|
|
|
Pausing and Phrasing
Pausing and phrasing can sometimes make a difference in English.
Pausing means stopping briefly between words or phrases.
For example,
Are you Busy Bill? (I heard your nickname was “Busy Bill.”)
Are you busy, Bill? (Do you have some free time now, Bill?)
Will you have the super salad? (One dish)
Will you have the soup or salad? (Choice of two dishes)
Note: We can use a slash (/) to indicate a pause between words.
For example, soup / or salad?
John said “the cat is in the roof.” (John is talking about the cat.)
“John,” said the cat, “is in the roof.” (The cat is talking about John.)
Phrasing means connecting words together between breaks or pauses.
Charles likes tea / and milk / and coffee. (Three drinks)
Charles likes tea and milk / and coffee. (Two drinks)
In English certain words go together naturally in phrases.
For example,
Time words: last nightNoun phrases: the tall dark manVerb phrases: was standingPrepositional phrases: on the ledge Participial phrases: waiting to jumpClauses: when they asked him to leave Sentence connectors: howeverShort sentences: he didn’t hear them
When speaking, try to pause naturally at appropriate places.
Smoothly connect the words between the breaks.
When I was young / I used to go fishing / with my grandfather. / Every summer / we
would travel / to the reservoir / near my house. / We would stay there all day /
hoping to catch something. / Inevitably / we had to return home / with or without fish.
|
