English phonetics and phonology 2 UAB – M.J. S. / J. C.

STRESS AND RHYTHM. Sentence stress.

R1. Read the following sequences of stressed content words with an even rhythm. Then supply
function words to turn them into full sentences and read them again with the same rhythm.
Alternate the two versions making sure that the function words do not disrupt the rhythm.

Example: 'need 'borrow 'money 'father. I'd 'need to 'borrow some 'money from my 'father.

1. 'visit 'parents 'every 'year

2. 'open ac'count 'bank 'Oxford 'Avenue

3. 'get 'groceries 'greengrocer’s 'corner

4. 'usually 'go 'diet 'summer

5. 'scared 'flying pre'fer 'travel 'train

6. 'make ap'pointment 'doctor 'brother

7. 'tell 'students 'not 'worry e'xam

8. in'vite 'friends 'dinner week'end

9. 'asked 'go 'interview '9 o clock 'Thursday

10. 'done 'best 'can't 'blame

R2. Mark the stressed words in the following sentences. After you have found the stressed
words, practice reading the sentences aloud.

1. As you might have expected, he has just thought of a new approach to the problem.

2. Ecstasy is an extremely dangerous drug.

3. Exciting discoveries lie in Tom's future.

4. Jack bought a new car last Friday.

5. John is coming over tonight. We are going to work on our homework together.

6. Shakespeare wrote passionate, moving poetry.

7. They are looking forward to your visiting them next January.

8. They have been having to work hard these last few months on their challenging
experiment.

9. We should have visited some more castles while we were traveling through the back
roads of France.

10. Would you like to come over and play a game of chess?

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English phonetics and phonology 2 UAB – M.J. S. / J. C.

R3. Mark the stresses on the following sentences, and indicate the beginning and end of an
utterance with two slashes, e.g.,
Put a coin in the slot. // 'Put a 'coin in the 'slot //
Identify and underline the tonic syllable, e.g.
// 'Put a 'coin in the 'slot //
Show the rhythmic pattern of the sentence by dividing the utterance into feet using single
slashes, e. g.
// 'Put a / 'coin in the /'slot //
In English, a foot starts with a stressed syllable. When a sentence starts with an unstressed
syllable, you can use “^” to indicate a silent beat, as in the following example:
// ^ The / 'coin / 'fell on the / 'floor //.

1. Alice is tall and sli m.

2. Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater, had a wife and couldn’t keep her.

3. I’d li ke to go to Ital y.

4. When I get home I’ m going to have a hot chocolate.

5. Teachers don't li ke her attitude.

6. Does Mar y want to come with us?

7. Shall we go to Africa in J anuary?

8. I eat some fresh fruit ever y day.

9. How about ordering a pizza?

10. I need my classnotes back, please.

11. How do you say “thank you” in J apanese?

12. What do you call that in English?

13. After the cinema we went to a ni ght club.

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English phonetics and phonology 2 UAB – M.J. S. / J. C.

Exercises on rhythm and sentence stress. Weak forms and auxiliaries.

R4. Reading practice. Mark stresses and read the poem aloud for practice.

“Sneezles” To tell them what ought to be done.

by A. A. Milne All sorts and conditions
Of famous physicians
1. Christopher Robin Came hurrying round at a run.
Had wheezles and sneezles,
They bundled him into his bed. 4. They all made a note
They gave him what goes Of the state of his throat,
With a cold in the nose, They asked if he suffered from thirst;
And some more for a cold in the head. They asked if the sneezles
Came after the wheezles,
2. They wondered if wheezles Or if the first sneezle came first.
Could turn into measles,
If sneezles would turn into mumps; 5. Christopher Robin
They examined his chest Got up in the morning,
For a rash, and the rest The sneezles had vanished away.
Of his body for swellings and lumps. And the look in his eye
Seemed to say to the sky,
3. They sent for some doctors “Now, how to amuse them today?”
In sneezles and wheezles

R5. Mark the stressed words in the following short dialogue. Then count and compare the
number of words, syllables and beats in each line.
Words Syllables Beats
1. A: Go find Bob.
2. B: I found him.
3. A: What’s he doing?
4. B: Look at him!
5. He’s reading the ads.
6. A: What’s he looking for?
7. B: A beautiful new apartment.
8. A: That’s not so easy to find.
9. B: Especially because he wants cheap rent that includes
utilities and a good location that’s near transportation.
10. A: I hope he finds what he wants.

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English phonetics and phonology 2 UAB – M.J. S. / J. C.

R6. Rhythm. The following sentences are grouped by rhythmic pattern. Practice reading them
aloud. (Note: x = unstressed syllable; X = stressed syllable) Then provide four more examples
of phrases with the same rhythmic pattern.

Pattern: x-X-x-X-x I think he wants to / I want to meet him / I like it better/ another spoonful
/ a piece of chocolate

Additional examples: I make my breakfast

Pattern: x-X-x-x-X-x-x I’ll borrow another one / it wasn’t appropriate / he started to talk to
me / it’s not what I asked you for / they’ve gone to the cinema / he came on a bicycle / repeat it
again for me

Additional examples:

Pattern: X-x-x-x-X show him up to his room / throw it into the fire / that’s to be left alone /
walking along the road

Additional examples:

Pattern: x-X-x-x-X-x-x-X I think that he wants us to go / it isn’t the same as before / I didn’t
expect to be asked / I’ve written the letter in French / I wanted to meet him again

Additional examples:

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English phonetics and phonology 2 UAB – M.J. S. / J. C.

Sentence stress and rhythm. Exercises on weak forms.

R7. Mark the stressed syllables and the tonic syllables in the sentences below. Practice reading
the sentences aloud paying attention to the pronunciation of weak forms of auxiliary verbs (the
sentences are repeated in italics showing the weak forms as contracted forms to help you)

a) I don’t know what I have done with my purse. I must have left it at home.

I don’t know what I’ve done with my purse. I must’ve left it at home.

b) You had no right to tell her to go. You should not have done it.

You had no right to tell’er to go. You shouldn’t’ve done it.

c) I should have known he would be late when I did not see his car parked outside.

I should’ve known he’d be late when I didn’t see his car parked outside.

d) She’s late. She may have missed the train. She can not have forgotten about our meeting.

She’s late. She may’ve missed the train. She can’t’ve forgotten about our meeting.

R8. Transcribe the following phrases and the dialogues below as they would be pronounced in
normal conversational speech paying particular attention to auxiliary verbs. Then read them
aloud for practice.

A: I didn’t know about it.

B: I should have told you.

A: How could she know I’d been there?

B: She must have seen you.

A: I don’t think he remembered.

B: He can’t have forgotten about that.

A: How come he knows about it?

B: I might have told her.

A: Jean said you were very lazy.

B: She can’t have said that.

A: I told everyone your secret.

B: You shouldn’t have done that.

A: Yesterday’s class was cancelled.

B: You could have told me.

A: I needed someone to help me with the move.

B: You could have asked me. I would have helped you.

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English phonetics and phonology 2 UAB – M.J. S. / J. C.

R9. Mark stresses on the following sentences. Underline all instances of strong forms and
indicate why the strong form is used in each case. Then transcribe the sentences paying
attention to the use of weak and strong forms.

1. I need to buy a new car, but I have to sell the old one first.

2. That was a letter from Anthony.

3. We soon realized that there was nobody there.

4. John has never been to Australia, but his wife has.

5. How do you feel after all this mess?

6. This one is nicer than the one we looked at before.

7. He was looking at the building for a long time.

8. It was much better than we expected, wasn’t it?

9. You shouldn’t have been so hard with them.

10. There are only a few that I can think of.

11. You should have told her, not him.

12. Sarah and Michael have been married for ten years

13. You have to have two. This one and the one I gave you.

14. Give the apple to Emily.

15. You’re wrong about Mark and Eve. She’s the doctor, and he is the shop assistant.