Chunking, pausing and stress for meaning

Group words into meaningful chunks, pause where the meaning needs it and move the main stress to show contrast, so long answers stay easy to follow: the control of rhythm and stress that the IELTS pronunciation descriptors describe from band 6 upwards.

Level C1 25 min5 exercisesLesson 9 of 12 in Speaking C1

Trains: IELTS Speaking Part 3, TOEIC Speaking – Read a text aloud, TOEFL iBT Speaking – Listen and Repeat

What you'll learn

Divide long sentences into thought groups (chunks) and pause at the boundaries the meaning requires
Put the main stress of each chunk on new or contrasting information, and de-stress information that has already been mentioned
Use contrastive and emphatic stress (including on auxiliaries: they do read) to correct, contrast or contradict
Read a short announcement aloud with clear chunking for the TOEIC Read a text aloud task

Lesson content

10 steps · 5 exercises · 25 min total

1. Warm-up1 question
2. LearnThe skill and the strategy
3. ModelSee how it's done
4. Practice 1Which word carries the main stress?
5. Practice 2Shadow long sentences in chunks
6. Practice 3TOEIC Read a text aloud
7. Practice 4IELTS Part 3: sustain rhythm across a long answer
8. Exam tips3 tips
9. Key vocabulary10 words
10. SummaryReview and finish

Start lesson