Understanding Link in Speech: Definition and Examples
Linking is a fundamental aspect of connected speech, alongside assimilation and elision. It involves the connection of sound segments within an utterance or word. This connection creates a smoother transition between syllables, facilitating more rapid speech production.
In English, when we speak, we often join or "link" words together. This linking can cause words in a sentence to sound different than when spoken individually. Linking is therefore very important in English.
Common Liaison Phenomena
The most common liaison phenomena involve the /r/ sound in non-rhotic speech, particularly in post-vocalic contexts. Here’s a breakdown of how this works:
- Rhotic vs. Non-Rhotic Speakers: A rhotic speaker pronounces words like "far" as /fɑːr/, while a non-rhotic speaker typically omits the /r/ unless it's followed by a vowel.
- Linking /r/: For non-rhotic speakers, the /r/ sound is pronounced when a word ending in <r> or <re> is followed by a word beginning with a vowel. This is known as linking /r/. For example, the phrase "far away" will be pronounced with the /r/.
- Intrusive /r/: Intrusive /r/ involves pronouncing an /r/ sound even when the word's spelling doesn't end in <r> or <re>. This also relates to non-rhotic accents. For instance, linking a final /ə/ or even /ɑː, ɔː/ to an initial vowel in the same sense group by inserting an r-sound even if there is no r in the spelling.
The important thing in linking is the sound, not the letter.
Linking is one of the major processes of connected speech, together with assimilation and elision. It has to do with the linking of sound segments in an utterance or word. That is, a situation whereby a sound segment or phoneme serves as a link between two syllables making the glide from one syllable to the other smoother and aiding rapid speech production. It occurs in a number of instances, namely;
a. When a word ends with a vowel sound and the next word begins with a vowel sound, the /w/ and /j/ sounds are wedged between them forming a link that makes for a smooth transition. Depending on the vowel sound that ends the first word, the linker could be either /w/ or /j/. For example, if vowel sounds /I/, /ei/, /ɔɪ/, and /ai/ end a word, the linker would be /j/, but when vowel sounds like /au/, /u/, and /əʊ/ end a word, the linker would be/w/. For example;
- Can't see anything = will be articulated as /kɑːnt siː j ˈɛnɪθɪŋ /
- Why don't you say it = will be articulated as /waɪ dəʊnt juː seɪ j ɪt/
- It is due on the first = will be articulated as /ɪt ɪz djuː w ɒn ðə fɜːst/
- Now is your chance = will be articulated as /naʊ w ɪz jɔː ʧɑːns/
b. When a word ends with a consonant and the following word begins with a vowel, it becomes linked to the second word as though it belongs to both words. For example;
The Role of Linking Verbs
Linking verbs are verbs that describe the subject rather than the action like other verbs. Linking verbs use subject complements, which give details about the sentence’s subject. The fastest way to identify linking verbs is to look for the subject complement, but this can get confusing.
Linking verbs are verbs that don’t show an action but rather describe the subject. Formally known as copulas or copulae, linking verbs are an important part of any language, especially in English where the most common verb, be, is a linking verb. Unlike other verbs, linking verbs do not show an action-or more accurately, the only action they show is merely existing. This makes linking verbs different from other types of verbs like ditransitive verbs, phrasal verbs, or impersonal verbs, which all describe specific actions. In fact, you can categorize all verbs into two groups, action verbs and linking verbs.
Every sentence has two parts: a subject and a predicate. The subject is a noun that performs the action of the verb and typically comes at the beginning of a sentence. Here, Tamara is the subject, the person who does the action, and went to the store is the predicate. The verb went, the past tense of the irregular verb go, is an action verb when used like this.
However, linking verbs have special predicates called subject complements that do not describe the action but instead describe the subject. At college, she became an athlete and a scholar. Keep in mind that subject complements can also include phrases as part of the predicate nominatives or predicate adjectives. Let’s look at an example . In this sentence, the linking verb is were, the past-tense plural form of be. The subject complement is a predicate adjective centered on the adjective hungry.
Adverbs describe verbs in the same way that adjectives describe nouns. The runner is quick. When it comes to subject-verb agreement, the linking verb still matches the subject.
Aside from the three main linking verbs that are always linking verbs (be, become, and seem), some verbs can be either linking verbs or action verbs. The difference depends on how they’re used. A verb is a linking verb if it’s used to describe the subject. Here, the verb look is a linking verb because it describes Liz’s appearance. Here, the verb look is an action verb, which is to say, not a linking verb. It describes the action that Liz is doing, not Liz herself.
Some common action verbs have one or two particular meanings where they act as linking verbs. A lot of times these verbs appear with certain other words to signal they’re used as linking verbs. [action verb] She keeps a glass of water by her bed. Linking verbs are verbs that describe the subject rather than the action like other verbs. Linking verbs use subject complements, which give details about the sentence’s subject.
The fastest way to identify linking verbs is to look for the subject complement, but this can get confusing.
Speech Transitions
Speech transitions are useful for unifying and connecting your presentation. The audience are more likely to remain engaged since they’ll be able to follow your points. This can be done using speech transitions because these act as signposts to the audience - signalling the relationship between points and ideas.
You can move your body and your standing location when you transition to another point. Internal summarising consists of summarising before moving on to the next point. You may be asking whether this happens in X? You can tell personal stories or share the experiences of others to introduce a point. Anecdotes are especially valuable for your introduction and between different sections of the presentation because they engage the audience.
You can transition through your speech by asking questions and these questions also have the benefit of engaging your audience more. The audience will generally answer that they’re happy. If you are going to introduce a visual aid you must prepare the audience with what they’re going to see, for example, you might be leading into a diagram that supports your statement. You might have a slide with just a picture on it to signify to the audience that you’re moving on to a new point - ensure that this image is relevant to the point.
However, using statements such as “To conclude” may cause the audience to stop listening. You may be thinking how can I help in this matter? When transitions are used poorly you can annoy and confuse the audience.
Incompatible transitions - for example, if you’re about to introduce an example that supports your statement you wouldn’t introduce this by saying “but”. Over-using the same transition because this is boring for the audience to hear repeatedly.