Learn to emphasize words and phrases for clear communication 🎯
🎵 Understanding Sentence Stress
What is Sentence Stress?
Stress, as introduced in Lesson 6, means placing emphasis on a particular syllable. Stress is also important at the sentence level. In English, we may stress entire words and phrases to show emphasis or importance.
🎯 Stress Words to Clarify Meaning
Think about the following question. How does each stressed word change the meaning of the answer?
"Who saw you?"
1SHE saw me.
• places importance on the subject
2
She SAW me.
• places importance on the verb
3
She saw ME.
• places importance on the object
📝 Content and Function Words
Stress patterns differ for content words, or words with meaning, and function words, or words just used in grammar.
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Content Words
Content words receive stress.
I VISited our friends this afterNOON.
Stressed: Nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs all generally receive stress.
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Function Words
Function words do not receive stress.
HerCARisaPIECEofJUNK.
Unstressed: Articles, conjunctions, prepositions, pronouns, and helping verbs are function words.