When Americans speak they divide longer sentences into sections called thought groups. In each thought group we emphasize the focus word and then briefly pause before the next thought group begins.
Many non-native English speakers have never learned to use thought groups when they speak English. For some people this causes their speech too sound too fast for American listeners to understand. For other people the lack of thought groups causes their speech to sound very choppy to American listeners.
There are no solid rules for dividing longer sentences into thought groups. It really depends on the idea that you are trying to convey.
You will learn all about thought groups in spoken English in Judy Gilbert’s book, Clear Speech from the Start
Tags: Accent Reduction Techniques, American English Pronunciation, clear speech, judy gilbert, Sentence stress, thought groups
