Unit 54. Before She Left School She Started Her Own Business.
Dividing Prepared Speech into Units (1)
Unit 54; Part A
In most contexts, when we speak we are making up what we say as we goalong. However, many people at times need to plan and prepare speechmore formally, and read this aloud from a written text or develop itfrom notes. For example, students and academics may have to givepresentations or lectures in class or at a conference; business peoplemay have to give reports at meetings; teachers or broadcasters may needto read text aloud to their pupils or their audience. In Units 54 to60, we will look at some of the features of pronunciation that tend tobe found in the prepared speech produced in situations like these. | |
In prepared speech, we tend to put speech unit boundaries, often marked with a pause, at clause boundaries (see also Unit 32) although they can go elsewhere, too. In this example, from a presentation, speech units are marked with //. The ones at clause boundaries are marked with //: | |
When written text is read aloud, speech unit boundaries are oftenplaced at punctuation marks (commas, full stops, etc.). However, speechunit boundaries may also be put in other places. |
Unit 54; Part B
In particular, we tend to put speech unit boundaries -
But notice that defining relative clauses are less likely to be separated from the noun they refer to by a speech unit boundary: The number of people who are emigrating// is increasing steadily. rather than: The number of people// who are emigrating// is increasing steadily. We objected// to the recommendation that was put forward. rather than: We objected// to the recommendation// that was put forward. Note: There may not be a speech unit boundary between clauses which are short: We'll leave when we can. (rather than : We'l l leave// when we can.) |
Exercises
| Unit 53 Unit 54 Unit 55 | |