it.” In this way, we encourage the other person to open up and evaluate their own feelings.

Verbal affirmations

Showing short, positive expressions of interest demonstrates our engagement in the conversation, motivating the person to keep talking without interruptions (Nelson-Jones, 2014). 

Some affirmations that can act as small incentives are “I understand,” “I see,” and “That makes sense,” often accompanied by expressions of encouragement such as smiling and nodding. 

Verbal affirmations are particularly effective when used in response to content the speaker wants us to pay particular attention to and can increase the other person’s perceptions of being believed and supported. 

Asking for clarification helps to gain a better understanding of concepts that are too vague or unclear. It delivers the positive intent of wanting to learn more rather than making assumptions that are based on our own interpretative structures. 

Clarifying questions can also prompt further reflection and redefinition of ideas that have been shared, helping people to see things from an alternative angle. Some examples of clarifying questions are “What do you mean by this?”, “Can you give me an example?”.

Encouraging

Encouraging the speaker to provide further details on the topic of the conversation demonstrates our willingness to listen and dig deeper (Weger, Castle, and Emmett, 2010).

It facilitates greater openness from the speaker, fostering feelings of safety and acceptance. 

During the narration of a story, we can, for example, ask, “What happened next?” or “How did this make you feel?”.  We may also try to use a different intonation to express our interest or offer verbal prompts to elicit further reflection.  

Non-verbal affirmations

Using positive body language also shows that we are present and willing to follow the conversation (McNaughton et al., 2008). Gently nodding our head, making eye contact, and smiling are simple, supportive cues that help the speaker feel listened to and comfortable. 

Maintaining a still position can also communicate total concentration and focus, and it is, therefore, important to avoid behaviors that manifest our distractibility, such as glancing at our watch, multitasking, or daydreaming.

Awareness of our facial expressions also ensures that we are not conveying any negative or judgemental response.

Waiting to disclose opinions

Patiently waiting to disclose our opinion allows the other person’s train of thought to continue without interruptions.

In addition, it minimizes the risk of the so-called “myside bias,” which is the tendency to interpret information in a way that confirms our opinions (Stanovich, West, and Toplak, 2013). 

If we feel the urge to immediately share our thoughts, we are delivering the message that the speaker’s ideas are less important than ours, and we demonstrate boredom and impatience.

By temporarily suspending our responses, we provide more space for reflection to the speaker, and we can gain a complete picture of their point of view.

What are Some Barriers to Active Listening?

Holding judgments.

When practicing active listening, self-monitoring our thoughts can help us refrain from making judgments. Responses containing labeling or criticism can increase the other person’s defensiveness, making the free expression of thoughts more difficult (Robertson, 2005). 

To maintain an open and non-judgemental attitude, we might consider that other people’s ideas are influenced by a variety of contextual factors, including culture , educational background, religious beliefs, and the support system around them (Nelson-Jones, 2014).

With this in mind, it is easier to create a climate of acceptance and use other people’s perspectives as opportunities to enrich our own.

Suggesting solutions

It can sometimes be tempting to suggest solutions to someone who expresses a problem or concern. Although it might seem supportive, it is worth asking ourselves if the person is truly soliciting our advice or if they are just looking for a space to be listened to. 

Jumping to solutions might indicate our discomfort about what the speaker is saying, and it can create an imbalance in power dynamics, discouraging them from coming up with their own solutions (Weiste and Peräkylä, 2014).

Alternatively, we can offer empathetic responses, such as “I understand this is causing frustration,” or reflect the speaker’s emotions.

Interrupting

Interruptions convey the message that we are not interested in what the other person has to say or that we do not have enough time to listen to them. They can also indicate an attempt to dominate the conversation by imposing their own opinion, which might leave the speaker less motivated to disclose deeper and more meaningful content. 

Waiting for natural breaks in the conversation or pausing for a few seconds before speaking are some strategies that can help maintain positive interactions with others (Lunenburg, 2010).

If we find ourselves interrupting, we might also allow the other person to continue speaking by saying, “Sorry for interrupting. Please go on.” 

Diverting the conversation

Changing the subject of the conversation shows that we are rejecting what the speaker is saying and is an indicator of unassertive communication (Weiste and Peräkylä, 2014). If we feel uncomfortable talking about a specific topic, it is more respectful to tell the other person directly and offer an alternative time to discuss. 

Diverting the conversation towards ourselves is also a major listening barrier.

Making statements such as “I had a similar situation when…” or “This is nothing compared to when I…”  will deliver the message that our experience is more relevant, introducing unhelpful comparisons with the speaker.

What are the Benefits of Active Listening?

Practicing active listening can have a positive impact in many areas of life, including personal relationships, social interactions, and work collaborations.

Building trust

When a person feels listened to, it is easier to create a relationship based on trust and loyalty. Especially when someone is dealing with hardships and problems, active listening allows us to showcase compassion, making the other person more comfortable sharing their vulnerabilities (Doell, 2003). 

In the workplace, building trust between team members helps establish healthier working relationships, boosting levels of engagement and sharing of information that is crucial for group development (Roger and Farson, 1957). 

Resolving conflicts

Sometimes, we become so entrenched in our own beliefs that it is difficult to see other people’s perspectives. Active listening gives the opportunity to understand alternative viewpoints and identify possible areas of agreement to move forward toward a resolution (Phillips, 1999).

When neither party is listening, the conversation becomes formulaic, and there is a greater risk of misunderstanding. 

Broadening knowledge

Maintaining a good level of interest in the topic of the conversation can promote understanding and learning of a variety of subjects. In personal interactions, this approach helps incorporate new knowledge and opinions into our perspective, empowering our ability to see things with greater awareness.

In the workplace, it allows us to have a more in-depth approach when trying to assimilate more details about a topic or when planning a strategy for organizational improvement.

Anticipating problems

When we make an effort to understand the speaker’s message correctly, we are in a better position to identify problems that are not immediately evident on the surface and devise a strategy to address them promptly (Phillips, 1999).

This can also limit the chance of errors occurring in the workplace, as we make sure we are not missing important information.

Promoting collaboration and empathy

Using validating words and feedback when listening to others’ experiences allows us to adopt a more empathetic attitude, resulting in greater emotional support and strengthening the quality of our relationships.

It also helps create a positive environment at work by encouraging open communication between colleagues and improving teams’ collaboration skills (Jonsdottir and Kristinsson, 2020).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between active and passive listening.

While in active listening, the listener pays complete attention to the content of the conversation and responds accordingly, in passive listening, there is no reaction or comment to the information that has been shared. 

A passive listener simply consumes the message without showing interest in the content and neglects the details that allow a full understanding of the speaker’s intention, including nonverbal cues and hidden meanings.

An indication of passive listening is the person not being able to fully absorb the content of the message and recall it in the future.  

How can active listening help to avoid miscommunication?

Miscommunication typically occurs when there is a mismatch between our understanding and the real meaning of the message, increasing the risk of problems and conflicts.

One of the most effective active listening skills that can help avoid miscommunication is restating what the person has said, as it will clarify whether the information has been understood properly, as well as asking relevant follow-up questions. 

In addition, fully engaging in the conversation and avoiding distractions will allow most of our attentional resources to be directed toward the speaker, noticing the nuances of their opinions more accurately.

How can active listening improve a relationship?

Listening is an emotional skill that enables us to be sensitive to what others are saying, prioritizing their expression of thoughts and feelings over ours.

Through active listening, we deliver the message that we want to be there for that person, providing a safe space where they will not be judged, disbelieved, or criticized. 

When we show understanding and the ability to remember information that is relevant to the other person, we can create stronger bonds and healthier relationships based on trust and empathy (Bodie et al., 2015).

Bodie, G. D., Vickery, A. J., Cannava, K., & Jones, S. M. (2015). The role of “active listening” in informal helping conversations: Impact on perceptions of listener helpfulness, sensitivity, and supportiveness and discloser emotional improvement.  Western Journal of Communication ,  79 (2), 151-173.

Doell, F (2003). “Partners’ listening styles and relationship satisfaction: listening to understand vs. listening to respond.” Graduate thesis. The University of Toronto Psychology Dept.

Garland, D. R. (1981). Training married couples in listening skills: Effects on behavior, perceptual accuracy and marital adjustment.  Family Relations , 297-306.

Jonsdottir, I. J., & Kristinsson, K. (2020). Supervisors’ active-empathetic listening as an important antecedent of work engagement.  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ,  17 (21), 7976.

Lunenburg, F. C. (2010). Communication: The process, barriers, and improving effectiveness.  Schooling ,  1 (1), 1-10.

McNaughton, D., Hamlin, D., McCarthy, J., Head-Reeves, D., & Schreiner, M. (2008). Learning to listen: Teaching an active listening strategy to preservice education professionals.  Topics in Early Childhood Special Education ,  27 (4), 223-231.

Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2013).  Motivational interviewing: Helping people change . Guilford press.

Nelson-Jones, R. (2014). Nelson-Jones’ theory and practice of counselling and psychotherapy. Nelson-Jones’ Theory and Practice of Counselling and Psychotherapy , 1-528.

Phillips, B. (1999). Reformulating dispute narratives through active listening.  Mediation Quarterly ,  17 (2), 161-180.

Robertson, K. (2005). Active listening: More than just paying attention.  Australian Family Physician ,  34 (12), 1053–1055.

Rogers, C. R., & Farson, R. E. (1957). Active listening.  Chicago, IL .

Stanovich, K. E., West, R. F., & Toplak, M. E. (2013). Myside bias, rational thinking, and intelligence.  Current Directions in Psychological Science ,  22 (4), 259-264.

Weger Jr, H., Castle, G. R., & Emmett, M. C. (2010). Active listening in peer interviews: The influence of message paraphrasing on perceptions of listening skill.  The Intl. Journal of Listening ,  24 (1), 34-49.

Weiste, E., & Peräkylä, A. (2014). Prosody and empathic communication in psychotherapy interaction.  Psychotherapy Research ,  24 (6), 687-701.Westland, G. (2015).  Verbal and non-verbal communication in psychotherapy . WW Norton & Company.

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What is Point of View? Definition & 8 Types of Point of View

by Fija Callaghan

When people talk about what makes a strong story, they often turn to things like believable characters , engaging plots , or fascinating settings. It’s easy to forget that the way in which you tell the story is just as important, and it is present in Every. Single. Moment. This is where we get our point of view in a story, or PoV.

Let’s look at the range of different points of view we can use in our writing (hint: it’s more than just three!), and how to avoid the pitfalls of using point of view.

What is point of view?

Point of view (sometimes called the PoV) is the direction from which the story is being told and the way the writer chooses to communicate with the reader. In other words, it determines who is narrating the story. Some stories are told from only one character’s point of view, while others are told from many.

When telling your story, you can go right into the character’s innermost thoughts, or you can pan out into a wider, less intimate view. Both have their benefits and their drawbacks, and it’s up to you as the writer to discover which one works best for your story.

Point of view vs. perspective

Point of view and perspective are sometimes used interchangeably, since they both refer to the characters through which we see our story. Each gives us a range of choices as to how we communicate with our reader. However, perspective and point of view are not quite the same thing.

Perspective has to do with your character’s place in the world, who they are, the way they see things, and the way the world sees them. Your story will usually be told in one point of view, but it may have multiple perspectives.

For example, imagine you’re writing a story set in a high-powered high-rise marketing company—think workplace politics, slick heels, secret liaisons in the janitor’s closet, designer blazers, ambitious interns… you get the idea. Even if you choose one consistent point of view to use throughout your story, each character’s perspective will be completely different.

Maybe the company’s just been inherited by a rich party boy who wants nothing to do with it; maybe the head of operations is its first ever female CEO; maybe the intern is a young black guy from the worst part of town who got the job by lying on his resume. Every single one of these characters will bring a completely different filter to the events of the plot. That’s perspective at work.

If point of view is the style with which we communicate with the reader, then perspective is the unique view that each character brings to the story. Their understanding of the world, of the other characters around them, and of themselves will shape the way the story unfolds.

Playing with different perspectives in your story can be a fun way to look at your plot in new ways and to show different facets of it to your reader.

The 8 types of point of view and how to use them

You’ll be forgiven for thinking that the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” and more recently “fourth” person PoV mean that there’s only four of them. That’s partly true—there are four different overarching PoV categories, with several PoV types within them.

First-person PoV is told from the perspective of the character, using the pronoun “I.”

Second-person PoV is told from the perspective of the reader as a character, using the pronoun “you.”

Third-person PoV is told from the perspective of the author, or an external narrator, using the pronouns “he,” “she,” or “they.”

Fourth-person PoV is told from the perspective of a collective consciousness, using the pronoun “we.”

Let’s look at each of these PoVs, and their subtypes, a little more closely.

1. First-person subjective

You’ll see two “ first persons ” in the wide world of literature, and they have much in common. Both are written as though the story is told by the central character—for example, I closed the door behind me and walked down the steps. This point of view makes the reader feel as though they’re experiencing the world of the story right beside them.

Most first-person narratives are told in a subjective manner—the way the character might speak as though they were writing in a journal or talking to a dear friend. This means that the character’s thoughts, feelings, and ideas are shown to us on the page. For example, I closed the door behind me and walked down the steps, holding my head high as I bit back my tears, resisting the urge to turn and run back inside. The access to the narrator’s inner thoughts and emotions are what make this point of view “subjective.”

2. First-person objective

First-person objective is a more removed point of view that can be used to great effect, especially when dealing with very difficult emotions. It’s characterized by only showing the actions happening in the story, and not the deeper thoughts or emotions of the narrator. For example, I closed the door behind me and walked down the steps. I did not turn back . If you’ve developed the story leading up to this moment effectively, then that short, simple sentence might be enough to show us everything the first-person narrator is going through.

Stephen King used this narrative style very effectively in his memoir On Writing , when he described his experience in a near-fatal car crash. Instead of describing his fear and the feelings he was experiencing in that moment, he simply laid out the events in close detail, allowing the reader to watch it alongside him like video footage. This made it seem all the more real and more “objective,” because the narrative isn’t being filtered through the narrator’s inner thoughts and emotions.

3. Second person

Second-person point of view stories are told from the perspective of the reader—an intimacy so closely woven that the reader and the protagonist become one and the same. This is difficult to do well. It’s often highly stylized, and generally better suited to short stories than novels. However, it’s not a bad exercise to try using second-person point of view to stretch your limits as a writer.

You may recognize second-person PoV from those middle grade “choose your own adventure” books—the ones that go, You sneak a glance down the hall, relieved to see it empty. The door to the library is open just a sliver. Do you open it? Yes of course you do, because the alternative is to turn off the light and go to sleep, and what eleven-year-old is going to choose that for their adventure?

Jay McInerney’s ambitious novel Bright Lights, Big City , which is often credited as a cornerstone of second-person point of view writing, begins, “You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning.” Right away the reader knows they’re in for something very special. Second-person narration takes immersion in the story to a new level. Instead of reading about another person, your reader follows the story as though they were reading about themselves—things that they could only dream of doing, living, experiencing.

Then—unlike the protagonists of first- or third-person narration, who continue living their story long after—your reader closes the book when they’re finished, knowing that they lived something wonderful and now it’s time to go home.

4. Third-person limited subjective

Third-person narratives use the pronouns “he,” “she,” or “they” to describe the main character. They’re told from the point of view of a camera following the story. Depending on how close the camera moves in, you might be following the thoughts of just one character, or you might be following all of them. Third-person limited point of view means focusing on just one character, while third-person multiple or third-person omniscient means following many.

Third-person limited subjective is a subtype of the third-person narrative, and it’s quite similar to first-person subjective: it follows the main character through the story and allows the reader to see what they’re thinking and feeling in response to the world around them. This is a classic storytelling style that allows us to view the events of the story through the intimate lens of a single character.

Like with a first-person narrative, the reader may get access to the character’s inner thoughts. The difference between the two points of view is that in the first-person point of view, the protagonist is telling us their own thoughts and feelings; in the third-person limited subjective point of view, an outside narrator , the camera, is telling us what the protagonist is thinking and feeling. This makes the third-person narrator less “subjective” than the first-person perspective.

5. Third-person multiple subjective

This type of third-person PoV is like the third-person limited subjective point of view in that it can peer into the mind of a character. The difference is that third-person multiple subjective goes deeper into the thoughts and feelings of several characters—not just the protagonist.

This narrative style might explore all the central characters in a story, or only a selection of them—for example, alternating between two siblings. The crucial part of third-person multiple subjective point of view is that when a character comes in to focus, they become the center of that moment in the story—whether that moment is a scene, a chapter, or a longer “part one.” In other words, we see thoughts and feelings of the third-person limited narrator, but not those of the other characters around them .

6. Third-person objective

The third-person objective point of view style most closely resembles the way we would see a story being played out on screen. We follow several characters throughout the course of the story, but only as an external observer. We see their actions, experiences, moments of joy and sadness, hear what they say out loud and see what they’re communicating with their bodies, but never go any deeper into their consciousnesses. Think of the narrator as a camera: the narrator can only observe events.

Shirley Jackson’s “ The Lottery ” effectively uses an objective third person point of view to show the unfolding of a terrible cultural event. While we can perceive some of the characters’ emotions showing in their actions and reactions, she never goes right into a character’s mind; we see the story building to its apex as an onlooker.

7. Third-person omniscient

Like third-person multiple subjective, the third-person omniscient point of view allows the reader to see into the minds of more than one character. The difference is that in an omniscient narration, it’s all happening at once . We can watch a conversation between two characters unfold and know what each of them is saying, thinking, and not saying. We’ll know if someone in the next room is overhearing them and drawing conclusions of their own. And we’ll know what every one of these people is planning to do next.

Third-person omniscient point of view is useful in creating a sense of suspense in the reader, as it shows us things that the protagonist doesn’t yet know. An expert storyteller can use an omniscient narrator to reveal just enough that we understand the goals and motivations of several of the players on the stage, while still leaving us room to be surprised.

8. Fourth person

Fourth-person point of view is a newer writing style that’s gathering steam as writers use it to explore big-picture social questions. It’s similar to first-person point of view in that it’s told from the perspective of the character, only in this case the fourth-person narrative perspective is a collective—a group of people, or a representation of a group of people such as a social class.

This narrative style uses the pronoun “we”: “We listened patiently to their words, withstood the tempest of their abuse, knowing we would soon leave it all behind.”

Why does point of view matter in storytelling?

Contrary to what you might see in some other writing guides, there’s no “wrong” point of view for your story. But it is important to be aware that your story can be very different depending on which PoV you choose to tell it from.

Perspectives shown from the first- and second-person points of view lend immediacy and create intimacy in your story. Writing in the third-person point of view allows more distance between the reader and the characters, but offers the benefit of seeing more of the story world than the characters can. This adds tension, intrigue, and suspense to your story. Fourth-person point of view allows the reader to become part of a community, a movement, on the page.

All of the points of view we discussed have been used very successfully in short stories and novels across history. When starting a new project, you may want to try out a few of them to see which one you feel most comfortable in. Some will be more challenging than others, and that’s okay. That’s how writers learn and grow.

The biggest point of view mistake new writers make

Every one of these points of view we’ve shown you can be used to create a powerful, engaging story through the voices of your characters. However, once you establish point of view, you need to keep it consistent through the entire story .

While every one of these perspectives is valuable and can be explored to create wonderful stories, the danger lies in slipping out of one point of view and into another —for instance, writing a story in the third-person limited subjective point of view (where a camera tells us the inner thoughts of a single character), and then finding yourself jumping in to another character’s head completely. Or writing in the first-person point of view, and accidentally mentioning a thought another character has had, even though your protagonist couldn’t have known it.

Doing this is called “ head hopping .” It’s very easy to do without noticing, and even experienced authors often have to go back over their work and pick out these moments during the editing process.

The same problem is a common weakness of second-person writing—the point of view may shift into first person as the author begins writing to the reader instead of as them. For example, check out this moment of second-person narrative:

Staying a safe distance away, you looked at the old house. Its windows were dark, and for that you were grateful. Keeping out of sight, you sent me our old signal to open the back door.

Stop the presses! Are we still in second-person point of view? No we aren’t, because we slipped up and used one of the first-person pronouns, instantly changing the point of view to the first person perspective—where a character is talking to the reader—and not the second person.

When beginning a new project, make sure you establish the point of view you want to write from. Once you’ve decided which point of view is right for your particular story, make sure you keep your narrative voice consistent from beginning to end.

Which point of view is best for your story?

With all these fantastic narrative choices, how do you know which one to choose? The right PoV for your story depends on two things:

1. the level of intimacy you want the reader to have with your character, and—

2. how much information you want them to have about what’s happening in the story.

Speaking very generally, first-person point of view is a good choice for more literary stories with a lot of character development, because we can see the characters change and grow from the most intimate perspective possible—hearing it from the character’s mind. Third-person point of view is often a better choice for epic stories like fantasies and thrillers, because it gives your reader an expanded view of what’s happening in the story at any given moment.

But every genre has been approached with just about every point of view possible, and there’s no reason you can’t do the same. You may even do something no one has ever done before! When looking for the right PoV for your story, the best thing to do is try writing a few paragraphs in several point of view styles to see which one flows the most naturally. If you get stuck a chapter or two in, try switching to another point of view and see if that unlocks your story.

The right PoV will always be the one that the story wants to follow—your job is to discover it by carving away everything it doesn’t want.

Point of view is a fundamental building block of writing

Like any craft form, writing is full of pieces that we need to maneuver into place to get the best out of our work. Point of view is one of these pieces—an essential cog that quietly supports the other building blocks of our story and helps make them as powerful as they can be.

Our point of view style helps us engage readers with our characters, bring them into the world of our story, and manage the delicate balance of tension, revelation, and suspense. As you experiment with these different narrative styles, you’ll see that a well-chosen point of view in your story can make all the difference.

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Related articles

What is 4th Person Point of View?

How to Write in the Second Person Point of View + Examples

What is Third-Person Limited Point of View? Definition and Examples

What Is Objective Point of View? Plus Tips on How to Write It

How to Write in Third Person Multiple Point of View + Examples

Writing First Person Point of View: Definition & Examples

What is Memorial Day? The true meaning of why we celebrate the federal holiday

For many Americans, Memorial Day is more than a long weekend and an unofficial start to the summer season. The real meaning of the holiday is meant to honor all U.S. soldiers who have died serving their country.

Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day's history goes back to the Civil War. It was was declared a national holiday by Congress in 1971, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Although Veterans Day in November also honors military service members, Memorial Day differs by honoring all military members who have died while serving in U.S. forces in any current or previous wars.

The late-May holiday has also evolved into an opportunity for Americans to head to the beach or lake , travel to see friends and family , or even catch a Memorial Day parade .

Here's what to know about the history and the reason behind why we observe Memorial Day.

Memorial Day weather: Severe storms could hamper your travel, outdoor plans for Memorial Day weekend

When is Memorial Day?

One of 11 federal holidays recognized in the U.S., Memorial Day is always observed on the last Monday of May. This year, the holiday falls on Monday, May 27.

Why do we celebrate Memorial Day?  

The origins of the holiday can be traced back to local observances for soldiers with neglected gravesites during the Civil War.

The first observance of what would become Memorial Day, some historians think, took place in Charleston, South Carolina at the site of a horse racing track that Confederates had turned into a prison holding Union prisoners. Blacks in the city organized a burial of deceased Union prisoners and built a fence around the site, Yale historian David Blight wrote in  The New York Times  in 2011.

Then on May 1, 1865, they held an event there including a parade – Blacks who fought in the Civil War participated – spiritual readings and songs, and picnicking. A commemorative marker was erected there in 2010.

One of the first Decoration Days was held in Columbus, Mississippi, on April 25, 1866 by women who decorated graves of Confederate soldiers who perished in the battle at Shiloh with flowers. On May 5, 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War, the tradition of placing flowers on veterans’ graves was continued by the establishment of Decoration Day by an organization of Union veterans, the Grand Army of the Republic. 

General Ulysses S. Grant presided over the first large observance, a crowd of about 5,000 people, at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on May 30, 1873.

This tradition continues to thrive in cemeteries of all sizes across the country. 

Until World War I, Civil War soldiers were solely honored on this holiday. Now, all Americans who’ve served are observed. 

At least 25 places in the North and the South claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. Some states that claim ownership of the origins include Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, according to Veterans Affairs.

Despite conflicting claims, the U.S. Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, New York, as the “birthplace” of Memorial Day on May 30, 1966, after Governor Nelson Rockefeller's declaration that same year. The New York community formally honored local veterans May 5, 1866 by closing businesses and lowering flags at half-staff. 

Why is Memorial Day in May? 

The day that we celebrate Memorial Day is believed to be influenced by Illinois U.S. Representative John A. Logan, who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in November 1858, and served as an officer during the Mexican War.

It is said that Logan, a staunch defender of the Union, believed Memorial Day should occur when flowers are in full bloom across the country, according to the  National Museum of the U.S. Army.

Congress passed an act making May 30 a holiday in the District of Columbia in 1888,  according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service.

In 2000, the National Moment of Remembrance Act – which created the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance and encourages all to pause at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence – was signed into law by Congress and the President.

What is the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day?

Memorial Day and Veterans Day both honor the sacrifices made by U.S. veterans, but the holidays serve different purposes.

Veterans Day, originally called “Armistice Day,” is a younger holiday established in 1926 as a way to commemorate all those who had served in the U.S. armed forces during World War I.

Memorial Day honors all those who have died.

Canva's 'cringe' 'Hamilton'-like hip-hop routine gets called out

• People on X are complaining about a "cringe" performance at a recent Canva event.
• The hip-hop routine gave some people flashbacks to Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical "Hamilton".
• Canva reportedly continues to attract interest from investors, though it doesn't have any firm plans yet for an IPO.

Forget Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer dancing at the Windows 95 launch party . On Sunday, some in the tech world were focused on a new bizarre performance.

The routine took place last week on the stage at Canva Create, a conference hosted in Los Angeles by the company behind the design and editing app . In it, a singer is performing a hip-hop song and dance routine praising the virtues of Canva with six backup dancers surrounding him.

Suddenly, another singer posing as a hypothetical chief information officer from one of the company's clients appears onstage.

"We've got pretty high stakes, no room to err," the CIO sings as she challenges the first singer on Canva's abilities as a jazz track plays in the background. "We need more than a cute little post to share!"

"You can even manage automated licensing, compliancy, there's privacy," he responds to another question later in the performance. Canva did not respond to a request for comment on the performance from Business Insider.

Related stories

A video of the performance went viral on X, formerly known as Twitter, over the weekend. Even in an industry known for odd spectacles at conferences, some users said the routine stood out:

This is the most cringe shit I have ever seen in my entire tech career pic.twitter.com/RPEaUxtLyT — Alex Cohen 🤠 (@anothercohen) May 26, 2024

Call 911 I'm having a cringe overdose https://t.co/MfAWI1bwiG — Finn McKenty (@thefinnmckenty) May 26, 2024

Other posters pointed out the performance's similarities to " Hamilton" , the musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda that's famous for using slant-rhymes and rap battles to tell the life story of Alexander Hamilton:

This is Lin Manuel Miranda’s fault 😭 https://t.co/JOZD1xxmIY — Han (@FilesSandwich) May 26, 2024

send lin-manuel miranda to the hague already https://t.co/1VsnnM7ln5 — Danya (@dandoon_danya) May 26, 2024

Early Canva investors and employees made $1.6 billion on a share sale last month which valued the startup at $26 billion, according to the Australian Financial Review.

The sale indicated strong interest in the company's shares as the company considers going public in the future, the Review reported. A date for an IPO has not been set.

Watch: AI can help audio advertisers lower costs through use of synthetic voices and automated copy writing, says SiriusXM's Lizzie Widhelm

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Definition of facade

Illustration of facade, did you know.

A Brief History of Facade

Facade is thought to have come to English from the Vulgar Latin facia , meaning “face.” Along the way it passed through both Italian, as faccia , and French, as façade . The earliest meaning of the word in English was in reference to the front portion of a building, its “face,” so to speak (and face itself is sometimes used to describe this part of a structure as well). Somewhere along the way facade took on a figurative sense, referring to a way of behaving or appearing that gives other people a false idea of your true feelings or situation. This is similar to the figurative use of veneer , which originally had the simple meaning of a thin layer of wood that was used to cover something, and now may also refer to a sort of deceptive behavior that masks one’s actual feelings (as in, “he had a thin veneer of politeness”).

Examples of facade in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'facade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

borrowed from French, going back to Middle French fassade, borrowed from Italian facciata, from faccia "face" (going back to Vulgar Latin *facia ) + -ata -ade — more at face entry 1

circa 1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Dictionary Entries Near facade

Cite this entry.

“Facade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facade. Accessed 3 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of facade, more from merriam-webster on facade.

Nglish: Translation of facade for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of facade for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about facade

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What You Need To Know About “Protester” vs. “Rioter” vs. “Terrorist” vs. “Mob”

• What is a protester?
• What is a rioter?
• What is a terrorist?
• What is a mob?

On January 6, 2021, a mob at a protest rally in support of Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol building on the day Congress was set to certify the electoral vote count to confirm Joe Biden’s presidential election victory.

As people processed this shocking event, they debated how to refer to the participants in the siege . Should the people who invaded the Capitol, even if they were originally attending the rally, still be called protesters ? Or do stronger words like rioter —or even terrorist —apply?

We will leave the exact labeling to justice departments, but here, we will investigate the dictionary and legal definitions to help bring some clarity to these consequential terms—and tumultuous times.

What is a protester ?

A protester —also spelled protestor —is a person who participates in a protest. A protest is “an expression or declaration of objection , disapproval , or dissent , often in opposition to something a person is powerless to prevent or avoid.”

Protests are often held against things like a nation’s involvement in a war or specific government policies or forms of injustice . Such protests are often held in public spaces by people who want to display their disapproval openly in order to bring awareness to their cause and put pressure on authorities to make changes.

A close synonym for protester is a demonstrator , a person who takes part in a public demonstration. A demonstration , in this context, is “a public exhibition of the attitude of a group of persons toward a controversial issue, or other matter, made by picketing, parading, etc.”

The word protest is first recorded in English in the 1300s. It comes from the Latin prōtestārī , meaning “to declare publicly.”

Legal definition of protest

Protestor , protester , and protest appear in many US laws , but no provision specifically sets out a definition for the term.

US citizens have the right to organize protests on the basis of the First Amendment of the Constitution :

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances .

Find out if you know the difference between protest and dissent .

What is a rioter ?

A rioter is a person who takes part in a riot . A riot is “a noisy, violent public disorder caused by a group or crowd of persons, as by a crowd protesting against another group, a government policy, etc., in the streets.”

Violent protests are sometimes called riots . But the term riot is often extremely loaded and used in a way that’s intended to be dismissive of protests and portray protesters as lawless , destructive, or violent.

The word riot is first recorded between 1175 and 1225. It comes through a Middle English word meaning “ debauchery ” or “violent disturbance” from the Old French riote, meaning “debate” or “ quarrel .” Riote is a noun derived from the Old French rihoter or riotter (“to quarrel”).

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Legal definition of riot

Riot is specifically defined in Section 2102 of Chapter 102 of Title 18 of the United States Code. According to this section, a riot is a public disturbance involving:

•  an act or acts of violence by one or more persons part of an assemblage of three or more persons, which act or acts shall constitute a clear and present danger of, or shall result in, damage or injury to the property of any other person or to the person of any other individual; or
• a threat or threats of the commission of an act or acts of violence by one or more persons part of an assemblage of three or more persons having, individually or collectively, the ability of immediate execution of such threat or threats, where the performance of the threatened act or acts of violence would constitute a clear and present danger of, or would result in, damage or injury to the property of any other person or to the person of any other individual.

A riot , then, involves violence or a credible threat of violence. Peaceful, nonviolent protests can turn into riots.

What is a terrorist ?

A terrorist is “a person, usually a member of a group, who uses or advocates terrorism.” Terrorism is “the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce , especially for political purposes.”

A terrorist is different from both a protester and a rioter in that a terrorist deliberately uses violence (or threats of it) with a motivation, usually political in nature. A rioter is engaged in a violent disturbance (a brawl, vandalism, etc.), but that disturbance does not necessarily amount to terrorism.

The word terrorism was first recorded in the late 1700s. It is based on the word terror , which comes from the Latin verb terrēre, meaning “to frighten.”

Legal definition of terrorism

Chapter 113B in Title 18 of the US Code has extensive provisions on—and definitions of— terrorism . In the US, protecting against terrorist acts is under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Based on Chapter 113B, the FBI also provides definitions for international terrorism and domestic terrorism.

• International terrorism : violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups who are inspired by, or associated with, designated foreign terrorist organizations or nations (state-sponsored).
• Domestic terrorism: violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.

What is a mob ?

A mob is “a disorderly or riotous crowd of people” or “a crowd bent on or engaged in lawless violence.” A member of a mob can be called a mobber , although this is rare. A group of protesters or demonstrators can devolve into a mob if they become violent and riotous.

The word mob is first recorded in the 1680s. It is short for the Latin mōbile vulgus,  which translates to “the movable (changeable) common people.”

Legal definition of mob

The word mob appears in a few US laws , but, like protester , no provision explicitly lays out a legal definition of the term.

Of all of the words we have discussed, mob is the most general. Mob is often used as a synonym for the word riot in everyday language. In fact, mobs are frequently described as riotous

Because a mob is disorganized and chaotic, a member of a mob is different from a terrorist, who is part of an organized group or has (usually political) motivations behind their actions.

A mob can form out of a protest, but the word protestors is generally used to refer to people who are peacefully making their voice heard in public in some way.

Strengthen your vocabulary defenses by discovering even more about each of these terms.

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Prepositions

What are prepositions.

• The rat is in the corner.
• Her party was on Saturday.

Examples of Prepositions

• in , on , at , for , with , by , to , from , into , about

Examples of prepositions that tell us where :

• The cat on the table is called Toby.
• Our tractor is stuck in the mud.

Examples of prepositions that tell us when :

• The meeting is on Saturday.
• The bell will ring at 7 o'clock.

Table of Contents

Find the Preposition Test

More examples of prepositions that tell us where, more examples of prepositions that tell us when, other relationships shown by prepositions, real-life examples of prepositions.

• List of Common Prepositions

Grammar Terminology related to Prepositions

Object of a preposition, prepositional phrase, video lesson, why prepositions are important.

• the boy behind the bush
• a mouse under the stairs

A Good Way to Think about Prepositions

• the calm before the storm
• one second after the bang

About the Word "Preposition"

• a bone for the dog
• everyone except the teacher
• These are the wishes of the people.
• It is a device for opening jars.
• The book about the wizard
• The book by the wizard
• The book near the wizard
• The book behind the wizard
• The book under the wizard
• It is a container for butter.
• The eagle soared above the clouds.
• He is the President of the United States.

Can You Identify Prepositions ?

• I cook with wine. Sometimes, I even add it to food. (Actor W C Fields)
• Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes. (Actor Jim Carrey)
• The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. (Physicist Albert Einstein)
• If you haven't got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me. (Writer Alice Roosevelt Longworth)

• It is a message from Mark .
• Mark is trapped on the island .

Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos .

(Issue 1) Do not capitalize prepositions in a title.

(Issue 2) Do not use the wrong case after a preposition.

(Issue 3) Do not confuse prepositions with other words.

(issue 4) try to avoid ending a sentence in a preposition., 1/5 people think you cannot end a sentence with a preposition..

Lots of people think you cannot end a sentence in a preposition because, as we've just covered, prepositions sit before nouns. (It is, after all, how preposition gets its name.) Therefore, if a preposition is the last word in the sentence, it can't sit before anything. So, there is some logic to their thinking. Interestingly, this issue is more complicated than many realize, but here is a summary:

• It is perfectly acceptable – from a grammatical perspective – to end a sentence in a "preposition."

Here's the rub. If you end a sentence with a preposition, a fair few of your readers will think it's a grammar mistake or sloppy writing. So, it makes sense to avoid a preposition at the end of a sentence. Those people aside, there is another good reason to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition. Your sentence will be sharper. So, yes, you should avoid an end-of-sentence preposition. Think of it as a game rather than a ruling.

• It is a scenario I have not thought of .
• It is a scenario of which I have not thought.
• It is a scenario I have not considered.

Why was the word "preposition" in quotation marks earlier in this section? Well, quite often, your sentence will end in something that looks like a preposition but isn't. Bear in mind that your "preposition" could be part of a phrasal verb , i.e., a verb comprising a main verb and another word that looks like a preposition, e.g., "fill in," "stick to," "catch up," "catch out." Quite often, these words must be next to each other, which is a factor in your sentence structure. Ending a sentence with the "preposition" (usually called a "particle") of a phrasal verb is fine.

• It is a scenario we should not put up with.

(Issue 5) Keep your writing succinct.

• I cannot face up to the consequences.
• I cannot face the consequences.
• You can end a sentence in a preposition, but you run the risk of irking people who still think you can't.
• Don't say "between you and I" or "from my wife and I." They're both wrong.
• "Too" means overly or as well. "To" doesn't.
• Write "have" not "of" when expanding a contraction like "would've."
• "Dependent on" means reliant on. A "dependant" is a person.

This page was written by Craig Shrives .

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In Florida, Shared (Joint) Ownership Can Be a Big Problem: Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship

by Larry Tolchinsky | Florida Law , Florida Real Estate , Real Estate , Real Estate Title , Titles | 11 comments

Last Update: 3/22/22

Issues With Co-Ownership And Ways To Terminate A Joint Tenancy

In Florida, two people can own a piece of real estate (like a single-family residence or a vacation condo) together even if they aren’t married, or related in any way. The most common form of ownership, where more than one person owns an interest in Florida real estate, is called a “ joint tenancy ” and it is one of three kinds of ownership possible in Florida (the other two are “tenancy in common” and “tenancy by the entireties.”)

Here in Florida, you can choose to own a car, a condo, or a house as a “joint owner with right of survivorship” (image: Surfside, Florida)

Tenants by the Entirety

Married couples under Florida law are allowed to co-own residential real estate as “ tenants by the entirety. ”  This means that title to the real estate is in both of their names.  When either spouse passes away, the surviving spouse automatically becomes full owner of the entire interest in the real estate.  There is no need to probate the deceased’s real estate interest because his or her interest in the property transfers to the surviving spouse by way of the right of survivorship, which is inherent in this form of property ownership.

Tenants in Common

Anyone who can legally own real estate in Florida can have a co-ownership interest in the property.  Furthermore, there is no set legal limit on the number of co-owners real estate can have.

In Florida, “ Tenants in common ” is the default form of co-ownership in real estate.  A tenancy in common is a form of ownership in which each co-tenant owns a separate fractional share of undivided property.  It is characterized by each owner having the right to possession of the property as well as other rights granted by law.

The extent of each co-owners interest in the property generally depends upon how much they contributed to it.  For instance, if one owner of a Miami Beach oceanfront condo paid 50% of the sales price, he or she owns 50% of the undivided interest in the property (co-tenants are presumed to own equal undivided interests).

In this form of ownership, there is no right of survivorship.  When a co-owner dies, their interest transfers to their heirs (by intestacy if there’s no will) or according to the co-owners wishes in their will.

Florida Joint Tenancy With Right of Survivorship Means Survivor Gets Full Ownership

Under Florida law, when you add the words “right of survivorship” to a joint tenancy, that means full title to the real estate goes to the owner that survives.  The “survivor” of the joint owners automatically owns 100% of the asset when the other joint owner passes away.  

Many deeds recorded in our real estate records will identify the owners as “joint tenants with right of survivorship”. Banks, realtors, title companies, etc., correspondingly, all recognize Florida real estate held as “joint tenants with right of survivorship” as being the sole property of the surviving tenant when one of the owners passes away.

Joint Tenancy With Right of Survivorship Must Be Intentionally Established by the Joint Owners

The creation of a Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship in Florida must be intentionally done by the joint owners.  As explained by Florida Statute 689.15, the law insists that the “joint tenancy with right of survivorship” be clearly identified as the chosen form of ownership between the parties:

The doctrine of the right of survivorship in cases of real estate and personal property held by joint tenants shall not prevail in this state; that is to say, except in cases of estates by entirety, a devise, transfer or conveyance heretofore or hereafter made to two or more shall create a tenancy in common, unless the instrument creating the estate shall expressly provide for the right of survivorship; and in cases of estates by entirety, the tenants, upon dissolution of marriage, shall become tenants in common.

Joint tenancy with right of survivorship, therefore, is a common method of owning property in the State of Florida. However, it may not be the wisest choice for the owners in some situations.

Why?  One of the big reasons that this form of ownership may be problematic is because one of the owners may have a debt against them that creates a lien against their interest in the jointly owned real estate: something that the other owner (the debt-free joint owner) may not know anything about until the creditor starts demanding rights to payment against the jointly held property.

Surprise Factor of a Joint Tenancy With Right Of Survivorship: When a Creditor Becomes a Tenant in Common

Creditors can, and will, sue for unpaid debts. If a creditor successfully sues one joint tenant for an unpaid debt and gets a judgment against him (or her), then the creditor’s judgment can be filed of record, which will create a lien against the property held by the debtor-joint tenant.

It does not matter what the other debt-free joint owner wants. The issue is between the creditor and the debtor-joint tenant based upon the debt itself.

In order for the creditor to get paid, Florida law allows the interest that the debtor-joint owner holds in the property to be subject to levy and sale.

What about the other, unsuspecting joint owner? The debtor-joint tenant’s interest can be sold without involving the other joint tenant — when the interest is sold the debt-free joint owner will then learn that Florida law says that the joint tenancy is then severed — the debt-free joint owner will find him or herself as a tenant in common with the creditor or a third party.

Imagine how complicated this can become when the creditor is the Internal Revenue Service, or a Student Loan Lender, where the joint tenants are parent and child. Joint tenancies with right of survivorship are often parents and children, or spouses, or other loved ones — and sometimes these loved ones don’t always share their financial distress with their joint tenants in advance of the creditor’s claim.

Ending Joint Tenancy or Co-Ownership of Florida Real Estate

Not everyone wants to have shared ownership in real estate.  This is especially true if the owners are a married couple going through a divorce.  Or, kids or grandkids who inherit Florida real estate.  It may not be financially prudent for them to share ownership in a piece of real estate, or maybe the co-owners just don’t get along.

3 Ways to Terminate a Florida Joint Tenancy

For those interested in learning how to end joint ownership in Florida residential real estate, then Florida law offers the following ways to terminate a joint tenancy:

1.  Termination By Operation of Law.

By definition, “joint tenancies with right of survivorship” (JTWROS) exist for a limited time.  That’s because this form of ownership ends when one of the joint tenants dies. The dying party’s interest transfers to the surviving owner or co-owners at some point in the future.

The Case of Foreclosure on a Joint Tenant

In the Moring case, a Florida lender filed a foreclosure action against Mattie Moring for failure to pay on a mortgage.  As plaintiff, the lender joined Mr. and Mrs. Richard Roundtree in the foreclosure case because they were believed to have a shared interest in the property. DAD, INC. v. Moring , 218 So. 2d 451 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1969).

They did.  The ownership here was as Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship.  The deed to the property filed in the St. Lucie County real estate records specifically stated that Mattie Moring and Richard Roundtree were (1) joint tenants with the right of survivorship and (2) on the death of either the estate would survive to the other tenant.  (Mrs. Roundtree had a legal interest as Mr. Roundtree’s spouse.)

Problems arose when Mattie Moring went and got a loan on the property without bothering to tell Mr. Roundtree.  Things got more complicated when Mattie passed away several months after the foreclosure lawsuit was filed.

Mr. Roundtree argued that he now owned the property free and clear.  The bank didn’t agree and wanted him to cover the unpaid mortgage.

What happens now?   Under Florida law, the court explained, the interest of the joint tenant terminates upon her death prior to the other joint tenant.

The mortgage on the joint tenant’s interest was a “ defeasible interest ” held by the lender.  When Mattie passed away then the lien terminated because the interest held by the mortgagor terminated by operation of law.

The bank lost.  The foreclosure action was dismissed by the trial court (and affirmed on appeal).

2.  Sell or Convey The Property to a Stranger.

One way you can end a joint tenancy in Florida real estate is to sell your interest in the property to a stranger.  It is entirely permissible for someone who owns an interest in residential real estate in Florida to sell their interest to anyone of their choosing.  DAD, INC. v. Moring , 218 So. 2d 451 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1969).

A joint tenant may sell his or her interest in the property to a total stranger without the consent of the other joint tenants.  Harelik v. Teshoney , 337 So. 2d 828 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1976).

Mother Sells Her Joint Interest to a Stranger

In the case of Harelik v. Teshoney , Esther Lawrence conveyed some property in Volusia County to Charles Harelik and his mother, Stella Harelik.   Stella was a widow.  The deed was specific, conveying the tract to the mother and son as joint tenants with rights of survivorship and specifically not as tenants in common.

Sometime later, Mrs. Harelik conveyed her interest in the property to Lila Teshoney.  Mrs. Harelik kept a life estate in the transaction.  Charles wasn’t involved in this deal.

Stella Harelik died.  Charles claimed full ownership and Lila said no, she had an ownership interest too.   Charles filed a lawsuit to have the courts decide who held legal title to the land.

The court considered whether or not the Widow Harelik could gut that deed conveying the land as a joint tenancy with the right of survivorship all by herself.

Can someone who owns land as a JTWROS unilaterally terminate the right of survivorship?  Yes.

Citing to the Florida Supreme Court in explanation, the court held it is Florida law that a joint tenant can destroy the right of survivorship.  The requirement here is that when she does so, she must end her interest in a manner that prevents her from claiming by survivorship any interest in the subject matter of the joint tenancy.

Since Mother had transferred her interest in such a way that if her son had passed, she could not claim full title as JTWROS, she had ended the joint tenancy.  The court called this ending the “unity” between mother and son as co-owners in the land.

So, you can terminate a joint tenancy in Florida land if you transfer your interest to a stranger because you have done what courts consider to have destroyed “the unity of title” with your joint tenants.

3.  Transfer it to Another Joint Tenant.

Another way to terminate joint ownership of Florida real estate is for one co-owner to convey their ownership interest to another joint tenant (or tenants).  If there are several joint owners, then the ones who are not involved in the transaction do not have to know about the conveyance, much less approve of it.  Countrywide Funding Corp. v. Palmer , 589 So. 2d 994 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1991).

The Case of Countrywide Funding Corp. v. Palmer

In the Countrywide case, Countrywide filed a foreclosure action against a piece of Florida real estate held in a deed jointly by a mother, Adelina Hentzschel, and her son, Jose Baca.

The deed was specific that mother and son owned the home as joint tenants with right of survivorship.   Originally, mother Adelina had bought the real estate and then filed the deed as JTWROS for herself and her son Jose.

Later, another deed was filed.  This was a quitclaim deed from mother and son to Jose Baca.

After this quitclaim to Jose was filed with the clerk’s office, Jose got a mortgage from Essex Mortgage Company and then refinanced with Bayside Federal Savings and Loan.  Bayside then assigned the mortgage to Countrywide.

Then Jose Baca died.  Mortgage payments didn’t get paid. The lender, Countrywide, foreclosed.

In the foreclosure action, it was proven that the quitclaim deed was forged .  Mother Adelina had never signed that deed.  However, Jose had done so.

By signing that deed, had Jose terminated the Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship with his mother?  Yes.

The quitclaim terminated the joint tenancy with right of survivorship.  Now, his mother owned the land as a tenant in common.

Jose had the power to convert that JTWROS to a tenancy in common, without his mother’s knowledge or consent.  He terminated the JTWROS by transferring his joint tenant interest to himself as grantee.

The lender had the right to foreclose on the son’s undivided one-half interest in the tenancy in common which resulted from his deed to himself.  As between the two innocents, the mother who had been the victim of forgery and the lender who had loaned money, the court sided with the lender.

Note: Another way to end a joint tenancy is to transfer your interest in the property to a family member.  Also, one co-owner can ask a court to partition the Florida real estate . A Partition lawsuit is where one co-owner asks a Judge to order 100% of the property sold. Partitions usually happen when the property is inherited , after a divorce or break-up ,  or when a co-owner blocks a good deal to sell 100% of the property by refusing to sell their interest in the even if this seems to make good financial sense for all owners of the property.

What Should You Do?

A good piece of advice if you are faced with a joint tenancy issue is to at least speak with an experienced Florida real estate lawyer to learn about your rights. Most real estate lawyers, like Larry Tolchinsky, offer a free initial consultation (over the phone or in person, whichever you prefer) to answer your questions.

If you found this information helpful, please share this article and bookmark it for your future reference.

This article is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Florida law is constantly changing and there are legal consequences related to any transfer of real property that are not discussed in this article. Therefore, we strongly recommend and urge you to talk with a Florida real estate lawyer to learn your rights.

Please Share:

11 comments.

Hi Larry: Hope you can answer a few questions. … My father is 91yrs with dementia. His 81 yr old girlfriend and I share Co-Guardianship of my Dad and I have Full Financial Guardianship. They own a Condo in Fla with “Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship”. This Condo is not their permanent residents. ….What is the law on a situation like this? thanks

I wanted to discuss a consultation on how you would structure purchase and rental income of property from a non us person and to avoid probate when giving to U.S. citizen son.

What happens when two people own a residence but there is not joint tenancy….

My father and I own property. I live there he does not. He hired a lawyer who filed suit to sell property….

question: if a single family home (florida) is held in joint tenancy with survivor ship (2 people not related)…can 1 of the parties Quit Claim their ownership to another party. example: A & B own. A signs a QC from A & B to A & C (new party)? (something i just read said yes but when the new ownership is in place it becomes joint tenancy in common…not with rights of survivor ship) true or not true?

In the “More Issures with Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship” section of your Blog regarding this, you state that anyone can transfer his ownership to another without the consent of the other Joint Tenant. You say the joint owners don’t have to agree. In the next paragraph, you state that, since the property is held jointly, one of the co-owners can block a good deal by refusing to transfer. Isn’t that contradictory to what you said in the first paragraph??

What happens when a joint owner remarry Does his new wife has any interest in property and can the previous wife put the new wife out in the event of death of the original co owner

Under FL law if H+W own property as tenants by the entirety, but only one signed the note and mortgage when they purchased the property, and that spouse dies, in the event of default can the lender foreclose on and force a sale of (a) the mortgaged property, or (b) the decedent’s undivided one-half interest in the property? If (b), are the lender and surviving spouse converted to tenants in common such that the lender can then force a sale?

I’d like to note that while it may be common for children/family members to abuse parents financially, it is also common for “domestic partners” of our elderly parents to take advantage of them as well. In fact, every sign of elder abuse you noted, our father was subject to by his girlfriend of 11 years. From isolation of our father from his children, controlling the phone access, complete control of his finances, hovering at every financial and medical appointment all the while feigning to be just the doting “love of his life”. With that said, we are grateful that we caught her in time and that dad is now safe, along with what’s left of his assets, with his children. I cannot stress enough how important it is for children to pay attention to their elderly parents behavior, their relationships with their partners and support them in getting the right instruments of protection for their personal assets. Because of the relentless efforts of this girlfriend to get her hands on dad’s assets, we had to put everything in an Irrevocable Trust. I highly recommend you remain watchful especially when an unmarried elderly parent has a partner that seems too good to be true or they’re trying to keep you from your loved one…RED FLAG! Please seek legal advice on how to help protect your loved one…we did, and thank God.

My friend’s parents flat out own a home. Subsequently, they added one child utilizing a quick claim deed, creating joint ownership, therefore, he owns 33 percent of the home. There is no will. Can the other siblings get the parents portion if they were no longer alive?

Good morning. I am defending a lawsuit in Florida from my former friend who accused me of making defamatory comments ….

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