Stress and Intonation Patterns

Even if a student can pronounce individual words correctly, he/she will still have problems in speaking and being understood if there are problems in placing the right stress on the right syllable in a word or on the right word/words in a sentence. For example look at the words below. 1. photograph PHO to Graph 2. photographer pho TO gra pher 3. photographic Pho to GRA phic

This is an example of the primary stress on the word, where the emphasis is placed when saying the word. In the first word, photograph, the stress is on the first syllable. In the second word, photographer, the primary stress has shifted to the second syllable. In the last word, photographic, the primary stress is on the third syllable. Suppose a student pronounces the third word with the stress on the second syllable, a listener will possibly have difficulty understanding. Furthermore in words such as these, or polysyllabic words (having three or more syllables) theres often a secondary stress as well. In the first word, photograph, the secondary stress is on the third syllable. In the third word, photographic, the secondary stress is on the first syllable. Theres none in the second word, photographer. Equally, a student will have difficulties if he/she doesnt place the correct stress on the correct word in a sentence. Look at the following sentences and notice the differences in meaning as the stress changes. 1. 2. 3. 4. Mary decided to study Spanish at Smiths School in January. (not French) Mary decided to study Spanish at Smiths School in January. (not someone else) Mary decided to study Spanish at Smiths School in January. (not another place) Mary decided to study Spanish at Smiths School in January. (not another time)

Equally important to the use of the proper stress is the use of the proper intonation (the rise and fall in pitch of the voice in speech). Look at the following dialogue and read it out loud to yourself as the directions indicate: Tim: (very surprised) Mary, youre going out tonight? Mary: (evasive) Why, yes. I, I thought I had mentioned it earlier. Tim: (perplexed) Where? Mary: (matter of factly) To the movies. Tim: (curious) Going with anyone? Mary: (evasive) Just some old friends. Tim: (a little upset) Who?

Mary: (casually) Mark and Angie. Tim: (relieved) Oh. Notice how your voice rises and falls; this is the intonation of the music of the language. Now read it again. Imagine Mary is angry and Tim being sarcastic throughout. Do you notice how the intonation changes from the first scenario to the second? Think about the individual sentences. How did the intonation sound for sentences beginning with wh questions versus yes-no questions? Did your voice rise or fall? How did the stress on individual words change? These are examples of intonation: the way we communicate meaning with the pitch of our speaking. We do this to convey information, meaning, emotion, feelings, attitudes and grammar (the two types of questions, wh and yes and no, for example). Common Intonation Patterns 1. 2. 3. 4. Yes/No Questions, rising intonation at the end of the sentenced. Wh-Questions, falling intonation at the end of the sentence. Tag Questions eliciting agreement, falling intonation at the end of the sentence. Tag Questions signaling uncertainty, rising intonation at the end.

Exercises 1. Where does the primary stress fall on the following words: government, happy, enthusiastic, personal, personnel, radio, building, parade, lamp, basement, ballgame, tremendous, boring, yellow, paper 2. Look at the following sentences. Decide whether the intonation is rising or falling at the end of the sentence. Support your answers with a description of the meaning being conveyed in the sentence. Who is he? Is she here? Youre going arent you? You arent going are you? Why did you do it? Thats so nice of you! Tim said that?