Rules for Sentence Stress in EnglishThe basic rules of sentence stress are: - content words are stressed
- structure words are unstressed
- the time between stressed words is always the same
The following tables can help you decide which words are content words and which words are structure words: Content words - stressed
| Words carrying the meaning | Example | | main verbs | SELL, GIVE, EMPLOY | | nouns | CAR, MUSIC, MARY | | adjectives | RED, BIG, INTERESTING | | adverbs | QUICKLY, LOUDLY, NEVER | | negative auxiliaries | DON'T, AREN'T, CAN'T |
Structure words - unstressed
| Words for correct grammar | Example | | pronouns | he, we, they | | prepositions | on, at, into | | articles | a, an, the | | conjunctions | and, but, because | | auxiliary verbs | do, be, have, can, must |
ExceptionsThe above rules are for for what is called "neutral" or normal stress. But sometimes we can stress a word that would normally be only a structure word, for example to correct information. Look at the following dialogue: "They've been to Mongolia, haven't they?"
"No, THEY haven't, but WE have.
Note also that when "be" is used as a main verb, it is usually unstressed (even though in this case it is a content word).  |
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