UNIT 1

SPEAKING ACCURATELY

Overview
1. In this unit, you will learn the English sound system, word stress, sentence stress, word
contractions, intonation and pauses in conveying meaning and achieving clarity in your
speech.

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. Word Stress
d. Sentence stress
e. Intonation
f. Pauses

Objectives
At the end of this unit, you will be able to:
1. produce the correct sounds of words using the phonetic symbols (IPA),
2. use correct word stress, sentence stress and intonation,
3. use pauses effectively to achieve clarity in speaking.
 Week - The Sound System

Pre-activity
Read aloud the following poem. Then listen carefully to your teacher reading the poem by
paying attention to the sounds of words in the poem. Answer the questions that follow.

Hint on Pronunciation for Foreigners

I take it you already know,

Of tough and bough and cough and dough?
Others may stumble but not you,
On hiccough, thorough, laugh and through.
Well done! And now you wish perhaps,
To learn of a less familiar trap?

Beware of heard, a dreadful word,

That looks like beard and sounds like bird,
And dead: it’s said like bed, not bead-
For goodness’ sake don’t call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat,
They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.

A moth is not a moth in mother,

Not both in bother, broth in brother.
And here is not a match for there
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear.
And then there’s dose and rose and lose-
Just look them up – goes and choose.
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword.
And do and go and thwart and cart-
Come, come, I’ve hardly made a start!
A dreadful language? Man alive,
I’d mastered it when I was five.

(Written by an anonymous poet)

Retrieved from: https://www.smart-words.org/pronunciation-poem-1.html

1. After reading the poem, what can you say about the sounds of words in English?

2. In your opinion, is it important to speak with correct pronunciation? Why?

3. Suggest some ways on how you can improve your pronunciation.

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In English, the sound of a word is not determined by its spelling. This may create problems
for English language learners in pronouncing words. To standardise the sounds of words in
the English language, the phonetic symbols in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) are
used. The IPA is a system where a symbol is associated with a particular sound. The use of
symbols to represent the sounds of words is called phonetic transcription. Slashes (/ /) are
used with phonetic transcriptions to indicate the sound of the symbols. By using the IPA
symbols, you can know exactly how to pronounce any word in English.

Generally, the sounds can be categorised into three classes which are:
1. consonant
2. vowel
3. diphthong

Consonant sounds
There are twenty-four consonant sounds in the English language. These are shown in the
table below.
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

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14. /z/ /zɪp/ zip /nəʊz/ nose

15. /ʃ/ /ʃɜːt/ shirt /rʌʃ/ rush

16. /ʒ/ /ˈʒɒnrə/ genre /ˈvɪʒ.u.əl/ visual

17. /h/ /haɪ/ high /help/ help

18. /m/ /ˈmʌðər/ mother /hɑːm/ harm

19. /n/ /nəʊ/ know /tɜːn/ turn

20. /ŋ/ /lɒŋ/ long /ˈmɔː.nɪŋ/ morning

21. /l/ /liːp/ leap /bɔɪl/ boil

22. /j/ /ˈjel.əʊ/ yellow /ˈjuː.ʒu.əl/ usual

23. /w/ /wɑ:l/ wall /əˈweɪ/ away

24. /r/ /rəʊd/ road /ˈeɪprəl/ April

Activity 1
Use the online dictionary (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ ) to transcribe the following
words. Refer to Table 1. Underline and make the consonant sounds in each transcription.
Then practice saying the sound of each word correctly.

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

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Vowel Sounds

There are twelve vowel sounds in English which can be divided into two:
1. short vowel
2. long vowel

The mark ( : ) indicates that the vowels are long. The sound of a long vowel is slightly longer.

The list of vowel sounds is shown in the table below.

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
Refer to Table 2. Underline and make the vowel sounds in the phonetic transcriptions.
Then practise saying the sound of each word correctly.

E.g. sip - /s ɪ p/ zip - /z ɪ p/

1. meat /miːt/ 6. want /wɒnt/

2. away /əˈweɪ/ 7. gel /dʒel/
3. put /pʊt/ 8. met /met/
4. bored /bɔːd/ 9. lot /lɒt/
5. bird /bɜːd/ 10. bit /bɪt/

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Diphthong Sounds

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 gives a unique vowel sound. Table 3
shows the sounds of diphthongs.

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
Use an online dictionary (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/) to transcribe the following
words. Refer to Table 3. Underline and make the diphthong sounds in each transcription.
Then practise saying the sound of each word correctly.

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 -

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Phonetic Symbols: Further practices

Activity 4

Refer to Tables 1, 2 and 3. Practise saying the following words with the correct
pronunciation.

Consonants

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

pin /pɪn/ bin /bɪn/ tore /tɔː(r)/ door /dɔː(r)/

cap /kæp/ bear /beə(r)/ tart /tɑːt/ darts /dɑːt/
pup /pʌp/ pub /pʌb/ train /treɪn/ drain /dreɪn/

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

cold /kəʊld/ gold /ɡəʊld/ very /ˈveri/ wary /ˈweəri/

back /bæk/ bag /bæɡ/ vary /ˈveəri/ wavy /ˈweɪvi/
kill /kɪl/ grill /ɡrɪl/ van /væn/ weary /ˈwɪəri/

/s/ /z/ /ʒ/ /dʒ/

face /feɪs/ phase /feɪz/ pleasure /ˈpleʒə(r)/ jab /dʒæb/

race /reɪs/ rise /raɪz/ leisure /ˈleʒə(r)/ large /lɑːdʒ/
price /praɪs/ prize /praɪz/ television /ˈtelɪvɪʒn/ damage /ˈdæmɪdʒ/

/ʃ/ /ʈʃ/ /ð/ /θ/

shop /ʃɒp/ chop /tʃɒp/ neither /ˈnaɪðə(r)/ thin /θɪn/

shoe /ʃuː/ chew /tʃuː/ feather /ˈfeðə(r)/ wrath /rɒθ/
mush /mʌʃ/ munch /mʌntʃ/ that /ðæt/ faith /feɪθ/

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

leech /liːtʃ/ reach /riːtʃ/ fern /fɜːn/ yam /jæm/

lamp /læmp/ ramp /ræmp/ friend /frend/ yellow /ˈjeləʊ/
letter / rattle /ˈrætl/ wife /waɪf/ yet /jet/

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 ˈletə(r)/

/m/ /n/ /ŋ/ /h/

/
money now /naʊ/ ring /rɪŋ/ hatch /hætʃ/
ˈmʌni/
roam /rəʊm/ bin /bɪn/ spring /sprɪŋ/ hut /hʌt/
/ /
mine /maɪn/ certain finger heap /hiːp/
ˈsɜːtn/ ˈfɪŋɡə(r)/

Vowels

/ɪ/ /i:/ /e/ /æ/

fill /fɪl/ feel /fiːl/ pencil /ˈpensl/ passage /ˈpæsɪdʒ/

still /stɪl/ steal /stiːl/ help /help/ carriage /ˈkærɪdʒ/
pit /pɪt/ peat /piːt/ expensive /ɪkˈspensɪv/ landlord /ˈlændlɔːd/

/ʌ/ /ɑ:/ /ʊ/ /u:/

but /bʌt/ bark /bɑːk/ soot /sʊt/ suit /suːt/

puck /pʌk/ park /pɑːk/ full /fʊl/ fool /fuːl/
luck /lʌk/ lark /lɑːk/ wool /wʊl/ food /fuːd/

/ɒ/ /ɔ:/ /ə/ /ɜ:/

wash /wɒʃ/ wore /wɔː(r)/ salad /ˈsæləd/ bird /bɜːd/

watch /wɒtʃ/ walk /wɔːk/ ago /əˈɡəʊ early /ˈɜːli/
pot /pɒt/ pause /pɔːz/ thorough /ˈθʌrə/ alert /əˈlɜːt/

Diphthongs

/eɪ/ /aɪ/ /ɔɪ/ /əʊ/

late /leɪt/ lie /laɪ/ toy /tɔɪ/ bone /bəʊn/

race /reɪs/ tight /taɪt/ boil /bɔɪl/ bowl /bəʊl/
paste /peɪst/ thigh /θaɪ/ coil /kɔɪl/ low /ləʊ/

/ɪə/ /eə/ /ʊə/ /aʊ/

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deer /dɪə(r)/ mare /meə(r)/ mature /məˈtʃʊə(r)/ down /daʊn/
fierce /fɪəs/ dare /deə(r)/ manure /məˈnjʊə(r)/ loud /laʊd/
rear /rɪə(r)/ chair /tʃeə(r)/ security /sɪˈkjʊərəti/ found /faʊnd/
Correct Pronunciation of Commonly Used Words in Discussions
Below are some of the common words used in discussions. Using the phonetic symbols in
Tables 1, 2 and 3, pronounce the words correctly. You can check your pronunciation using
the online dictionary https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ .

Sentence Pronunciation
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 in the discussion.
Please allow me to finish my points first. /əˈlaʊ/
Ravi, I think the information that you quoted on health is interesting. /ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃn/
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 5
Below are some commonly used words in a group discussion. Fill in the table with the
correct answer.

No. Words Phonetic Transcriptions

1. clarify

2. convince

3. perspective

4. consider

5. contradict

6. /ˌrekəˈmend/

7. /kənˈkluːd/

8
 8. /kənˈsensəs/

9. /səˈdʒest/

10. /ˌɪn ˈdepθ/

Activity 6

Below are 15 words that are usually mispronounced by students. Refer to the online
dictionary and write the correct phonetic transcriptions. Using the sounds of the phonetic
symbols in Tables 1, 2 and 3, pronounce these words correctly.

E.g., graduate /ˈɡrædʒuət/

1. aren’t

2. audio

3. comfortable

4. colleague

5. collect

6. college

7. headache

8. individual

9. men

10. mosque

11. pressure

12. schedule

13. though

14. university

15. women

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Word Contractions

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

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

Below are the common English words that can be replaced with contractions:

am would
are have
is has
will had

Pronunciation rules for contractions

Pronunciation for ‘am’ and ‘will’.

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

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

If the sound before the contraction is a vowel, the contraction of have is pronounced /v/ while
would and had are pronounced /d/.

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

After a consonant, have is pronounced /əv/ while had and would are pronounced /əd/.

Word Pronunciation
could’ve /’kʊdəv/
would’ve  /wʊdəv/

10
 might’ve /’maɪtəv/
it’d /’ɪtəd/

Pronunciation for ‘is’ and ‘has’

The contractions for is and has are pronounced /z/.

Word Pronunciation
he’s /hiːz/
there’s  /ðeəz/

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

Word Pronunciation
it’s /ɪts/
cop’s /kɒps/
chef’s /ʃefs/

Activity 7
Contract the words in each sentence below correctly.

1. They will be travelling to Korea for a Student Exchange Programme next semester.

____________________________________________________________________

2. I am doubtful of the authenticity of the report.

____________________________________________________________________

3. She would have taken the course if it was offered last semester.

____________________________________________________________________

4. There has been a speculation about who is going to be the president of the Student
Union.

____________________________________________________________________

5. He has graduated with an honorary degree in Actuarial Science.

____________________________________________________________________

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 Week 2 - Word Stress

Words 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 as
well as different word classes. When words are stressed correctly according to their syllable,
the information given 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.

We can divide a word into one or more syllables.

For example:

foot has one syllable

football has two syllables

footballer has three syllables

In phonetic transcription, the stressed syllable is marked with the stress symbol / ‘ /. The
stress symbol can be found before 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 the
other syllables.

English words do not all have the same level of loudness (stress). Some are loud, some are
short and quiet, and some are in between. These are called primary stress and secondary
stress.

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Primary Stress

In phonetic transcription, this is the loudest stressed syllable. Primary stress is marked with
raised vertical line / ‘ / before the syllable that needs to be stressed. The tone of the
stressed syllable needs to be higher, longer, or stronger than other syllables.

For example:
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 place the force on the first syllable.

Secondary Stress
Secondary stress is marked with lowered vertical line / , / before the syllable that needs to
be stressed. The tone of the stressed syllables should not be as loud as the primary stress.

For example:
allegation /ˌælɪˈgeɪʃən/
This is a four-syllable word. The secondary stress is on the first syllable while the
primary stress is on the third syllable. The stress for the third syllable (primary
stress) / ˈgeɪ / should be very noticeable whereas the stress for the first syllable
(secondary stress) /ˌæ / should not be as noticeable.

13
Activity 8
Practise pronouncing the words below and identify the number of syllables 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 -

10. clear - 20. object –

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 Week 2 - Sentence Stress

Sentence stress is the pattern of stressed and unstressed words across a sentence.
Normally this emphasis is on words that carry important information although this can
change significantly depending on the specific meaning the speaker wants to communicate.

Speakers of English stress keywords in sentences. These are known as content words as
they carry the meaning of the sentence. Speakers do not stress function words. Function
words are necessary for the grammar of the sentence but do not carry meaning.

Content words

 Nouns words that refer to people, places or things

(P.Ramlee, 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)

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Function words

 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 9
Look at the list of words below. Determine whether it 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

16
Activity 10
Identify and underline the content words in the following sentences. Then read the
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.

The general rule for sentence stress is to stress the content words. However, there is an
exception to this rule especially when we wish to emphasise other meanings. Function
words may be stressed.

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

Sentences Emphasised Meaning

Aliah is presenting her paper at the Aliah is presenting her own paper, not
international conference today. someone else’s.

Aliah is presenting her paper at the Aliah is presenting her paper, not
international conference today. discussing it.

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.

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Activity 11
Underline the words that you want to stress based on the meaning that you wish to convey.
Write the emphasised meaning. Then say the sentence with appropriate stress to emphasise
the meaning.

Nos. Sentence Emphasised Meaning

Sheila is the one going for a

e.g., Sheila is going for a vacation next month.
vacation, 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.

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 Week 2 - Intonation

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

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

Example of falling intonation

Statement
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 are always right.

Assertiveness
I will take that into consideration.

Anger

19
You are ruining my day.

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
expected
Have you finished your homework?

I want to work at an international company, travel around A list of wishes

the

world, and buy a house after I graduate.

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

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

20
I am sorry to hear about the passing of your grandmother. Sympathy

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

Activity 12
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 13
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)

21
 Week 2 - Pauses

Pre-activity
Read the following sentence on your own according to the instructions given. Then listen to
your teacher reading the sentence according to the instructions.

Read the following sentence without pauses.

Schools are to reopen following the announcement made by the government last night.
Read the following sentence by pausing according to the slashes indicated.
Schools are // to reopen // following the // announcement made // by the government // last
night.
Schools are to reopen // following the announcement // made by the government // last night.
Which of the three utterances do you understand better? Why?

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

There are no definite rules when a speaker needs to pause during a

speech/talk/conversation. However, pausing at the wrong place can confuse the listener.
When you want to pause, these are two things that you need to consider:
1. pause to indicate a different idea
2. pause to emphasise an important message

When should you pause?

Usually, punctuations such as commas, periods, semicolons or colons indicate where you
should pause.
For example:
On my way home,// I saw a horrible accident involving a car,// a cement truck,// a bus //and
two motorcycles.//

In the example above, when there is an indication of punctuation, the speaker will use short
pauses to separate phrases/lists of items.

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On the other hand, if there is no indication of punctuation, you should pause between
thought groups to help others follow what you are saying. Thought groups refer to a
group of words or phrases that convey a message. Below are examples of thought groups:

a. noun phrase: The Prime Minister of Malaysia

b. verb phrase: is helping the flood victims
c. adjective phrase: good health
d. adverb phrase: before the semester
e. prepositional phrase: at the university

Activity 14
Identify the thought groups in the following sentences. Place a double slash (//) to indicate
the pause.
1. Today, I would like to explain the importance of wearing a mask.

2. The Ministry of Health is doing everything to solve our current situation.

3. Effective oral communication skills, which are important for everyone in the workplace,
are not difficult to develop.

4. Each programme provides a specialised education that combines academic theory with
practical application.

5. Vaccines do an incredible job of protecting us from serious diseases like whooping

cough and measles.

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Activity 15
Read the speech below. Identify appropriate:
(i) thought groups using double slashes (//)
(ii) intonations using rising/falling arrow ( )
(iii) word stress within a sentence by underlining the words you wish to stress to
emphasise meaning.
Then read out loud according to the correct pronunciation and proper use of intonation and
stress.

In our society today, everybody feels the need to be productive and competes with the rest
of the world by being quick and efficient. We feel compelled to use each hour in a way that
will benefit us and it often affects our eating habits. Because fast foods and junk foods are
available anywhere we go and do not require long minutes of waiting and preparation, we
find it difficult to exclude them from our diet. However, have you ever thought of the harmful
effects of unhealthy eating habits? Today, I will give you one reason to start eating healthier.

The University of Rochester Medical Center explained how eating the right kinds of foods in
the right way could help us prevent many types of diseases. In the United States, it is
surprising to see that 19% of young people aged 2 to 19 years and 40% of adults have
obesity, which can put them at risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.
Thus, it is advisable to consume good fats instead of bad fats so that we may reduce the risk
of getting critical diseases. A combination of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals from
fruits and vegetables can also offer good protection from many types of cancer. We can also
help our bodies prevent the development of osteoporosis by eating calcium-rich foods and
Vitamin-D-fortified foods such as skim milk, yogurt and broccoli.

Adapted from: https://www.myspeechclass.com/speech-samples.html

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