Think about these questions, or answer them aloud.
English has a strong rhythm. Content words (nouns, main verbs, adjectives, adverbs, negatives) are usually stressed: they are longer, louder and clearer. Function words (a, the, to, of, and, can, was, for…) are usually unstressed and very short.
I WENT to the SHOPS to BUY some BREAD.
In each group of words, one stressed word is the most important: the focus word. It is usually the last content word, but you can move it to show contrast or new information:
If you stress every word equally, you can sound robotic or even annoyed, and the listener cannot hear what matters most.
| Pattern | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Fall ↘ | Statements, Wh- questions, finished ideas, firm opinions | I live in the city ↘ centre. / Where do you ↘ work? |
| Rise ↗ | Yes/no questions, checking, showing surprise | Do you like ↗ cooking? / You've never been to ↗ London? |
| Fall-rise ↘↗ | Lists (before the last item), unfinished ideas, polite disagreement, “but…” meanings | I like ↘↗ tennis, ↘↗ swimming and ↘ cycling. / The food was ↘↗ okay… (but not great) |
Fluent speakers don't say words one by one. They join them, and some sounds change or drop. You don't have to copy every feature, but using the main ones makes you sound smoother, and recognising them helps your listening.
Read the transcript while you listen again. Notice these features:
None of these features is unusual. They are what makes the answer sound relaxed rather than read from a page.
Match each example to the feature it shows. One feature is not used.
Listen to each sentence, then record yourself copying the rhythm, linking and intonation as closely as you can. Don't worry about speed at first.
Listen to each sentence, then record yourself saying it the same way. Copy the rhythm, stress and intonation.
1.I'd like a cup of tea and a piece of cake, please.
2.Did you manage to get it all done last night?
3.We went out for a meal at an Italian place near the station.
4.It's not that I don't like it. It's just a bit expensive.
5.I've been learning English for about six years now.
6.Would you mind turning it off for a minute?
You have 45 seconds to prepare and 45 seconds to read the text aloud. In your preparation time, read the text silently and decide where the focus words, the pauses and the lists are.
Read this announcement aloud:
“Good afternoon, and thank you for shopping at Greenway Market. This weekend only, we're offering twenty percent off all fresh fruit, vegetables and bread. Customers who spend more than fifty dollars will also receive a free reusable bag. Please note that our parking lot will be closed on Sunday morning for repairs, so we recommend using the side entrance on Mill Street. Thank you, and enjoy your visit.”
45 s preparation · 0:45 speaking
Save words to review them later with flashcards.
“Her intonation made the question sound friendly.”
“Put the stress on the word you want to emphasise.”
“English rhythm depends on stressed words.”
“The weak form of “can” sounds like /kən/.”
“He emphasised the word “never”.”
“I was stuck in traffic for an hour.”
“It's expensive. Having said that, the quality is excellent.”
“It was pouring with rain, so we stayed in.”
“Bring a reusable bottle instead of buying water.”
“I'm meeting up with some old friends on Friday.”
