READING ALOUD

There are

2
rules for

SENTENCE STRESS.
 1 2
CONTENT FUNCTION
WORDS WORDS
are stressed. are unstressed.
IMAGINE
SELL CAR GONE FRANCE
 The sentence is

INCOMPLETE
and

UNGRAMMATICAL.
BUT
 You probably

UNDERSTAND
it.
 Somebody wants you to

SELL CAR
their
for them because they have

GONE to

FRANCE .
 SELL
CAR
GONE
FRANCE
 Will You

Let us
ADD My Because
a few words.

Ive To
 SELL CAR
Will you my

GONE
because I've to

FRANCE?
 NEW
words do not add

NEW
information.
 NEW
words create a

GRAMMATICAL
sentence.
INFORMATION
remains the

SAME.
 RECAP
CONTENT words FUNCTION words
1. Sell 1. Will
2. Car 2. You
3. Gone 3. My
4. France 4. Because
5. Ive
6. To
 What is a

CONTENT WORD
?
 A

CONTENT WORD
is a word that conveys
MEANING.
CONTENT WORDS 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

STRESSED
 What is a

FUNCTION WORD
?
 A
FUNCTION WORD
is a word that expresses
GRAMMATICAL
RELATIONSHIP
with other words.
FUNCTION WORDS EXAMPLES
Pronouns He, We, They

Prepositions On, At, Into

Articles A, An, The

Conjunctions And, But, Because

Auxiliary Verbs Do, Be, Have, Can, Must

UNSTRESSED
 EXCEPTION
The above rules are for what is called neutral or normal stress.
Sometimes, we can stress a word that would normally be only a
function word, for example, to correct information.
Look at the following dialogue.

"They've been to Mongolia,

haven't they?"

THEY haven't, but

"No,

WE have.
 What is
SENTENCE
STRESS
?
SENTENCE STRESS
mainly provides
RHYTHM
in speech.
 What is
RHYTHM
then?
RHYTHM
is the key to
FLUENT
English speech.
Imagine a metronome
beating the rhythm.
The stressed syllables are
like the beats of the
metronome: regular, loud,
and clear.
The unstressed syllables
between the beats are
shortened, obscured and
joined together.
 Let us
HIGHLIGHT
the

STRESSED
syllables.
A SHORT SENTENCE
Kevin sent a letter.

After marking the stressed syllables,

KEVin SENT a LETter.

KEV in SENT a LET ter.

stressed - unstressed - stressed - unstressed - stressed - unstressed
with equal number of alternating stressed and unstressed syllables
A LONG SENTENCE
Kevin decided to send a letter to his relatives in the
village.

After marking the stressed syllables,

KEVin deCIDed to SEND a LETter to his RELatives in the
VILlage.
 The STRESSED
syllables, like the
BEATS of the
metronome, have to occur
REGULARLY.
 QUESTION
How do we fit all the unstressed syllables in the intervals
between the stressed syllables without breaking the rhythm in
Kevin sent a letter?
 The rules of

REDUCTION
and LINKING
What are the rules
REDUCTION
and LINKING
then?
 The rules
REDUCT
the pitch of unstressed syllables and

LINK
the stream of less distinct sounds.
CONCLUSION
 STRESS
content word,
UNSTRESS
function words.
 RECAP
CONTENT words FUNCTION words
1. Be clear 1. Be obscure
2. Use high pitch 2. Use low pitch
3. Lengthen syllables 3. Shorten syllables
 Read the sentence
RHYTHMICALLY
1 2
STRESS JAM the
the stressed syllables at UNSTRESSED
REGULAR intervals syllables between the
stressed syllables
PRACTICES
1. http://esl.about.com/library/speaking/blpronounce_stress_w
ords1.htm
Created by
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