Most of us have suffered the 0 _____ of forgetting someone’s name. Often we fail to pay attention when 17 are made, but later on in the conversation we don’t want to appear 18 by asking them what their name is.

Fortunately, there are some simple ways you can 19 this problem. One is to improve your powers of 20 . Practise studying faces in public places, making a mental note of physical 21 such as high foreheads or narrow eyebrows. You’ll be surprised what a wide 22 of shapes and sizes people’s features have. Then, when you first meet someone, remember them as ‘Laura with the small nose’, for example.

With surnames, make 23 associations. For instance, imagine people called Cook, Ford or King making a meal, driving a car or wearing a crown, respectively. Finally, ending with the person’s name, as in ‘See you later, Max’ is a good way of 24 that you don’t forget it.