Sentence Stress

EDL 2203 PHONOLOGY for ELT
SENTENCE STRESS/ PROSODIC STRESS

Stress group and sense group
What is sentence stress?

Sentence stress is accent on certain words within a sentence.
Sentence Stress
English is a stress-timed language Music of spoken English. Help you to understand spoken especially when spoken fast. Gives English its rhythm or "beat"
English,
INTRODUCTION
Sentence stress is a difficult area to work on for learners and teachers alike. For this reason it's also an area which is often neglected, but this aspect of the language can cause problems for learners in both their speaking and perhaps more importantly listening.
INTRODUCTION
Some comments on why listening is difficult in English: "The words come too fast" "I panic when I don't understand every word" "Some words are swallowed" What the students are referring to here, amongst other things, is the stress-timed aspect of English.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SENTENCE STRESS

Not using stress-time can also make students sound laboured when they speak and can cause irritation on the part of the listener.
1. STRESS GROUPS 2. SENSE GROUPS
STRESS GROUP
Most sentences have two types of word: content words structure words
Content Word
Content words are the key words of a sentence. They are the important words that carry the meaning or sense. If you remove the content words from a sentence, you will not understand the sentence. The sentence has no sense or meaning.
Structure Word
Not very important words. They are small, simple words that make the sentence correct grammatically. They give the sentence its correct form or "structure". If you remove the structure words from a sentence, you will probably still understand the sentence.
EXAMPLE 1
Imagine that you receive this telegram message: SELL CAR
What does it mean?
GONE FRANCE
CONTENT WORD
This sentence is not complete. It is not a "grammatically correct" sentence. But you probably understand it. Somebody wants you to sell their car for them because they have gone to France. The 4 key words (sell, car, gone, France) are accentuated or stressed. Those words
are CONTENT WORDS
STRUCTURE WORD
Will you SELL my CAR because I've GONE to FRANCE
The new words do not really add any more information. But they make the message more correct grammatically. We can add even more words to make one complete, grammatically correct sentence. But the information is basically the same. Those are STRUCTURE WORD
KNOWING SENTENCE STRESS

It changes the speed at which we speak (and listen to) the language. The time between each stressed word is the same. In our sentence, there is 1 syllable between SELL and CAR and 3 syllables between CAR and GONE. But the time (t) between SELL and CAR and between CAR and GONE is the same. We maintain a constant beat on the stressed words. To do this, we say "my" more slowly, and "because I've" more quickly. We change the speed of the small structure words so that the rhythm of the key content words stays the same
EXAMPLE 2
I am a proFESsional phoTOgrapher whose MAIN INterest is to TAKE SPEcial, BLACK and WHITE PHOtographs that exHIBit ABstract MEANings in their photoGRAPHic STRUCture.
RULES FOR SENTENCE STRESS
The basic rules of sentence stress are: 1.content words are stressed 2.structure words are unstressed 3.the time between stressed words is always the same
CONTENT WORD
Content words - stressed Words carrying the meaning main verbs nouns adjectives Example SELL, GIVE, EMPLOY CAR, MUSIC, MARY RED, BIG, INTERESTING
adverbs
negative auxiliaries
QUICKLY, LOUDLY, NEVER

DON'T, AREN'T, CAN'T
STRUCTURE WORD
Structure words - unstressed Words for correct grammar pronouns prepositions articles Example he, we, they on, at, into a, an, the
conjunctions
auxiliary verbs
and, but, because

do, be, have, can, mustExceptions
EXCEPTIONS
The above rules are for what is called "neutral" or normal stress. But sometimes we can stress a word that would normally be only a structure word, for example to correct information. Look at the following dialogue: "They've been to Mongolia, haven't they?" "No, THEY haven't, 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).
SENSE GROUPS
SENSE GROUP
Often used pragmatically to emphasize (focus attention on) particular words or the ideas associated with them. Inadequate or improper sense stress can result in an obscure meaning of the information you present. The ability to persuade or motivate is severely hampered. Even worse, you may lose the audience when their thoughts go else where.
SENSE GROUP
Ways to add proper sense stress
1) greater volume 2) greater intensity or feeling 3) stronger inflection 4) increase pitch (unless this is a typical weakness you are known for) 5) lower the tone 6) slow down the pace
SENSE GROUP
Where to Use Sense Stress
As always, it comes back to the audience. What is your purpose? What do you hope to accomplish with the audience? What do you want them to walk away form the lecture with? What motivation or persuasion do you hope to effect?
Example 1
I didn't take the test yesterday. (Somebody else did.) I didn't take the test yesterday. (I did not take it.) I didn't take the test yesterday. (I did something else with it.) I didn't take the test yesterday. (I took a different one.) I didn't take the test yesterday. (I took something else.) I didn't take the test yesterday. (I took it some other day.)
Example 2
I didnt say you stole the candy bar. I didnt say you stole the candy bar. I didnt say you stole the candy bar. I didnt say you stole the candy bar. I didnt say you stole the candy bar. I didnt say you stole the candy bar. I didnt say you stole the candy bar. I didnt say you stole the candy bar.
SUGGESTION ON HOW TO TEACH SENTENCE STRESS
ACTIVITY 1
Stress timing is most noticeable in patterned language such as poetry and limericks. Here is an example of limericks.
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 once was a lady named Lynn Who was so uncommonly thin, that when she essayed to drink lemonade, she slipped through the straw and fell in
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EDL 2203 PHONOLOGY for ELT

SENTENCE STRESS/ PROSODIC STRESS

What is sentence stress?

THE IMPORTANCE OF SENTENCE STRESS

1. STRESS GROUPS 2. SENSE GROUPS

are CONTENT WORDS

KNOWING SENTENCE STRESS

RULES FOR SENTENCE STRESS

QUICKLY, LOUDLY, NEVER

and, but, because

SUGGESTION ON HOW TO TEACH SENTENCE STRESS

Free powerpoint template: www.brainybetty.com

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