Pronunciation Lessons

Center for Language Education HKUST

All Lessons

Lesson 16 - Using sentence stress to contradict or correct

An important function of sentence stress is to correct a previous statement:

e.g., 'It's not the courses I like at UST; it's the sport!'

Both 'courses' and 'sport' are stressed but sport is said with a falling tone starting from a higher pitch, and is said more loudly.

Practise with these sentences:

1	It's not 845 it's 045.
2	No, not 269: it's 265
3	Not knocked her up! Locked her up!
4	She didn't slap up a bargain, she snapped up a bargain.
5	My name is not Kelvin! It's Calvin!
6	My name is not Kevin: it's Kelvin!
7	It's not Brettley, but Brattley!
8	Not Austria, Australia!
9	Not Thailand, Taiwan!