Emma said she LOST her keys again.
(She didn’t hide them or sell them; she lost them.)
Emma said she lost HER keys again.
(Not my keys or your keys, but her keys.)
Emma said she lost her keys AGAIN.
(I can’t believe she did it again!)
Putting prominence in the appropriate place to express our
meaning clearly is very important in communicating well in
English.
Internet Links
Here’s a link to a FedEx commercial made in 1981 with actor
John Moschitta, who at one time held the Guinness World
Record as the world’s fastest talker. He speaks very quickly
with no pauses at all. See how hard it is to understand him?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHiFQRqGB90
This is an example of a more formal speech that makes
e"ective use of pauses—a graduation speech given by Steve
Jobs at Stanford University in 2005:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc
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