Sentence Stress and Rhythm

Presenter:
Mary Jane Carag Villarin
 Objectives:
This is one of the best ways for you to
understand spoken English
To achieve rhythm and good intonation in
your speech
 PHOtograph
phoTOgrapher
photoGRAPHic

This happens in ALL words with 2 or more

syllables: TEACHer, JaPAN, CHINa,
aBOVE, converSAtion, INteresting,
imPORtant, deMAND, etCETera, etCETera,
etCETera
I am a proFESsional phoTOgrapher
whose MAIN INterest is to TAKE
SPEcial PHOtographs
having ABstract
MEANings in their
photoGRAPHic STRUCture.
machine-gun fire vs.
a series of family groups
 Sentence Stress and Rhythm

Stress in Words, Phrases & Sentences

Word-stress history
phrase-stress in the after noon
sentence-stress I am glad to see you.
 Stress in Words
1. Two-Syllable nouns and adjectives
Examples:
PURple
RAIny
ENgine
HAPpy
SAMples
 Stress in Words
2. Compound nouns are stressed on
the first word in the compound.
bedroom
blackboard
airplane
 Stress in Words
3. Stress is usually placed on the syllable that
contains the ROOT or BASE word. That means
that word prefixes are usually not stressed.
unPAID
inCLUDE
preDICT
reMIND
 Stress in Words
4. Word suffixes are usually not stressed.
SLOWly
FASTer
SPEAKing
CAREful
 Stress in Words
6. Words with various endings
The stress is usually on the syllable right
before the suffix.
able: ADDable, DURable, LAUGHable
ial: differENTial, SOcial, fiNANcial
cian: muSIcian, phySIcian, cliNIcian
ery: BAkery, SCEnery
 Stress in Words
ian: coMEdian, ciVILian, techNIcian
ible: reSIstible, imPOSsible, TERRible
ic: arCHAic, plaTOnic, characteRIStic
ics: diaBEtics, paediAtrics, TOpics
ion: classifiCAtion, repoSItion,
vegeTAtion
 Stress in Words
ia: MEdia, bacTERia, PHOBia
ient: inGREdient, PAtient, ANcient
ious: mySTERious, reLIgious, VARious
ish: SELfish, ENglish, PUnish
osis: hypNOsis, diagNOsis, osMOsis
 Katie, you got a phone call!
This is tasty!
There's a fire starting in my heart
I must confess, I still believe
 Katie, you got a phone call!
This is tasty!
There's a fire starting in my heart
I must confess, I still believe
 Stress in Group of Words
The basic rules of sentence stress are:
content words are stressed
structure words are unstressed

Telegram:
Send money allowance need Monday
 Content Words - Stressed
words carrying the
meaning examples
main verbs SELL, GIVE, EMPLOY

nouns CAR, MUSIC, MARY

adjectives RED, BIG, INTERESTING

adverbs QUICKLY, LOUDLY,

NEVER

negative auxiliaries DON'T, AREN'T, CAN'T

 Structure Words - Unstressed
words for correct
grammar example
pronouns he, we, they
prepositions on, at, into
articles a, an, the
conjunctions and, but, because
auxiliary verbs do, be, have, can,
must
The said rules are for what is called "neutral"
or normal stress. But sometimes we can stress
a structure word to:

1.correct information

"They've been to Mongolia, haven't they?"

"No, THEY haven't, but WE have."
2. emphasize an idea
In general, content words are
stressed.
Function words are left
unstressed.
Unless the speaker wishes to
call special attention to them.
I said she might consider a new haircut.
I said she might consider a new haircut.
I said she might consider a new haircut.
I said she might consider a new haircut.
I said she might consider a new haircut.
I said she might consider a new haircut.
I said she might consider a new haircut.
1. It was my idea.
2. Don't you understand me?
3. Not another person.
4. It's a possibility.
5. She should think about it. it's a good idea.
6. Not just a haircut
7. Not something else.
Exercise 1
Read the following limericks aloud with the proper
stress:
There was a young lady from Niger,
Who smiled as she rode on a tiger.
After the ride
She was inside,
And the smile on the face of the
tiger.
 There was once a lady named Lynn
Who was so uncommonly thin,
that when she essayed
to drink lemonade,
she slipped through the straw and fell
in!
 Exercise 2
Identify the words that should be stressed.

There's a fire starting in my heart

Reaching a fever pitch, and it's
bringing me out the dark
Finally, I can see you crystal clear
Go ahead and sell me out,
and I'll lay your ship bare
 With the proper stress

There's a fire starting in my heart

Reaching a fever pitch, and it's
bringing me out the dark
Finally, I can see you crystal clear
Go ahead and sell me out,
and I'll lay your ship bare
 Exercise 3
Identify the words that should be stressed.

See how I'll leave with

every piece of you
Don't underestimate the things
that I will do
There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch,
and it's bringing me out the dark
 Exercise 3
The Answer
See how I'll leave with
every piece of you
Don't underestimate the things
that I will do
There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch,
and it's bringing me out the dark
L4 Sentence-Stress and Rhythm

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