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An Introduction To English Prosody: Accentuation and Intonation

This document provides exercises to help learners understand English prosody, including word stress, stress in sentences, and intonation. It includes examples of: 1. Marking stressed syllables in multisyllabic words and place names. 2. Identifying stressed words and syllables in sentences. 3. Producing different tones on syllables, including falling, rising, and fall-rise tones. 4. Transcribing tone units by marking stresses and identifying tones. The exercises are designed to help learners accurately perceive and produce word and sentence stress as well as intonation patterns in English.

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88 views3 pages

An Introduction To English Prosody: Accentuation and Intonation

This document provides exercises to help learners understand English prosody, including word stress, stress in sentences, and intonation. It includes examples of: 1. Marking stressed syllables in multisyllabic words and place names. 2. Identifying stressed words and syllables in sentences. 3. Producing different tones on syllables, including falling, rising, and fall-rise tones. 4. Transcribing tone units by marking stresses and identifying tones. The exercises are designed to help learners accurately perceive and produce word and sentence stress as well as intonation patterns in English.

Uploaded by

joe1974
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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An Introduction to English Prosody

Accentuation and Intonation


Word stress
Exercise 1 Stress marking
In words of two or more syllables, one syllable is always more prominent than the other(s).
When you hear the word, repeat it, then place a stress mark / " / before the stressed syllable.

enImi p&r@daIs prQfIt


k@lekt s@btr&kt ent@teIn
k&pItl elIf@nt
kA;neISn @bz3;v@

Exercise 2 Reading from transcription


The following are British place names. When you hear the number, pronounce them with the
stress as marked. You will then hear the correct pronunciation, which you should repeat.

"Sr@Uzbri &b@"rIstw@T "k&nt@bri


pQl"per@U "b3;mIN@m "beIzINst@Uk
&b@"di;n nO;"T&mpt@n
wUlv@"h&mpt@n dVn"di;

Stress placement in sentences


Exercise 1 Sentences for repetition
In sentences, it is usually ‘content’ words (nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs) that get
stresses. Listen to these sentences and repeat:

wi kn "weIt f@ D@ "bVs jU "O;t t@ "h&v j@r "@Un "kA;


"haU d@ D@ "laIts "w3;k hi "wQnts t@ "kVm @n "si; @s @t

D@r @ sm "nju; "bUks aI m@s "ri;d "h@Um


Si "tUk @r "A;nt f@r @ "draIv "h&v jU "teIkn Dm fr@m "D&t "bQks
D@ "bA;skIt w@z "fUl @v "TINz tU Its "tru; D@t i w@z "leIt / b@t Iz "kA;
"i;t k@d @v "br@Ukn "daUn
"waI S@d @ "m&n "3;n "mO; D@n aI Sl "teIk @z "mVÍ @z aI "wQnt
@ "wUm@n "waI @m aI "tu; "leIt t@ "si; Im t@"deI

Exercise 2 Placing stresses in sentences


Put a stress mark / " / before each syllable you would expect to be stressed in these sentences.
1. Leave the rest of the food for lunch.
2. Aren’t there some letters for her to open?
3. Where do the eggs come from?
4. Read this book and write some notes.
5. At least we can try and help.
6. James decided to type the letter himself.
7. The plane was approaching the runway at high speed.
8. Try to see the other person’s point of view.
9. You put your breaks on / when the light turns to red.
10. In a short time / the house was full of children.

Intonation
Exercise 1 Pronouncing the tonic syllable
When you hear the number, say these tone groups making the underlined syllable more
prominent.

1. Don’t do that 8. Here’s my pen


2. Don’t do that 9. Here’s my pen
3. Don’t do that 10. Why don’t you try
4. Write your name 10. Why don’t you try
5. Write your name 10. Why don’t you try
6. Write your name 10. Why don’t you try
7. Here’s my pen

Exercise 2 Identifying the tonic syllable


Listen and repeat. Mark all prominent syllables with / " /, then underline the tonic syllable.

1. We could go by bus 6. It was too cold


2. Of course it’s broken 7. Here it is
3. The car was where I’d left it 8. That was a loud noise
4. How much is the biggest one 9. We could go from Manchester
5. I knew it would go wrong 10. Have you finished

Exercise 3 Repetition of tones


Listen and repeat.

Fall: _yes _no _well _four Rise: 7yes 7no 7well 7four

Fall-Rise: `' yes `'no `'well `'four


Exercise 4 Production of tones
When you hear the number, say the syllable with the tone indicated.

1. 7Dem 6. _n@U
2. _waI 7. _hI@
3. `'wel 8. `'ju;
4. _ÙQn 9. 7naU
5. 7wQt 10. _end

Exercise 5 Production in context


When you hear the number, say the syllable with the tone indicated.

Hello / is that 661071? 7jes


Do you know any scientists? `'sVm
Keep away from that road! _waI
How many dogs have you got? _tu;
Have you ever heard such a terrible thing? _n@U
What colour is your car? _red
Do you want my plate? 7pli;z
Don’t you like it? `'jes
You haven’t seen my watch / have you? 7n@U
What was the weather like? _wet

Exercise 6 Transcription of tone units


Mark stresses and underline the tonic syllable in each of the following tone units. The, decide
which tone mark each tonic syllable carries.

1. Now here’s the weather forecast


2. You didn’t say anything about rates
3. A few years ago they were top
4. No-one could say the cinema was dead
5. Is there anything you wouldn’t eat
6. Have you ever considered writing
7. That was what he claimed to be
8. We try to do our shopping in the market
9. But I never go there now
10. It wouldn’t be difficult to find out

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