This document provides instruction on sentence stress patterns in American English. It explains that content words such as verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs should be stressed, while function words are not stressed. There are three main rules for sentence stress: 1) Stress content words, 2) Do not stress function words, 3) Keep the time between stressed words the same. Examples of sentences are provided to practice identifying the stressed words. The document also notes that nouns should be stressed when they are new information, while verbs are stressed when nouns are replaced with pronouns.

1. LESSON 13
AMERICAN ACCENT
TRAINING

2. Words carry the
meaning or sense
Examples
Main verbs buy, give, take, eat, employ
Nouns chair, book, music, Mary
Adjectives red, big, interesting, beautiful
Adverbs quickly, loudly, never, always, now
Negative Auxiliaries don’t, can’t, won’t, shouldn’t
Possessive Pronouns mine, yours, her, his, ours, theirs
Interrogatives what, who, when, where, why, how
CONTENT WORDS

3. LISTEN TO THE KEY WORDS

4. LISTEN TO THE KEY WORDS

5. LISTEN TO THE KEY WORDS

6. 1. Stress content words
2. Do NOT stress function words
3. Keep the time between stressed
words the same
There are three main rules for sentence stress.
By understanding and remembering these rules, it
is easy to learn how to add rhythm, or beat to
sentences when speaking.

7. PRACTICE | Which words are stressed?
1. Are we going to see the film?
2. Is it really going to rain tomorrow?
3. Elvis was born in America.
4. Can you spare any change?
5. How many people are there in your family?
6. Do you know it’s Christmas tree?
7. Of course you can come to the party.
8. Help me.
9. Can Jane help me?
10. Jane finished her homework.
11. She worked until the morning.
12. Jane walked into the blue house.
13. Jenny and Jack did not walk into it.
14. He didn’t go.

8. PRACTICE | Which words are stressed?
1. Are we going to see the film?
2. Is it really going to rain tomorrow?
3. Elvis was born in America.
4. Can you spare any change?
5. How many people are there in your family?
6. Do you know it’s Christmas tree?
7. Of course you can come to the party.
8. Help me.
9. Can Jane help me?
10. Jane finished her homework.
11. She worked until the morning.
12. Jane walked into the blue house.
13. Jenny and Jack did not walk into it.
14. He didn’t go.

9. Stress NOUNS, as they are NEW information. When you REPLACE
the nouns with PRONOUNS, stress VERBS.
Bob sees Betty. He sees her.
Betty knows Bob. She knows him.
Ann and Ed call the kids. They call them.
Jan sells some apples. She sells some.
Jean sells cars. She sells them.
Bill and I fix the bikes. We fix them.
Dogs eat bones. They eat them.
The girls have a choice. They have one.
The kids like the candy. They like it.
The boys need some help. They need something.