The Power of the Pause

The pause, not enough people use it

Most people talk too fast and they do not make a good impression. Standard English has a rhythm to it. Words abut each other rather than staccato, and there is music in the words, just as there is music in lyrics.

A pause can be a micro-second pause, or we can bring a pause using one of the most common elements of grammar ... the comma.

Often people are so nervous about having to speak to a group, that they simply spit out their words rat-a-tat-tat style like that of a machine gun.

The problem with this is, of course, that not everybody understands what they said, and the speech lacks clarity, authority, and meaning.

Let’s have a look at a sentence and see how the pause works.

The sentence, “I bought some red apples today!”.

What happens when I pause after a word that I want to stress.

“I ….(pause)….bought some red apples today”.

So that means I bought the apples, not Jack, not Judy.

Then if I say with a pause, “I bought….(pause)….some red apples today.” That means I purchased them.

I didn’t steal them or borrow them. See how the sentence emphasis changes when I use a pause?

Pauses brought on by using commas are also useful for emphasizing certain words in sentences.

I read that an English professor wrote the words:

“A woman without her man is nothing”

on the chalkboard. He asked the students to punctuate it correctly.

All the males in the class wrote:

“A woman, without her man, is nothing.”

All the females in the class wrote:

“A woman: without her, man is nothing.”

Pauses brought on by punctuation are powerful.

By practicing the pause today, either a micro-pause or a comma pause, you will make a much stronger impression with your speech and be memorable. And also stress the important word that you want to highlight.

What do you think? Pause appropriately or speak like a bullet train?