english pronunciation module 4

7/30/2019 English Pronunciation module 4

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Module 4

Module 4 will cover the ollowing:

Sentence stress

EnglishPronunciation made easy

Accessible

Online Pronunciation course - 25hours via Blended learning.

Sounds

Concepts

28-60words

In module 4:

Class 4 - 45 minutesCoursework 4 - 1 hourReview 3 - 45 minutes

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Sentence stressSentence stress is the music o spoken English. Like word stress, sentencestress can help you to understand spoken English, especially when spo-

ken ast.

Sentence stress is what gives English its rhythm or beat. You rememberthat word stress is accent on one syllable within a word. Sentence stressis accent on certain words within a sentence.

Most sentences have two types o word:

content wordsstructure words

Content words are the key words o a sentence. Tey are the importantwords that carry the meaning or sense.

Structure words are not very important words. Tey are small, simplewords that make the sentence correct grammatically. Tey give the sen-tence its correct orm or structure.

I you remove the structure words rom a sentence, you will probablystill understand the sentence.

I you remove the content words rom a sentence, you will not under-stand the sentence. Te sentence has no sense or meaning.

Imagine that you receive this telegram message:

SELL CAR GONE FRANCE


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Tis sentence is not complete. It is not a grammatically correct sen-tence. But you probably understand it. Tese 4 words communicate very

well. Somebody wants you to sell their car or them because they havegone to France. We can add a ew words:

SELL my CAR Ive GONE to FRANCE

Te new words do not really add any more inormation. But they makethe message more correct grammatically. We can add even more words to

make one complete, grammatically correct sentence. But the inormationis basically the same:

Will you SELL my CAR because Ive GONE to FRANCE.

In our sentence, the 4 key words (sell, car, gone, France) are accentuatedor stressed.

Why is this important or pronunciation? It is important because itadds music to the language. It is the rhythm o the English language.It changes the speed at which we speak (and listen to) the language. Tetime between each stressed word is the same.

In our sentence, there is 1 syllable between SELL and CAR and 3 sylla-bles between CAR and GONE. But the time (t) between SELL and CARand between CAR and GONE is the same. We maintain a constant beaton the stressed words. o do this, we say my more slowly, and becauseIve more quickly. We change the speed o the small structure words sothat the rhythm o the key content words stays the same.


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Syllables2 1 3 1

Will you SELL myCARbecause Ive GONE to FRANCE.

ime

1 1 1 1Will you SELL myCARbecause Ive GONE to FRANCE.

Te basic rules o sentence stress are:

content words are stressedstructure words are unstressedthe time between stressed words is always the sameTe ollowing tables can help you decide which words are content words and

which words are structure words:

Content words - stressed

Words carrying the meaning Examplemain verbs SELL, GIVE, EMPLOYnouns CAR, MUSIC, MARYadjectives RED, BIG, INERESINGadverbs QUICKLY, LOUDLY, NEVERnegative auxiliaries DON, AREN, CAN

Structure words - unstressed

Words or correct grammar Examplepronouns he, we, theyprepositions on, at, into

articles a, an, theconjunctions and, but, becauseauxiliary verbs do, be, have, can, must


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Te rules are or or what is called neutral or normal stress. But some-times we can stress a word that would normally be only a structureword, or example to correct inormation. Look at the ollowing dia-

logue:

Teyve been to Mongolia, havent they?No, HEY havent, but WE have.

Note also that when be is used as a main verb, it is usually unstressed(even though in this case it is a content word).

Sentence stress exercises

First, you need to be able to immediately distinguish between content

and unction words. Are the ollowing words unction or content?

wentwith

justquicklythehardnext toCD ROMopenhad


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Next, take a look at the sentences and choose the words that should bestressed.

Example: Jackwent to the shop to grab some coke.

He had nished breakast beore I arrived.

Phillip ordered a huge steak or dinner.

Tey will have to stay up late i they are going to nish their homework.

It must have been something in the air that caused Jack to shout.

Could you please be more quiet?

Notice how some o the shorter sentences actually have more stressedwords than the longer ones (2 compared to 3). Tese shorter sentencescan oen take longer to speak than longer sentences with many unc-tion words!!!

Now go to the video below and look at some real lie examples o sen-

tence stress:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19243357

That concludes lesson 4, now study coursework 4


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Coursework 4

EnglishPronunciation made easy

Accessible

Online Pronunciation course - 25hours via Blended learning. In module 4:

Class 4 - 45 minutesCoursework 4 - 1 hourReview 3 - 45 minutesSentence stress and words 28-45

Now well cover words 28 - 60. In the example sentences, the stressed words

are underlined. However, as you know, word stress can change dependingon the emphasis the speaker wants to give. Click your ngers on the un-derlined words and remember the time (t) between each underlined wordmust be the same.

Word 28 - by /baI/

By is a preposition (next to; close to) and adverb (to go past). Look atthese examples.

Preposition

Te shop is by the Restaurant

Adverb

Te crowd cheered as the Royal Family went by


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Word 29 - hot /hQt/

As an adjective, hot is in a stressed position.

this soup is equally good hot or cold

flled with passionate excitement, anger, or other strong emotion:

she was hot with rage

inormal involving much activity, debate, or interest:

I have got some hot gossip!

inormal very knowledgeable or skilul:

oni is very hot on local history

Word 30 - but /bVt/

But is a conjunction, and unstressed in most cases.

used to introduce a phrase or clause contrasting with what has already been men-tioned:

he stumbled but didnt all

the ood is cheap but delicious

used to indicate the impossibility o anything other than what is being stated:

one cannot but sympathize

there was nothing they could do but swallow their pride


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Word 31 - some /sVm/

Some is a determiner and pronoun. Look at the ollowing examples. Re-member to ocus on the sentence stress.

Determiner

an unspecifed amount or number o:

I made some money running errands

he played some records or me

used to reer to someone or something that is unknown or unspecifed:

she married some newspaper magnate twice her age

there must* be some mistake

* Stress on the must or emphasis

(pronounced stressing some) a considerable amount or number o:

he went to some trouble

Ive known you or some years now

(pronounced stressing some) at least a small amount or number o:

he liked some music but generally wasnt musical

Pronoun

1an unspecifed number or amount o people or things:

here are some o our suggestions


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Word 32 - what /wQt/What has three uses - as an interrogative pronoun, relative pronoun,interroragive determiner, relative determiner

Interrogatives are usually stressed

[interrogative pronoun] asking or inormation speciying something:

whats your name?Im not sure what you mean

[relative pronoun] the thing or things that (used in speciying something):

what we need is a commitment

[interrogative determiner] asking or inormation speciying something:

what time is it?

do you know what excuse he gave?

[relative determiner] (reerring to the whole o an amount) whatever:

he had been robbed o what little money he had

Word 33 - there/De@/

Tere is an adverb. So its un a stressed position

we went to Paris and stayed there ten days

at the end o the day we are there to make money

I dont agree with you there


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Word 34 - all /O:l/

All is a determiner, pronoun and adverb and thereore usually in an un-stressed position except when used as an adverb

we all have dierent needs

determiner

10 percent o all cars sold

he slept all day

adverb

dressed all in black

shes been all round the world

Word 35 - your /jO:/

Your is a possessitve determiner, so its unstressed (except i it needs em-phasis)

Whats your name?

Can I see your ticket, sir?

Tats not mybag, itsyours!


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Word 36 - when /wen/

when is an interrogative and a conjunction.

when did you last see him?

when would such a rule be justiable?

Conjunction

call me when youve nished

can you spare ve minutes when its convenient?

Word 37 - when /wen/

when is an interrogative and a conjunction.

when did you last see him?

when would such a rule be justiable?

Conjunction

call me when youve nished

can you spare ve minutes when its convenient?


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Word 38 - up /Vp/

Up is usually used as an adverb and a preposition.

Adverb

two o the men helped her up

she made her way up to bed

Preposition

she climbed up a fight o steps

he lived up the road

Word 39 - use /ju:s/

Use is a verb and thereore is a stressed word within a sentence

she used her key to open the door

the poem uses simple language

I couldnt help eeling that she was using me (exploiting me)


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Word 40 - we /wi:/

we is a pronoun and is therore usually unstressed

shall we have a drink?

we should eat as varied and well-balanced a diet as possible

Word 41 - can /c{n/

can is a modal verb and usually unstressed. It has lots o unc-tions: to give permission, express ability, express possibility andexpress a request.

they can run ast

I can speak Italian

there are many ways holidaymakers can take money abroad

you can use the phone i you want to

can you open the window?

english pronunciation module 4

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