SS1 Second Term English Language Lesson Note – Stress Timing in English Sentences

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WEEK: 8

Speech Work: Stress timing in English sentences; correct phrasing & voice modulation

Comprehension/Summary: Summarizing in specified number of sentences.

Vocabulary Development Words commonly misspelt and use of the Dictionary (Examples: conceive, thief, beginning, proceed, occasion, etc.)

Structure: Complex Sentences

Writing Skills: Articles for publication in a school magazine (Organization): “The evil effect of peer pressure

ASPECT: Speech Work

TOPIC: Stress Timing in English Sentence

English is timed by the syllables we stress. It is thus irregular in rhythm. When we speak naturally, words are parts of phrase and longer sentences. The time relationships among syllables make up the rhythm of language. Just as musical notes are of different lengths (1/2 notes, ¼ notes) and are grouped into measures (3/3-time, 7/8 time), syllables also make patterns that help us to figure where words begin and end and which words are more important than others.

Every language has its own rhythm. Look at the two sentences below: Which sentence sound more natural in English? Why?

1. Big black dogs chase small white cats.
2. A big black dog is chasing a little cat.

The answer is number 2, and the explanation is that this sentence has an alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables. All the syllables are stressed in the first sentence.

The rhythm of English involves an alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables, the former being strong and the latter normally weak, reduced. Having a number of stressed syllables in succession is unnatural in English, and this is called staccato rhythm. An essential characteristic of English rhythm is that stressed syllables are longer, clearer and higher in pitch while unstressed syllables are shorter, unclear and lower in pitch.

This means that the difference between stressed and unstressed syllables in a sentence is very marked in English, especially in familiar, rapid speech.

It is assumed that in English, the three sentences below take roughly the same time to say, because they have the same number of stressed syllables.

1. Kids like school.
2. The kids will like the school.

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