Level 5 — Advanced · Technical & Evaluative Speaking
Drill 70: Speaking for Emphasis
Use 'not only... but also' live to place the real point exactly where you want it — no script, no Bangla translation step.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this drill, you should be able to:
- Speak a correctly parallel 'not only... but also' sentence, live
- Use 'what matters is' to name the real point directly, unscripted
- Place spoken emphasis on the genuinely important detail, not just the first one that comes to mind
Introduction
Lesson 70 taught you to find what an author is actually placing in focus. This drill asks you to build that same emphasis out loud, live — using "not only... but also" and "what matters is" to make sure your listener hears your real point, not just your first sentence.
Shadow the Model
The new system not only processes orders faster but also reduces errors. What matters most is the error reduction, not the speed.
Notice the stress lands on "errors" and "matters most" — a fluent speaker doesn't say every word with equal weight, they lean into the word carrying the real point.
Your Turn
Your Turn
You'll be given a short scenario with two true facts about it. When the timer starts, combine them into one "not only... but also" sentence, then say "what matters most is..." to name which one actually matters more, and why.
Give your answer now — no planning, just speak
Record Yourself
Give your emphasis sentence, then record it and compare your stress and structure against the model.
Model Answer
Show a model answer
There's no single correct wording, but a strong answer keeps the "not only... but also" sentence genuinely parallel on both sides, and follows it with a clear "what matters most is..." that names one specific point rather than just repeating both facts again.
Vocabulary in Context
stressnounneutral
extra emphasis given to certain words in speech (জোর)
Often with stress a word, place the stress, word stress
“Put the stress on 'safety', not on 'speed', if that is your main point.”
what matters isphraseneutral
a spoken phrase that directly names the most important point (যা গুরুত্বপূর্ণ তা হলো)
Often with what matters is, but what matters is, what really matters is
“What matters is reliability, not price.”
Self-Check
Self-Check
- Was your "not only... but also" sentence genuinely parallel on both sides?
- Did "what matters most is" name one specific point, not just restate both facts?
- Did you respond immediately, with no planning pause?
Next: Speaking 71 — Speaking an Argument as It Develops: building a position out loud that genuinely shifts and refines itself as you talk.