4. Учебно-методический блок

   1. Изучите теоретический материал по теме «Влияние ритма на ударность слов во фразе».

   2. Ответьте на вопросы:

• Why is there a tendency to alternate stressed and unstressed syllables?

• Do rhythmic groups have even number of syllables?

• Is there a tendency to stress consecutive words in an English utterance?

• What phenomenon is known as the influence of rhythm on utterance-stress?

• Why do many English words have two stresses?

• How do English words with two stresses behave in speech?

• Which stress – secondary or primary – is usually lost or suppressed in speech?

3. Выполните тренировочные упражнения 1-5 [1, с. 115-117], используя аудиозапись.

4. Прослушайте аудиозапись приведенных ниже текстов несколько раз. Расставьте интонационную разметку.

***

I. An absent-minded man was travelling by train. Suddenly he began to search all his pockets and looked very upset. One of his fellow-passengers in the compartment asked him:

- What's the trouble?

- It's my ticket. I can't find it anywhere.

- Well, no need to be upset, you'll certainly find it. Then another passenger said:

- You'd better find the ticket or you'll be in trouble if the inspector comes.

- Oh, it's not that, - answered the absent-minded man, – but I don't know where I am going.

***

II. Proverbs and Sayings

Sit in your place and none can make you rise.

We can live without our friends, but not without our neighbours.

There is no smoke without fire.

5. Выполните упражнения 1 и 2 [1, с. 118-119].

6. Контрольный блок

Do the tasks in a written form.

Task I. Find the correct answer.

1. The alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables is but rarely of an “ideal” pattern

1. true;

2. false.

2. The tendency to alternate stressed and unstressed syllables may be accounted for by several reasons and, first of all, by a high frequency of monosyllabic notional words and intervening function-words.

1. true;

2. false.

3. Rhythmic groups in an utterance have even numbers of syllables.

1. true;

2. false.

4. The peculiarity under consideration is not restricted to the alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables but involves alternating stressed and unstressed (prominent and non-prominent) words as well

1. true;

2. false.

5. Words entitled to become prominent due to the their content nature are “deprived” of prominence in an utterance if both the immediately following and immediately preceding words are stressed.

1. true;

2. false

6. The tendency to alternate strong and weak syllables accounts for making three syllables prominent in many English polysyllabic words

1. true;

2. false

7. The omission of one of the stresses in speech is more typical of double-stressed words with a second stress having a semantic function.

1. true;

2. false

Task II. Finish the utterances choosing the correct variant.

1. Regularity of occurrence of stressed syllables in English is closely related to another important feature of English rhythm: …

1. it’s categoric and definite character;

2. alternation of functional and notional words;

3. alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables;

4. close connection of words in speech.

2. The simplest example of close relationship between the stressed and unstressed syllables is …

1. a monosyllabic word-utterance;

2. an utterance with one notional word;

3. a polysyllabic word-utterance;

4. a monosyllabic word.

3. The tendency to alternate stressed and unstressed syllables appears to …

1. reflect the peculiarity of the composition of an English utterance and its utterance-stress;

2. make the meaning of an utterance precise;

3. organize an utterance semantically;

4. not to be very important.

4. The tendency to alternate stressed and unstressed syllables becomes active, i.e. capable of introducing certain modifications in the accentual structure, when an utterance consists of …

1. notional words;

2. exclusively of monosyllabic notional words;

3. functional words;

4. polysyllabic words.

5. Juxtaposed stress is …

1. never allowed in English;

2. advisable;

3. possible if the meaning requires it;

4. is strictly prohibited.

6. The “normal” stressing of words in an utterance can be modified: words entitled to become prominent due to the their content nature are “deprived” of prominence in an utterance if both the immediately following and immediately preceding words are stressed. This phenomenon is known as …

1. elision;

2. relative prominence through stress reduction;

3. the influence of rhythm on utterance-stress;

4. prosodic coordination.

7. Anyway, the decisive factor for utterance-stress is the …

1. rhythmic structure of the words;

2. semantic weight of a word in the given context;

3. total number of the words in an utterance;

4. rule of alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables.

8. Many English words have two syllables …

1. due to the rule of alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables;

2. due to their etymology;

3. because of their derivation peculiarities;

4. because of the speakers communicative intention.

9. In connected speech words with two stresses …

1. usually retain both stresses;

2. as a rule lose one stress (or it is suppressed);

3. lose both of them;

4. are ignored by the speaker.

10. The omission of one of the stresses is more typical of …

1. polysyllabic derivative words;

2. borrowed words;

3. English nouns and adjectives;

4. double-stressed words with a second stress having a semantic function.

Task III. Finish the sentences from the left column using the correct information from the right column.

1. Alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables...		both the immediately following and immediately preceding words are stressed; semantic weight of a word in the given context ; the utterance is very long; is a very important feature of English rhythm; the rule of “normal” stressing; is typical of English oral speech the influence of rhythm.
Notional words can be “deprived” of prominence if...
The decisive factor for utterance-stress is the ...

Task IV. Find the wrong variant.

1. Alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables …

1. an important feature of English rhythm;

2. should be observed in oral English speech;

3. is closely connected to the rule of regular occurrence of stressed syllables in speech;

4. is a mere formality;

3. In connected speech words with two stresses

1. are apt to lose one stress;

2. can be pronounced with partial and full stresses;

3. retain full quality of both stresses;

4. can retain full quality of both stresses.

4. The rule of “normal” stressing means …

1. stress on notional words and absence of stress on functional words;

2. regular alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables;

3. approximately equal periods of time between rhythmic groups;

4. stress only on notional polysyllabic words.

Task V. Fill in the gaps with the correct variant.

1. It must be understood that the … of stressed and unstressed syllables is but rarely of an “ideal” pattern.

1. separation;

2. alternation;

3. omission;

4. usage.

2. In the majority of cases the number of … syllables between the stressed ones varies within an utterance.

1. stressed;

2. prominent;

3. notional;

4. unstressed.

3. Stressing all the … words is generally avoided.

1. necessary;

2. consecutive;

3. possible;

4. functional.

4. The decisive factor for utterance-stress is the … of a word in the given context.

1. meaning;

2. syllable number;

3. semantic weight;

4. position.

5. The tendency to alternate strong and weak syllables accounts for making … prominent in many English polysyllabic words

1. one syllable;

2. two syllables;

3. no syllable;

4. any syllable

6. The omission of one of the stresses is more typical of … words with a second stress having a semantic function.

1. double-stressed;

2. monosyllabic words;

3. poplysyllabic words;

4. derived.

Task VI. Finish the utterances or fill in the gaps.

1. Regularity of occurrence of stressed syllables in English is closely related to another important feature of English rhythm … .

2. A sequence of disyllabic words which typically have one stress presents a similar pattern of … … … even though there may be a number of form-words between the notional ones.

3. It must be understood that the alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables is but rarely of an … .

4. The rhythmic groups have … numbers of syllables

5. Stressing all the consecutive words is generally avoided, although there may be instances of … stress if the meaning requires it

6. The same tendency to avoid stressing adjacent words is observed even when these words are not … .

7. Polysyllabic derivative words, like examination, conversation are … in the accentual pattern.