LPE2301 ACADEMIC INTERACTION & PRESENTATION

SEMESTER 1, 2021/2022
LECTURE NOTES 1

Overview
1. In this unit, you will learn about the English sound system, syllable stress, word stress
in conveying meaning, intonation, and phrasing.

2. The topics included in this lecture notes are:

a. The Sound System

i. Consonants
ii. Vowels
iii. Diphthongs
b. Correct pronunciation of commonly used words in discussions
c. Phonetic Symbols: Further practices
d. Syllable stress and word stress
e. Intonation
f. Pauses

Objectives
At the end of this unit, you will be able to:
1. identify phonetic symbols (IPA)
2. use correct syllable stress, sentence stress and intonation
3. speak clearly and accurately in academic contexts

Week 1 – The Sound System

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One way to improve our pronunciation is to learn the phonetic symbols. Knowing what each
individual sounds represent will help you to pronounce English words correctly. To learn this,
the phonetic symbols used by the International Phonetic Association (IPA) are reproduced
here for your easy reference. Each symbol represents a standardised sound. The sounds
are indicated by the use of slashes ( / / ) in phonetic transcriptions. Generally, the sounds
can be categorised into three groups:

1. Consonants
2. Vowels
3. Diphthongs

Consonants
There are twenty-four consonant sounds in English language. Here is the list of consonant
sounds in English.
Table 1

No. Sound Word

1. /p/ /pen/ pen /kæp/ cap

2. /b/ /bæɡ/ bag /rɒb/ rob

3. /t/ /tʌn/ ton /fɪt/ fit

4. /d/ /dʌk/ duck /fiːd/ feed

5. /k/ /kʊk/ cook /dɑːk/ dark

6. /g/ /ɡɜːl/ girl /flæɡ/ flag

7. /ʈʃ/ /tʃuːz/ choose /wɒtʃ/ watch

8. /dʒ/ /dʒɔɪ/ joy /eɪdʒ/ age

9. /f/ /fʊl/ full /biːf/ beef

10. /v/ /vest/ vest /lɪv/ live

11. /θ/ /θɪŋk/ think /feɪθ/ faith

12. /ð/ /ðəʊz/ those /ˈfɑːðə(r)/ father

13. /s/ /skweə(r)/ square /ˈsaɪləns/ silence

14. /z/ /zɪp/ zip /nəʊz/ nose

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15. /ʃ/ /ʃɜːt/ shirt /rʌʃ/ rush

16. /ʒ/ /ˈʒɒnrə/ genre /ˈvɪʒuəl/ visual

17. /h/ /haɪ/ high /help/ help

18. /m/ /ˈmʌðər(r)/ mother /hɑːm/ harm

19. /n/ /nəʊ/ know /tɜːn/ turn

20. /ŋ/ /lɒŋ/ long /ˈmɔː.nɪŋ/ morning

21. /l/ /liːp/ leap /bɔɪl/ boil

22. /j/ /ˈjeləʊ/ yellow /ˈjuːʒuəl/ usual
23. /w/ /wɔ:l/ wall /əˈweɪ/ away
24. /r/ /rəʊd/ road /ˈeɪprəl/ April

Activity 1
Referring to Table 1, identify and underline the consonant sounds in every word.

E.g. sip - /s ɪ p/ zip - /z ɪ p/

1. pin 11. run

2. king 12. vest

3. they 13. tame

4. yellow 14. green

5. joy 15. chamber

6. tough 16. sea

7. copy 17. light

8. thrill 18. zest

9. blood 19. death

10. cruel 20. wrist

Vowels

There are twelve vowel sounds in English which can be divided into two categories:

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1. Short vowel
2. Long vowel

The vowel that has the mark ( : ) is known as a long vowel. The pronunciation of long
vowels will be slightly longer than short vowels. Here is the list of vowel sounds in English.

Table 2

No. Sound Word

1. /ɪ/ /tʃɪp/ chip /sɪt/ sit
2. /i:/ /tʃi:p/ cheap /si:t/ seat
3. /e/ /send/ send /pet/ pet
4. /æ/ /sænd/ sand /pæt/ pat
5. /ʌ/ /sʌn/ sun /pʌk/ puck
6. /ɑ:/ /hɑ:d/ hard /pɑ:k/ park
7. /ʊ/ /fʊl/ full /pʊl/ pull
8. /u:/ /fu:l/ fool /pu:l/ pool
9. /ɒ/ /spɒt/ spot /pɒt/ pot
10. /ɔ:/ /spɔ:t/ sport /pɔ:t/ port
11. /ə/ /əˈlaɪv/ alive /ˈrʌbə(r)/ rubber
12. /ɜ:/ /nɜ:s/ nurse /bɜ:st/ burst

Activity 2
Referring to Table 3, identify and underline the vowel sounds in every word.
E.g. sip - /s ɪ p/ zip - /z ɪ p/

1. meat 7. met

2. away 8. want

3. put 9. gel

4. lamb 10. plant

5. bored 11. bit

6. bird 12. lot

Diphthongs

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A diphthong refers to the combination of two adjacent vowel sounds occurring in the same
syllable of a word. The combination of the two sounds make a unique vowel sound as listed
below.

Table 3

No. Sound Word

1. /eɪ/ /feɪs/ face /reɪn/ rain
2. /aɪ/ /praɪd/ pride /naɪt/ knight
3. /ɔɪ/ /dʒɔɪ/ joy /kɔɪl/ coil
4. /əʊ/ /əˈləʊn/ alone /stəʊn/ stone
5. /ɪə/ /fɪə(r)/ fear /dɪə(r)/ dear
6. /eə/ /steə(r)/ stair /peər/ pear
7. /ʊə/ /ˈdʒʊərɪŋ/ during /kjʊə(r)/ cure
8. /aʊ/ /taʊn/ town /aʊt/ out

Activity 3
Transcribe the following words. Then identify and underline the diphthong sounds
in every word.

E.g. avoid - / əˈvɔɪd / inspire - / ɪnˈspaɪə(r) /

1. boat - 7. fear -

2. bear - 8. avoid -

3. buy- 9. found -

4. bay - 10. stare -

5. point - 11. wait -

6. cow - 12. might -

Activity 4
Pronounce the words (consonant sounds) according to the transcriptions.

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 No. Transcription

1. /pəʊst/ /stɒp/
2. /bəʊt/ /vɜ:b/
3. /ti:z/ /si:t/
4. /di:d/ /li:d/
5. /kraɪ/ /sɪk/
6. /ɡrɑ:sp/ /klɒɡ/

7. /tʃek/ /kætʃ/
8. /dʒʌdʒ/ /ˈdʒɪndʒə(r)/
9. /fɪʃ/ /li:f/
10. /ˈvɪlɪdʒ/ /breɪv/
11. /θi:f/ /ti:θ/
12. /ðəʊz/ /smu:ð/

13. /si:s/ /naɪs/

14. /zu:/ /u:z/
15. /ʃeɪk/ /kæʃ/
16. /ˈju:ʒuəl/ /ˈpleʒə(r)/
17. /həʊm/ /hʌɡ/
18. /mes/ /teɪm/

19. /net/ /ten/

20. /slæŋ/ /ˈdʒʊərɪŋ/
21. /laɪf/ /bel/
22. /rɒd/ /rɒt/
23. /jes/ /jɪə(r)/
24. /waɪld/ /wɪəd/

Activity 5
Pronounce the words (vowel sounds) according to the transcriptions.

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 No. Transcription

1. /ɪt/ /bɪd/
2. /i:t/ /bi:d/
3. /let / /lend/
4. /ˈmænɪdʒ/ /lænd/
5. /kʌt/ /mʌst/
6. /kɑ:t/ /mɑ:st/
7. /pʊl/ /fʊt/
8. /pu:l/ /bu:t/
9. /dʒɒb/ /klɒk/
10. /dʒɔ:/ /kɔ:z/
11. /əˈhed/ /əˈraʊnd/
12. /ɡɜ:l/ /wɜ:st/

Activity 6
Pronounce the words (diphthong sounds) according to the transcriptions.

No. Transcription

1. /beɪ/ /feɪd/
2. /raɪs/ /haɪd
3. /bɔɪ/ /vɔɪs/
4. /fəʊn/ /jəʊk/
5. /fɪə(r)/ /bɪəd/
6. /peə(r)/ /deə(r)/
7. /tʊə(r)/ /lʊə(r)/
8. /laʊd/ /ɡraʊtʃ/

Correct Pronunciation of Commonly Used Words in Discussions

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Below are some common words used in discussions. Using the phonetic transcriptions
given, pronounce the words correctly. You can check your pronunciation using an online
dictionary (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ )

Sentence Transcription
My honest opinion would be …. /ˈɒnɪst/
Let me initiate the discussion. /ɪˈnɪʃieɪt/
Before we end our discussion, we need to summarise all the important /ˈsʌməraɪz/
points mentioned.
Please allow me to finish my points first. /əˈlaʊ/
Ravi, I think the information that you shared regarding health is /ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃn/
interesting.
I think Farrah feels that … /θɪŋk/
I think that you are absolutely right. /ˈæbsəluːtli/
There is no doubt that your point is correct. /daʊt/
/kəˈrekt/
Sorry to interrupt, but .... /ˌɪntəˈrʌpt/

Activity 7
Below are words commonly used in a group discussion. Fill in the table with the
correct answer (word or phonetic transcription). You may refer to
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ to check the pronunciation.

No. Words Phonetic Transcriptions

1. interrupt

2. convince

3. perspective

4. consider

5. contradict

6. / ˈprɒbləm /

7. / ˈkɒntrəi /

8. / ˈsɪəriəs /

9. / mɪˈsteɪkən /

10. / ˈmenʃən /

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Phonetic Symbols: Further practices

Activity 8
Refer to Table 1, 2 and 3 for guidance. Then practise saying the following words with
correct pronunciation.

Consonants

/p/ /b/ /t/ /d/

pin bin tore door

cap cab tarts darts
pup pub train drain

/k/ /g/ /v/ /w/

cold gold very wary

back bag vary wavy
kill gill van when

/s/ /z/ /ʒ/ /dʒ/

swim is treasure jab

race rise leisure large
price prize television damage

/ʃ/ /ʈʃ/ /ð/ /θ/

shop chop neither thin

shoe chew feather wrath
mush munch that faith

/l/ /r/ /f/ /j/

leech reach fern yam

lamp ramp friend yellow
letter rattle wife yet

/m/ /n/ /ŋ/ /h/

money now ring hatch

roam bin spring hut
mine certain finger heap

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Vowels

/ɪ/ /i:/ /e/ /æ/

fill feel pencil passage

still steal help tan
pit peat expensive landlord

/ʌ/ /ɑ:/ /ʊ/ /u:/

but bark soot suit

puck park full fool
luck lark wool food

/ɒ/ /ɔ:/ /ə/ /ɜ:/

wash wore salad bird

watch walk ago early
pot pause thorough alert

Diphthongs

/eɪ/ /aɪ/ /ɔɪ/ /əʊ/

late pint toy bone

race tight boil bowl
paste thigh coil bow

/ɪə/ /eə/ /ʊə/ /aʊ/

deer mare mature down

fierce dare manure loud
rear chair security found

Contractions

In everyday conversation, we use contractions to sound more casual. In speaking, when we

use contractions, we will omit or shorten words by dropping one or more letters. Not every
word can be shortened and replaced with contractions.

Below are some common words that can be contracted in English:

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 am would
are have
is has
will had

Pronunciation rules for contractions

These contractions mostly have two different pronunciations except for ‘am’ and ‘will’.

Word Pronunciation
I’m /aɪm/
I’ll /aɪl/
He’ll /hiːl/
She’ll /ʃil/
They’ll /ðeɪl/

Pronunciation rules for ‘would’, ‘have’ and ‘had’.

If the sound before the contraction is a vowel (vowel + ‘ve), the contraction of have is
pronounced as /v/, would and had are pronounced as /d/.

Word Pronunciation
I’ve /aɪv/
We’ve  /wiːv/
They’ve /ðeɪv/
I’d /aɪd/
She’d /ʃiːd/

After a consonant (consonant + ‘ve) the contraction of have is pronounced as /əv/ while had
and would are pronounced as /əd/ .

Word Pronunciation
could’ve /’kʊdəv/
would’ve  /wʊdəv/
might’ve /’maɪtəv/
It’d /’ɪtəd/
Tom’d /’tɒməd/

Pronunciation rules for ‘is’ and ‘has’

Generally the contraction for is and has is pronounced as /z/.

Word Pronunciation
He’s /hiːz/
There’s  /ðeəz/

However, after the /t/, /p/, /k/, /f/ or /θ/ sound, the contraction for is or has is pronounced as
/s/.

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 Word Pronunciation
It’s /ɪts/
Top’s /tops/
Beth /beθs/

Activity 9
Below are 15 words that are usually mispronounced by students. Refer to the online
dictionary (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ ) and write the correct phonetic
transcriptions. Then practise saying the words correctly.

E.g. graduate /ˈɡrædʒuət/

1. aren’t
2. audio
3. comfortable

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4. colleague
5. collect
6. college
7. headache
8. individual
9. men
10. mosque
11. pressure
12. schedule
13. though
14. university
15. women

Week 2 – Word Stress

Words stress or lexical stress is the degree of emphasis given to a sound or syllable in
speech. Stress patterns can help distinguish the meaning of two words that appear to be the
same.

Using the right stress is important, especially when a word can carry different meanings or
belong to different word class. When words are stressed correctly according to its syllable,
the message produced by the speaker will be easily understood.

Syllable Stress

One or more syllable stress may be found in a word. Words with more than one syllable will
have a syllable stress.

Rules for English stress are very complex. We can divide a word into one or more syllables.

For example:

foot has one syllable

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 football has two syllables

footballer has three syllables

In phonetic transcription, the stressed syllable is marked with the stress symbol / ‘ /. The
stress symbol is placed at the beginning of the syllable that needs to be stressed which
means that when you pronounce the syllable, the tone needs to be higher, longer or stronger
than other syllables.

For example:
a. active /ˈæktɪv/
This is a two syllable word. The stress symbol is placed on the first syllable.
Hence, the first syllable should be emphasised. When you pronounce this word,
you have to put force on the first syllable.

b. allegation /ˌælɪˈgeɪʃən/
This is a four syllable word. The secondary stress is on the first syllable while the
main stress is on the third syllable.
Activity 10
Practice pronouncing the words and identify how many syllables there are in each
word.

1. doubt - 11. book -

2. problem - 12. entertain -

3. respect - 13. fact -

4. quiz - 14. protest -

5. expenditure - 15. precise -

6. batch - 16. bottle -

7. code - 17. condition -

8. plagiarise - 18. quantify -

9. determine - 19. block -

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 10. clear - 20. object -

Word Stress Rules

Generally, for two-syllable words, the first syllable is stressed if the word is a noun and if the
word is a verb, the second syllable is stressed.

For example:

Word Noun Verb

progress /ˈprəʊgres/ /prəˈgres/
record /ˈrekɔːd/ /rɪˈkɔːd/
export /ˈekspɔːt/ /ɪkˈspɔːt/
extract /ˈekstrækt/ /ɪkˈstrækt/
upgrade /ˈʌpgreɪd/ /ʌpˈgreɪd/
However, there are other rules that can be considered in identifying the syllable stress. We
will be looking at these rules one by one.

Stress for Two Syllable Verbs

For a two-syllable verb, the stress is on the first syllable most of the time.

/ˈɒfər/ /ˈɑ:nsər/

However, if the second syllable contains a long vowel /prəˈdʒuːs/ or a dipthong /rɪˈplaɪ/ or
ends with more than one consonant /ˈkɒntækt /, then the second syllable is stressed.

For example:

Words Descriptions
/prəˈdʒuːs/ /əˈɡriː/ /dɪˈliːt/ Verbs with long vowel
/ɪnˈvəʊk/ /ɪnˈvaɪt/ /rɪˈplaɪ/ Verbs with diphthong
/əˈsɪst/ /əˈtrækt/ /ˈkɒn.tækt/ Verbs end with more than one consonant

Activity 11
Pronounce the words given correctly. Pay extra attention to the syllable stress.
‘forfeit re‘ply ‘answer
dis‘cuss ap‘ply in‘vite
at‘tract ‘enter in‘voke
as‘sist di‘vide pro‘duce

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Stress for Two Syllable Nouns
For a two syllable noun, the stress is usually on the second syllable.

o /ænˈtiːk/ antique

o /pəˈliːs/ police

However, if the second syllable contains a short vowel, the stress is on the first syllable.

o /ˈæktə(r)/ actor

o /ˈweðə(r)/ weather

For example:

Words Descriptions
/ˈæktə(r)/ /ˈʃʊɡə(r)/ /ˈriːzən/ The second syllable contains a short vowel.
/dɪˈzaɪn/ /dɪˈfiːt/ /bəˈluːn/ Common nouns

Activity 12
Check the position of the syllable stress in the online dictionary. Then pronounce the
word aloud.
actor entry estate
sugar reason balloon
selection defeat design
diamond bottle record

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Stress for Three Syllable Verbs
The stress is usually on the second syllable if the last syllable contains a short vowel and
ends with only one consonant.

o /dɪˈtɜ:mɪn/ determine

o /rɪˈmem.bə(r)/ remember

However, the last syllable is stressed if it contains a long vowel or diphthong, or end with
more than one consonant.

o /ri:əˈreɪndʒ/ rearrange

o /vɒlənˈtɪə(r)/ volunteer

For example

Word Description
/dɪˈtɜːmɪn/ /dɪˈskʌvə(r)/ The stress is on the second syllable if the
last syllable has a short vowel and ends
with not more than one consonant

/entəˈteɪn/ /ˌʌndəˈstænd/ The stress is on the last syllable if the final

syllable has a long vowel or diphthong, or
ends with more than one consonant

Activity 13
Identify the position of syllable stress in the following words. Pronounce these words
aloud.
finalise operate determine
generate entertain discover
understand interview alternate
plagiarise consider quantify

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Stress for Three Syllable Nouns
The rule for three syllable nouns is different than verbs. If the final syllable has a long vowel
or diphthongs or ends with more than one consonant, the stress is on the second or middle
syllable.

o /kəmˈpju:tə(r)/ computer

o /æŋˈzaɪəti/ anxiety

o /kənˈdɪʃn/ condition

o /əˈreɪndʒmənt/ arrangement

For example:

Word Description
/ˈɒpəzɪt/ /ˈlaɪbrəri/ If the noun contains a short vowel in the
final syllable, it is not stressed.

/æŋˈzaɪəti/ /ˈfæk(ə)lti/ If the syllable before this final syllable has a

/kənˈdɪʃ(ə)n/ /əˈdɪkʃ(ə)n/ long vowel or diphthong or if the word ends
with more than one consonant, then the
middle syllable is stressed.

Activity 14
Identify the position of syllable stress in the following words. Pronounce these words
aloud. Use the online dictionary (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ ) to check your
answers.
addiction permission catalogue
computer arrangement bakery
anxiety condition hospital
faculty library exception

Week 3 – Sentence Stress

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When people speak English, they seldom stress every word in the sentence. Only certain
words are stressed. These words are sometimes referred to as content words.

Content words

There are several categories of content words that you can emphasize in a thought group.
They include:

 Nouns words that refer to people, places or things

(Brad Pitt, Universiti Putra Malaysia, books)

 Main verbs words that show action or state of being

(act, sing, write, read)

 Adjectives words used to describe nouns

(talented, big, interesting)

 Adverbs words used to describe verbs, adjectives or other

adverbs
(famously, loudly, almost, often)

 Interrogative pronouns words used for asking questions

(who, which, when, what)

 Demonstrative pronouns words used to point out objects

(this, that, these, those)

Function words

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Other words in a sentence which show grammatical relationship between words are called
function words. Unlike content words, function words are not stressed.

There are five classes of function words in sentences which show grammatical relationships
between the words used are not stressed.

 Personal pronouns words that replace nouns

(I, you, they, he, she, them, it)

 Articles words that define a noun as specific or unspecific

(a, an , the)

 Auxiliary verbs verbs that help another verb express its tense, mood or
voice
(is, am ,are, has, must, can, could)

 Relative pronouns words used to refer to nouns mentioned previously

(that, which, who, whose)

 Conjunctions words used to connect words, phrases, clauses, or

sentences
(for, and, buy, yet, so)

Activity 15
Identify and underline content words in the following sentences. Read these
sentences with appropriate stress.

1. Salmah has lived in Singapore for ten years.

2. I will fly to Japan today.
3. I expect to finish the report by this evening.
4. Would you like me to buy some fruits?
5. You will be happy to know that she has decided to retract her police report.

Activity 16

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Look at the list of words below. Determine whether each is a content or a function
word.

Nos Word Content Function

e.g.: bully

1. thesis

2. the

3. for

4. mesmerising

5. coffee

6. were

7. she

8. slowly

9. write

10. but

As mentioned earlier, the rule for word stress is to only stress the content words.
However, there is an exception to this rule especially when we wish to emphasise on other
meanings.

The following examples illustrate the possible meanings which are emphasised when
different words are stressed.

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 Sentences Emphasised Meaning
Aliah is presenting her paper at the Aliah am the one who is doing the
international conference today. presentation, not someone else.
Aliah is presenting her paper at the Aliah is presenting her paper, not discussing
international conference today. it.
Aliah is presenting her paper at the Aliah is presenting her own research and
international conference today. not someone else’s paper.
Aliah is presenting her paper at the Aliah is presenting her paper at the
international conference today. international conference, not somewhere
else.
Aliah is presenting her paper at the Aliah is presenting her paper today, not any
international conference today. other day.

Activity 17
Underline the stressed words based on the emphasised meanings provided. Practice
saying each sentence and try to understand the meaning.

Nos. Sentence Emphasised Meaning

Sheila is the one going to vacation
e.g. Sheila is going for a vacation next month.
and not somebody else.
Anne is coming home from London this
1.
weekend.
Anne is coming home from London this
3.
weekend.
Anne is coming home from London this
4.
weekend.
Anne is coming home from London this
5.
weekend.

Week 4 – Intonation and Pauses

Intonation

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Intonation helps to make our daily conversation more interesting. It involves the rising and
falling in the way we speak. Intonation is often used to describe our emotion and to convey
meaning.

In English, there are two basic intonation patterns:

1. Rising  
2. Falling

Falling Intonation

Falling intonation describes how the voice falls on the final stressed syllable of a phrase or a
group of words. It begins with a fairly high voice and gradually falls until the last syllable.

Falling intonation is often used for:

Statements Sarcasm
Exclamations Assertiveness
WH-Questions Anger
Commands Disinterest

Examples of falling intonation:

Statements
Water boils at 100 degrees celsius.

WH-Question
What are you having for lunch today?

Command
Please clean up this mess.

Exclamations
Fantastic!

Sarcasm
Women all always right.

Assertiveness
I will take that into considerations.

Anger
You are ruining my day.

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 Disinterest
Really. Have a good time then.

Rising Intonation
Rising intonation describes how the voice rises at the end of a sentence. It begins with a
fairly high voice. The level of voice gradually falls but rises on the last stressed word.

Rising intonation is often used for:

Uncertainty Eagerness
Surprised
Yes/No answer expected Happiness
A list of wishes Sympathy

Example of rising intonation:

Uncertainty
Are you sure?

Yes/No answer
Have you finished your homework? expected

I want to work at international company, travel around the

A list of wishes

world, and buy a house after I graduate.

Eagerness
Bella, the new Harry Potter book is out. Let’s get one now.

Happiness
Jack, look at this. I have just won ten thousand ringgit.

Sympathy
I am sorry to hear the passing of you grandmother.

Surprised
You are moving to Paris. I can’t believe this.

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Activity 18
Decide whether the sentences below use Rising or Falling intonation in normal
conversation by drawing the rising arrow ( ) or falling arrow ( ) in the
parentheses.

1. What are your plans for this weekend? ( )

2. Do you play any sports? ( )

3. I enjoy reading in the park. ( )

4. Are you doing anything special on the weekend? ( )

5. Where do you like to spend your free time? ( )

Activity 19
Identify the intonation whether it is falling or rising in each sentence based on the
emotion indicated in the parentheses. Then read each sentence using the correct
intonation.

1. I am going to Korea soon. (Happiness)

2. Good luck getting a new job. (Sarcastic)

3. I can’t wait to open my birthday present. (Eagerness)

4. I’m sorry to hear that you failed your driving test. (Sympathy)

5. Did you throw my book? (Anger)

6. Ok. I’ll join the meeting when I’m done with my work. (Disinterest)

7. She has just been promoted as the Vice President. (Surprised)

8. I thought I would pass the examination. (Disappointment)

Pauses

Pauses in speaking is when you take a temporary stop in between words, phrases, or
sentences. Pauses in speech will give the listener time to understand your message.

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There are no definite rules on when to pause. However, pausing at the wrong place can
cause confusion to the listener. When you want to pause, these are a few things that you
need to consider:

1. Pause to indicate different idea

2. Pause to emphasise an important message
3. Pause for clarity (in between complete clauses, or sentences)

Consider the following sentence:

Schools are to re-open following the announcement made by the Government
last night.

 This is how the sentence can be said. (The double slash (//) indicates a pause.)
Schools are to re-open // following the announcement made by the Government //
last night.

 However, if the pauses are placed as shown below, it can be confusing.

Schools are // to re-open // following the announcement // made by the
Government // last night.

The first sentence is much easier to understand because of appropriate pauses between

ideas or phrases. This allows the listener to understand each part of the sentence before
going on to the next part of the sentence.

Activity 20
Identify the thought groups in the following sentences. Place a double slash (//) to
indicate appropriate pause.

1. Today, I would like to explain why it is important for us to wear mask.

2. The Ministry of Health is doing everything to solve our current situation.
3. Effective oral communication skills, which is important for everyone in the workplace, is
not as difficult to develop as many think.
4. Each programme provides a specialized education that combines academic theory with
practical application.

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