Discover how the stress and rhythm in phrases may change based on their function in a sentence, explore the role of stress and intonation in conveying emphasis in English, and learn about the differences in stress patterns between singular and plural forms
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Quick takeaways
Understanding focus words and primary stress in phrases is crucial for mastering English intonation and conveying meaning accurately.
The stress in adjectives and noun phrases can shift when turning them into adjectives or expressing quantities, enhancing communication and conveying precise meaning in spoken English.
Deep dives
Understanding Focus Words and Primary Stress
In this podcast episode, the concept of focus words and primary stress in phrases is explored. A focus word is the most dominant word in a phrase that receives the main stress. Typically, focus words are content words such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. When phrases consist of adjectives and nouns, the stress usually falls on the noun in neutral intonation. However, if the phrase is comparing or contrasting two objects, the stress may shift to the adjective. Additionally, when a phrase is turned into an adjective by connecting multiple words with a hyphen, the stress shifts to the last content word. Overall, understanding focus words and primary stress is crucial for mastering English intonation and conveying meaning accurately.
Stress Shift in Adjectives and Noun Phrases
Another important aspect of stress shift discussed in the podcast is the shift in stress when turning an adjective and noun phrase into an adjective to describe a noun immediately following it. In this case, the stress shifts from the noun to the last content word of the phrase, indicating that the entire phrase functions as an adjective. Similarly, when expressing quantities or numbers, the stress shifts from the plural form to the singular form when the phrase is turned into an adjective. This understanding of stress shift in adjectives and noun phrases enhances communication and helps in conveying precise meaning in spoken English.
In this episode, I’ll talk about phrases and how the stress and rhythm in a phrase may CHANGE based on the function of the phrase in the sentence.
For example, if you take a phrase like ‘last minute’, then in a simple sentence like “They finished their project at the last minute”, MINUTE is usually stressed in a neutral intonation. But if you take the phrase and use it before a noun, as in “a last-minute decision”, LAST will be stressed more than ‘minute’.
Listen to the episode and find out about more examples like this, and find out why we don’t put the plural ‘s’ in phrases like “3-year-old boy”.
Also, have you ever noticed this change in stress and rhythm in English? Let me know in the comments below.
You can also download an interactive list of 50 of the most mispronounced words in English and master the pronunciation of those tricky words: https://theaccentsway.com/mispro-signup/
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