KHÓA LUYỆN PHÁT ÂM CHUẨN – Cô VŨ MAI PHƯƠNG

LESSON 2 - SENTENCE

Listening for Intonation in Questions and Ans wers (AmE)

Audio for Intonation in Questions and Answers

General questions

Do you want to /go there? – \Yes, I \do.

Did Anton call you /yesterday? – \No, he \didn't.

Have you seen my /glasses? – \Yes. They are in the \kitchen.

Are you going to wash the /car? – Maybe \later. I'm \tired now.

Could you open the /window, please? – \Sure. No \problem.

Can I borrow your /dictionary, please? – \Sorry. I \need it.

Special questions

Where does he \live? – He lives in New \York.

What did you \buy? – I bought /bread, /meat, /carrots, and \potatoes.

When will she come \back? – She'll be back in an \hour.

How often do you \visit them? – Every \Sunday.

Why was she \angry? – I don't \know.

Who told you \about it? – \ /Laura.

Alte rnative questions

Would you like /coffee or \tea? – \Coffee, please.

Did she go to /Italy or \France last year? – She went to \Italy.

Tag questions

Nice \weather, \isn't it? – It sure \is.

He can \drive, /can't he? – /No, he \can't.

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She speaks \English, /doesn't she? – I \think so.

Statements

Betty lives in \London.

Victor works at a \bank.

I haven't read this \book.

We went to the theater \yesterday.

Special questions

What is his \name?

Where does he \live?

When did you \call him?

Why are you \late?

General questions

Do you visit them /often?

Have you seen my /keys?

Are you ready to /start?

Could you give me a /pen, please?

Alte rnative questions

Do you want /coffee or \tea?

Does he speak /English or \German?

Tag questions

It's a beautiful \town, \isn't it?

She \knows him, /doesn't she?

Commands

\Stop it! Sit \down.

Close your \books.

Exclamatory sentences
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What a wonderful \present!

How \nice of you!

Direct address

/Peter, can you /help me?

Mrs. /Smith, this is Mary \Brown.

Enume rating

/One, /two, /three, /four, \five.

She bought /bread, /cheese, /oranges, and \apples.

Introductory phrases

If he /calls, tell him about the \conference, please.

According to his /words, he was at \home.

Sentence Stress and Rhythm

Sentence stress
Sentence stress is the governing stress in connected speech. All words have their individual stress
in isolation. When words are connected into sense groups (also called thought groups, i.e.,
logically connected groups of words), and sense groups are connected into sentences, content
words keep their stress, and function words lose their stress. The most important words in the
sentence receive stronger stress. The last stressed word in the sentence receives the strongest stress
with the help of a fall or a rise.
ANN is READing a NEW \BOOK.
WHAT BOOK is she \READing?
Does she LIKE the /BOOK?
Stress in some words or word combinations may be shifted or weakened in a certain way to keep
the rhythm of speech. For example: New YORK – NEW York CITy; in the afterNOON –
AFternoon SLEEP.

Tina gave the book to \ANN.

I said that \MAX gave the book to Ann.
\HE gave her the book.

Sentence stress and rhythm

Sentence stress is the main means of providing rhythm in speech. Rhythm is the key to fluent
English speech. Imagine a metronome beating the rhythm. The stressed syllables are like the beats
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of the metronome: regular, loud, and clear. The unstressed syllables between the beats are
shortened, obscured, and joined together.
Look at this sentence:
Kevin sent a letter.
Let's mark the stressed syllables:
KEVin SENT a \LETter.
KEVin SENT a \LETter.