Sentence – Stress
In a sentence or an intonation group some of the words are of great importance than the others.
This depends on the context or situation.
The main function of the sentence – stress is to single out the communicative centre of the
sentence. The most prominent part of a sentence is the last stressed word which takes the
nuclear tone. The second in weight is the first stressed word which often has the highest pitch.
e.g. The doctor says it is not serious.
Sentence-stress in English is related to rhythm
Types of sentence-stress
There are 3 types:
1. Normal (or syntactical)
2. Logical
3. Emphatic
NORMAL
It is used to arrange words into sentences or intonation groups. The nuclear syllable is generally
associated with the last content word of the intonation group.
LOGICAL
It is possible to shift the position of the nuclear.
e.g. Nelly spoke to him yesterday.
Nelly spoke to him yesterday.
Nelly spoke to him yesterday.
Nelly spoke to him yesterday.
Logically different messages are expressed in the given sentences. Each shifting of the stress
modifies the meaning of the sentence.
The type of sentence-stress which gives special prominence to a new element in a sentence is
called LOGICAL stress. According to this type of stress any word may become the nucleus.
EMPHATIC
Most human utterances express not only the speaker’s thoughts, but also his feelings and
attitudes to reality and to the content of the sentence. Both Normal and Logical
stresses can be unemphatic or emphatic. Emphatic stress increases the effort of expression.
SENTENCE –STRESS HAS ITS DISTINCTIVE FUNCTION
Recommendation
When practicing reading think over the communicative centre of each phrase, analyze the
context.
Tempo of speech
By speech tempo we mean the relative speed of utterance which is measured by the rate of
syllables and the number and duration of pauses in a sentence.
Every speaker has a norm which characterizes his usual individual style of utterance.
The rate (норма) of speaking varies constantly – When 2 stressed syllables occur together, it is
slower; when they are separated by unstressed syllables the speed is faster. Differences of rate
are used to help the listener differentiate the more important 9slow rate0 and the less important
(fast rate) parts of the utterance. Rate also performs emotional functions.
By PAUSE we generally mean an act of stopping in the flow of speech. Pauses break our speech
into paragraphs, sentences, intonation groups. We make pauses from time to time.
Rhythm
It is generally measured in regular flow of speech in which stressed and unstressed syllables
occur at definite intervals.
Rhythm in English is based on the alteration of strongly and weakly stressed syllables.
e.g. One, two, three, four.
.One, two, three, four.
.One and two and three and four.
.One and a two and a three and a four.