Here/There
The English-Speaking Union
English in Action
May 2016
Volunteers helping newcomers speak English
Word Stress
There are two simple rules about word stress in English:
A word has only one stress.
We only stress vowels, not consonants.
But how do we know where to place the stress?
For simple two-syllable words, follow these general rules:
A. Put the stress on the first syllable:
Most two-syllable nouns — PRESent, EXport, CHIna, TAble
Most two-syllable adjectives — PRESent, SLENder, CLEVer, HAPpy
B. Put the stress on the last syllable:
Most two-syllable verbs — preSENT, exPORT, deCIDE, beGIN
Note that some two-syllable words in English change their meaning and class, depending on where we place the
stress. The word present is a two-syllable word. If we stress the first syllable, PRESent, it is a noun (gift) or an
adjective (opposite of absent). But if we stress the second syllable, preSENT, it becomes a verb (to offer).
More examples: export, import, record, contract and object can all be nouns or verbs depending on whether the
stress is on the first or second syllable.
Try reading these sentences and see if you can figure out where to place the stress.
1. There’s nothing like the present to learn a new language.
2. Yuko gave her friend a beautiful birthday present.
3. How many students were absent and how many were present?
4. The teacher will present the certificates to the students.
5. The marathon runner was so fast, she set a world record.
6. I like to record my favorite shows.
7. It was an object of beauty.
8. I would never object to receiving such a beautiful gift.
9. Be careful not to contract any deadly diseases!
10. After she signed the contract, she became the owner of a beautiful car.
Don’t stress out* about these rules! Practice with your conversation partner until they feel natural.
*stress out — become anxious
Answers: 1. PRESent, 2. PRESent, 3. PRESent, 4. preSENT, 5. RECord, 6. reCORD, 7. OBject, 8. obJECT,
9. conTRACT, 10. CONtract
Conversation Topics
Culture Corner
An Ode to Your Zip Code
Memorial Day
An EiA tutor and student offered this great idea
for writing simple poetry. “An Ode to Your Zip
Code” is based on a poetry project from
Miami, Florida.
Memorial Day is May 30th. It is always celebrated
on the last Monday of May. This holiday brings
together all Americans, both supporters of war and
supporters of peace, to remember all the soldiers
who have died during wars.
The poem’s form is simple: A haiku-like poem built around your zip
code. The number of words per line and the number of lines in the
poem are dictated by the numbers in your zip code. If there are any
zeros in your zip code, simply omit those lines.
For instance, if your zip code is 13341, you will have five lines. The
first line will have one word, the second and third lines will have
three words each, the fourth line will have four words and the last
line will have one word.
For example:
Summer.
Lots of sun.
Lots of heat.
Looking for some shade.
Sunburn.
Memorial Day is a national holiday. It is recognized
and celebrated throughout the entire country.
Students and government workers have the day
off. Many offices are closed as well.
Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the first
weekend of the summer season. This is when public
pools and beaches open for swimmers. Many
Americans get together with family and friends to
celebrate with a picnic or barbecue.
The English-Speaking Union will be closed in honor
of Memorial Day.
If your zip code is 10016, you will have three lines. The first and
second lines will have one word each and the third line will have six
words.
Happy Memorial Day!
For example:
Sunny.
Hot.
New York summer. Bring your sunblock!
See if you and your conversation partner can come up with some
Zip Code poems together. Send them to us at [email protected], and
we’ll publish our favorites.
Here/There is a publication of English in Action, a program of
the English-Speaking Union. Karen Ruelle, Editor
The English-Speaking Union
English in Action
The English-Speaking Union of the United States
144 East 39th Street,
New York, NY 10016
212-818-1200 www.esuus.org