Secondary Sentence Stress [\]

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 What is secondary stress?
A secondary strees (` ), is the kind of stress one
sometimes find in words of several syllables in
addition to the main stress or which one may find
as the only stress in words of diminished
significance.
 1. Polysyllabic structural words which, when consisting of one
syllable are normally unstressed will take a secondary stress on
the prominent syllable which carries the main word stress.

Ex: I sw him fter dnner.

Ex: They were wlking alng a nrrow pth.
Ex: Wh wrry abut it?
 2. Adverbial particles occurring in phrasal verbs and in verbal idioms, as well as
prepositions used as adverbs in the same positions will have secondary stress when
followed by an object expression or by an adverbial phrase.The verbal particle will also
have a secondary stress if it is added after a noun object.
Examples:
Pt your cat n.
Hnd n your ssays.
Pss the slt ver, plese.
Note : The adveribial particle or preposition used as an adverb in the sentence will
have a main stress when :
Preceded by a verb that does not require a main stress.
In final position when preceded by an unstressed personal pronoun
In final position when it is immediately preceded by the verb .
Examples:
Thn they st ut agin.
Hnd them n .
The tacher tld m to kep n
 3.Monosyllabic preposititions will take secondary stress when the are in final position
and they are governing some word mentioned earlier in the sentence or when followed
by a final unstressed word.
Examples:
Wht are you wating fr?
There was n one to gve it t.
Wh dnt you wit fr him?
I thnk you should tke it frm her.

Note : We shouldnt put the secondary stress on the prepoisition when :

It is preceded by a monosyllabic verb of motion not requiring a main stress and at the
same time followed by a final unstressed word
In questions consisting of interrogative + preposition

Ex: He wlked pst it.

Wh dnt you g wth him?
Ths rund of tnnis you should ply wth her.
I thnk you should cme wth us.
 4. The verb to have takes a secondary stress when used with an
infinitive to indicate necessity or compulsion. It also takes a
secondary stress when used as principle verb whose meaning differs
from its essential.
Ex : We shall hve to d smething abut it.-necessity
Wht did you hve for lnch tody?- principle verb
You will hve to retrn untl he retrns.- compulsion( obligation)
Note: The verb to have will be unstressed in plain statements of
possession,especially when followed by the word got or when to
indicate obligation and at the same time followed by an object
expression.
Ex : We have (gt) a nw cr.
She has (gt) a nice drss tody.
We have a lt to d.
He has a lt to larn before he grows p.
5.The main verbs in the sentence will take a secondary stress if they :
have a little significance in the sentence
suggest motion
lose their significance because of the particular context
occur in inessential phrases
Examples:
D you pla tennis? little significiance
D you lke music?
I ply the pino twce a week.
They st out early in the mrning.
I loked at the bok she was rading.-inessential phrases
He wnt to the cnema last night..-motion
Wht a knd mn you re.-lose significance because of particular context

Note: If a monosyllabic verb of motion is followed by a final word which is requiring a

weaker stress ,then the verb will have a main stress.
Example :
I wnt to g thre.
I will be oblged if you cme hre.
 6. Anomalous finites at the beginning of general questions frequently have secondary
stress
Examples :
Wll there be mny pople prsent tonght?
Wre you thnking or spaking t him?
Is Mry ging to war that ht?
Dd you enjy your hliday?

Note: Anomalous finites as well as the verbs to be and to have will have a main
stess when used in final position in the sentence , especially in short answers yo
Yes/No question and when the answers are negative.

Examples :
Ths plce snt the sme as it sed to b.
We hvent fnished panting the hose yt.
Ys, we re.
N, you mstnt.
 7. From the previous examples we can see that the demonstrative adjectives ( this,
that, these, those) take secondary stress. An exception is made, when they are used
in emphasis or when contrast is required. In this cases, they take primary stress.
Examples :
Ths skrt is mne, but tht skirt is yurs.
Tht mn saved the child from drwning.
8. When adverbial expressions are used in final position, especially those of time and
place, than they take secondary stress.
Examples:
I sw Emma in the disc ysterday. (time)
Wht are they suppsed to be ding hre? (place)
I mt him in the cnema lst nght. (time)
W will expct you to cme agan. (time)
Note: The final adverbial expressions take primary(main) stress when emphasis is
required :
Example :
Wh are you witing hre? (not there)
They knw nthing abut it till nw.
I hd one ysterday.
Thank you for your attention!