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Unit 42. "Was That the Question?" He Asked.

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Reading Aloud: 'Pronouncing Punctuation'

Unit 42; Part A

Listen to this text. Notice that in speech there are pauses where, in writing, there are punctuation marks.
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note.jpgNote: Reading aloud is good pronunciation practice. Don't forget to 'pronounce the punctuation'. 

Unit 42; Part B

Pauses can change the meaning of what we say. Listen to these pairs of sentences and note the difference in pronunciation.

a It was cold outside. There was snow on the ground.
b It was cold. Outside, there was snow on the ground.

a Was that the question fhe asked?
b 'Was that the question?' he asked.

a I got up, quickly got dressed, and went downstairs.
b I got up quickly, got dressed, and went downstairs.

Unit 42; Part C

We need to use pauses to give us time to think, and to give the listener time to take in the information. Listento this address and note that there are pauses where there are linebreaks and where there are gaps in the telephone number. Notice alsothat when the speaker spells her surname and email address, she dividesthe letters into groups.

Linda Wharton
29 Bolton Road
Wigan
Lancashire
WI16 9FT
England
Tel: 090 827 7365
email:Этот e-mail защищен от спам-ботов. Для его просмотра в вашем браузере должна быть включена поддержка Java-script

Note: Practise saying the spelling of your own name. Decide how you will group the letters, if your name is long.

 



Exercises

flag.jpgRead this weather forecast aloud, "pronouncing the punctuation". Record yourself if you can. Then listen and compare.
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flag.jpgThe texts below are really two sentences, but the punctuation ismissing. The two sentences are divided before or after the underlinedexpression. Listen and draw one line / to show where the sentences aredivided.
Key.1 There was nothing inside / It was empty.
2 We walked carefully downstairs / It was dark.
3 I watched him / Silendy he opened the drawer.
4 The rain didn't stop the next day / It just carried on.
5 The weather was hot / At the weekend it was 40 degrees.
6 I saw her clearly / She was hungry.
7 It was cold / Last night the roads were icy.

Example: 
      They're leaving / soon it'll be quieter.
1    There was nothing inside it was empty.
2    We walked carefully downstairs it was dark.
3    I watched him silently he opened the drawer.
4    The rain didn't stop the next day it just carried on.
5    The weather was hot at the weekend it was 40 degrees.
6    I saw her clearly she was hungry.
7    It was cold last night the roads were icy.

Follow up: Readthe sentences above aloud, once with the sentence break before theunderlined expression, then again with the sentence break after it.

flag.jpgListen and write the name, address and contact details that you hear.
Key.Name:       Martin Britton
Address:   Flat 6
                98 Carlowe Road
                Middleton
Postcode: DG16 H39
Telephone:691 2281
email:       mbritjetcom.uk

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Follow up: Readout the information you wrote above. Try to put the pauses exactlywhere they were in the recording you heard. Then listen again andcompare.

  
flag.jpgSay your own name, address and contact details. Record it if possible.
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