Ex. 1 Stress in compound adjectives.

Make up compound adjectives from the two groups below:

well -        self -          - shouldered            -  confident                                                                                                                  

over -       badly -       - minded                   - weight

broad -     narrow -     - dressed                  - conscious

                                        - centred                  - behaved

Ex. 2 Read out utterances. Note the difference in the accentual-rhythmic structure of the compound adjectives.

1 She’s ‘always so well-`dressed. 2 They’re ‘well-behaved `children really. 3 He’s so narrow-minded, isn’t he? 4 The police are looking for a clean-shaven youth who was spotted at the scene of the crime. 5 Samantha’s got a really good-looking boyfriend.  6 I’m not going to marry an overweight businessman.  7 Are you left-handed, Marjory? 8 Don’t be so self-centered! 9 It’s difficult working for a bad-tempered boss. 10 Jason’s our teacher’s blue-eyed boy. 11 She is good-looking, but her red-brick shoes are dirty. 12 The man was badly-dressed but self-confident. 13 A broad-shouldered gorilla was standing behind the tree. 14 A soft-voiced but eagle-eyed teacher told me to go away. 15 He shouldn’t be over-anxious about his situation. 

 

Ex. 3 Transform the sentences from the previous exercise in such a way, that stress in the compound adjective shifts after the transformation. Example:

She’s ‘always so well-`dressed. – She’s a ‘well-dressed `girl. Now you go on.  

 

Ex. 4 Read the article from a local newspaper. Note how context can influence the utterance stress placement. When stress is moved from its usual final position it is often contrastive. It changes the focus of the conversation or corrects information.

A tall, dark-haired man in his mid-thirties wearing an expensive-looking white suit and carrying a gun, last night robbed Springfield village post-office and got away with £ 10,000 in cash.

Now read this dialogue between a local newspaper reporter (A) and a witness (B):

A: … so he was a `short man? – B: No, he was a `tall man.

A: … and fair-haired, you said? – B: No, dark-haired.

A: … and he’s in his mid-forties? – B: In his mid-thirties.

A: … and he was carrying a knife, wasn’t he? – B: No, he was carrying a gun.

A: … and you saw him going out of the post-office? – B: No, he was going into the post-office.

A: … and he got away with five thousand pounds? – B: No, he got away with ten thousand pounds.

A: … Well, thank you very much for your help. – B: Not at all.

 

Ex. 5 Read the dialogue making use of contrastive stress where appropriate.

a)

Andy: I'm going to the store.
Kris: What are you going to buy?
 Andy: A book.
Kris: Oh. So you're going to the bookstore.
Andy: Yeah.
Kris: What kind of book are you getting?
Andy: A cookbook.
Kris: What do you want to cook?
Andy: I'm going to cook a pot roast.
Kris: Do you have a pot roast?
Andy: No, I'll have to go to the store to get one.

 

b) Read the conversation making sure you stress all the syllables printed in block letters.

Lisa: But Tony // surely you REALised// everybody would be wearing SUITS // a job like THAT // SUCH a good SALary// with so much responsibility// you OUGHT to have known BETTer than to WEAR JEANS // 

Tony: Don’t reMIND me // I KNOW it was STUpid //

Lisa: WELL, WHAT’s the PROBlem? // I KNOW you’ve GOT a SUIT //

Tony: Oh yes// I’ve GOT one // it was at the CLEANer’s //

Lisa: You’re HOPEless // Here you ARE // With the CHANCE of a LIFEtime // to get EXACTly the job you WANT // you have ALL the right qualifiCAtions // a LOT of exPERience // NO family TIES // and when the DAY of the INterview ARRIVES // YOU’RE in the Interview room // and your SUIT’S in the CLEANer’s//

Tony: I KNOW // I KNOW//

Lisa: WELL // What HAppened // did you forGET to GO for it // lose your TICKet // or WHAT //

Tony: No // but I ASKED SaMANtha // to pick it UP for me // and they GAVE her the WRONG one // by the time I got BACK to the SHOP // it was CLOSE.

 

Memory work

No enemies

by Ch. Mackay

 

You have no enemies you say?

Alas! My friend, the boast is poor;

He who has mingled in the fray

Of duty that the brave endure,

Must have made foes! If you have none,

Small is the work that you have done.

You’ve hit no traitor on the hip,

You’ve dashed no cup from perjured lip,

You’ve never turned the wrong to right,

You’ve been a coward in the fight.