Word Stress -II

 

              Word Stress -II

    In the previous post, we discussed the word stress or accent and how it functions while pronouncing English words. Now, let us learn the advantages of learning Word Stress in English.

i.                 One can speak English with intelligible pronunciation like a native speaker.

ii.               One’s confidence level in English proficiency can be increased.

iii.             One can understand native speakers’ pronunciation easily.

    English is a stress-timed language, which means English is understood based on the stress placement in words rather than its literal meaning. It is communicated on the basis of how we speak rather than what we speak.  The challenge in mastering the stress patterns is, there is no uniform or permanent stress pattern for words in English like in Indian languages.

For example, the word ‘Present’ is pronounced with two different stress patterns according to its grammatical usage. As a noun, ‘Present’ (means gift) takes primary stress on the first syllable, PREsent. Contrarily, as a verb, ‘Present’ (means to offer or to give) takes primary stress on the second syllable, preSENT. The stress placement of words occurs according to its grammatical function. 

The stress placement rules are illustrated below to practise on English pronunciation:

1.      Monosyllable words always take primary stress on the First Syllable.

One     - ONE       (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/one)

Eye      - EYE        (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/eye)

Moon  - MOON     (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/moon)

Sun      - SUN        (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sun)

Cap      - CAP        (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/cap)

 

2.      Two-Syllable Nouns and Adjectives usually take stress on the First Syllable.

Happy - HA-ppy    (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/happy)

Record - RE-cord   (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/record?q=Record)

Import - IM-port     (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/import)

Object - OB-ject    (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/object)

Hungry- HUN-gry  (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/hungry)

 

3.      Two-Syllable Verbs take stress on the Second Syllable.

Record - re-CORD  (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/record?q=Record)  

Import - im- PORT (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/import)

Object - ob-JECT   (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/object)

Select  - se-LECT   (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/select)

 

   Let us learn more about the stress patterns in the next post. 

Author:

K. Nandhakumar

Assistant Professor of English

Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science (Autonomous)

Coimbatore- 641 020

English Phrasal Verbs

                                                  English Phrasal Verbs with 'GET'

Get Around

Meaning:

-   To travel to many places

-   To become known or to circulate information

-   To avoid something difficult

-   To find the time to do something

Example:

                   -   I have been to France, Australia and Mexico this year. I get around!

-   Word got around that he was leaving the company.

-   Is there any way to get around the rules so that we can bring our dog into the country?

-   I will get around to doing the washing up once I have finished my dinner. 

 Get at

Meaning:

-   To criticize someone frequently, be unpleasant to someone

-   To reach something successfully, gain access to

-   To suggest, mean or intend

-   To annoy or irritate someone

Example:

-   She keeps getting at me for every little thing. I can’t do anything right!

-   The kids can’t get at the sweets because I have hidden them!

-   A goat was standing up against a tree on its hind legs, trying to get at the leaves.

-     The dogs’ barking outside really started to get at me.

Get Off

Meaning:

-     To physically leave a mode of transport

-     To leave work, usually at the end of the day

-     To experience pleasure or a high

-     To kiss, make out or have sex with someone

-     To succeed in doing something

   Example:

                   -   The traffic is terrible! Let’s get off at the next stop and walk.

-   What time do you get off tonight?

-   Krishna got off on extreme sports like paragliding.

-   I heard that Ravi and Rema got off at the party!

-   The annual meeting got off to a good start.

Get out

Meaning:

-   To leave a place

-   To become known

-   To go and visit somewhere

Example:

-   They were in Thailand during the Tsunami and were lucky to get out alive.

-   Word got out about the wedding, even though they wanted to keep it a secret.

-     Why don’t we get out to the countryside this weekend?

-     Get out and enjoy yourself, and make new friends.

-     I told him to leave and get out.

-     I wanted to get out of the group, but they wouldn’t let me. 

 

Author: 

Dr.M. Selvam

Assistant Professor of English

Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science

Coimbatore 

TENSES (PART 5)

 

TENSES

(PART 5)

Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

i)                An action that started in the past and are still going on in the present.

ii)              More importance is given to duration of the event.

iii)             Structure: Subject + have been + Verb+ing + Object.

iv)             Example: I have been playing football since years.

(Explanation: Here, more importance is given to an event, not time.)

Past Perfect Continuous Tense:

i)                An action which began in the past at a certain time and still going on until some another action occurred.

ii)              More importance is given to the duration of the event.

iii)             Structure: Subject + had been + Verb+ing + Object.

iv)             Example: I had been playing football for one hour before you arrived.

(Explanation: Here, “for one hour” is referring to the start of the event.)

Future Perfect Continuous Tense:

i)                An action which will began and still going until a point in future.

ii)              More importance is given to the duration of the event.

iii)             Structure: Subject + Will have been +Verb+ing + Object.

iv)             Example: When I turn thirty, I will have been playing football for twenty years.

(Explanation: An event of playing will continue until an another of my turning to thirty year comes.)

AUTHOR

Dr L Suresh

Assistant Professor of English

Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science

Coimbatore - 641020

Contact: 9944138137

e-mail ID: sureshenglit@rmv.ac.in

 

 

Word Stress - I

 

Word Stress - I

English is an international language that has to be spoken with a proper accent and rhythm. Accent refers to the stress with which a word is pronounced in English. This word accent differs from language to language. The word accent or stress means a particular syllable in a word that is stressed with much more prominence than other syllables. This kind of prominent stress is called Primary Stress, which is usually indicated by a vertical bar, (ˈ) in front of the syllable. In most Indian languages, primary stress occurs on the first syllable. Secondary stress is indicated by (ˌ) bar at the bottom of a syllable.

Generally, monosyllabic words always take primary stress on the first syllable. For example, map, bat, car, tea.

Words that take more than one syllable may take different stress patterns. Disyllabic words accent on both the first and second syllable. The following exercises will help practise stress patterns. The highlighted words indicate Primary Stress. Whereas, the nonhighlighted words indicate the Secondary Stress syllables.

Fa – ther

Wa – ter

Doc – tor

Can – teen

For – get

Re – cord

Trisyllabic Words accent on both the first and the second syllables.

Beau – ti – ful

Go – vern – ment

Dra – ma – tist

Dra – ma- tic

Af – fec – tion

As – sess – ment

Like these, there are a lot of words in English with different stress patterns. We will discuss those patterns in the next post.

Author

K. Nandhakumar

Assistant Professor of English

Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science

Coimbatore-641 020

ENGLISH PHRASAL VERBS

                                                        

               PHRASAL VERBS WITH 'GET'

Get in

Meaning:

-         Enter a place; to gain access

Example:

-         If you want to get in, you will need the gate code and a key.

-         The train got in late.

-         The Republican candidate stands a good chance of getting in.

-         She first got into Parliament in 2005.

-         She got into London to study law.

Get on

Meaning:

-         Board or mount something

-         Becoming late

Example:

-         Please get on the bus as quickly as possible.

-         It’s getting on a bit and will be dark soon.

-         We get on the bus at the usual stop.

-         They are brother and sister but don’t get on very well.

Get Over

Meaning:

-         Overcome

Example:

-         I am trying to get over my fear of flying.

-         I was a little disappointed I did not get the job, but I got over it.

-         She managed to get over her shyness.

-         I had the flu all last week and I am still getting over it.

-         It was really hard when Kavin and I split up, but I got over it eventually.

Get through to

Meaning:

-         To be connected by phone or people

Example:

-         She got through to the wrong department.

-         Look, I can’t get through to this number.

-         We finally managed to get through to him and he agreed to get some therapy.

-         I feel I am not getting through to some of the kids in my class.

 

Author: 

Dr.M. Selvam

Assistant Professor of English

Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science

Coimbatore