35. Interrelation of word stress and sentence stress

Word stress and sentence stress have a lot in common:

- the accentual structure of a word predetermines the arrangement of stresses an a phrase, be-cause sentence stress usually falls on the syllables marked by word stress;

- the stress pattern of a phrase is conditioned by the semantic and syntactical value of words as only notional words are generally stressed;

- the rhythmical tendency of words and phrases is observed in the alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables at approximately equal intervals.

Demarcation of word stress and sentence stress is rather distinct

- the sphere of application is different, as they characterize different language units: word stress is applied to a word, but sentence stress is applied to a phrase;

- the syntactical value of words is not always kept because there are cases when notional words are not stressed in a phrase, e.g. I `don't like that `man!;

- the rhythmic structure of a word and a phrase may not coincide as the number of stresses var-ies within isolated words and different phrases, e.g. `Fif`teen. > `Open `page `fifteen. > He `mounted `fifteen `hills;

- the stress characteristics of a word are changed under the influence of the temp of phrases because quick speed of articulation usually causes the dropping of secondary stress, e.g. The `whole organi`zation of the `meeting was `faulty.

___________________________________________________

36. Voice pitch as one of the components of intonation

Pitch - speech melody.

Direction (form the nucleus): low fall, high fall, low rise, high rise, fall-rise, rise -fall, rise-fall-rise, mid-level.

Pitch level (variations of the normal range of speaking voice within a given interval between its lower and upper limits): high, medium, low.

Pitch range (interval between two pitch levels from the highest-pitched to the lowest-pitched syllables): normal, wide, narrow.

Functions:

- constitutive - each syllable has a certain pitch level and cannot exist without it;

- distinctive - distinguishes sense-groups/sentences from others (Do you want some /tea or \coffee? Do you want some tea or /coffee?);

- recognitive - use of the right pitch pattern in the right place (command, request).

___________________________________________________

37. Sentence stress

Sentence stress is special prominence given to one or more words according to their relative importance in a sentence.

- organizes intonation patterns semantically and syntactically;

- single out the communicative center and other important items of the utterance; - nominal words are usually accented, and form words are usually unstressed;

- may be shifted or weakened to keep the rhythm of speech: in the afterNOON - AFternoon SLEEP;

- proclitics – the adjoining unstressed words, when they precede the stressed words.

- enclitics – the adjoining unstressed words, when they follow the stressed words;

- rhythmic groups – stressed words pronounced in on breath with proclitics and enclitics.

Functions:

- constitutive – each word, intonation group or sentence must have stress;

- distinctive – determines the communicative centre (rheme – something new; theme - context);

- recognitive – the use of sentence stress of the right degree in the right place.

- normal (to arrange the sentence phonetically, to single a nuclear of the centre of the utterance),

- logical (gives special prominence to a new element),

- emphatic (to compare, correct, or clarify things).

Sentence stress is the main means of providing rhythm in speech. Rhythm is the key to fluent English speech.

___________________________________________________