Sentence stress

Sentence Stress Rules
The basic rules of sentence stress are:

1. 
   content words are stressed
   
2. 
   structure words are unstressed
   
3. 
   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, WHY, 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

Exceptions
The rules above are 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 as a main verb it is also a content word.
Sentence Stress in a Statement

Pronoun__Main_Verb__Adverb'>Pronoun	Main Verb	Adverb	Preposition	Determiner	Noun
I	ran	quickly	to	the	desk.
unstressed	unstressed	STRESSED (primary)	unstressed	unstressed	STRESSED (secondary)

This example denotes the natural rise and fall of the sentence. However, as previously stated, you could stress different words to alter the meaning:

• 
  I ran quickly to the desk. (emphasizes who is doing the running)
  
• 
  I ran quickly to the desk. (emphasizes what action is being done)
  
• 
  I ran quickly to the desk. (emphasizes the way in which you ran, but does not fundamentally change the meaning of the sentence)
  
• 
  I ran quickly to the desk. (inappropriate sense stress, but emphasizes the direction in which you ran)
  
• 
  I ran quickly to the desk. (inappropriate sense stress, but emphasizes that it was a specific desk)
  
• 
  I ran quickly to the desk. (emphasizes the object or location to which you ran)
  

Sentence Stress in a Question

Pronoun	Modal Verb	Main Verb	Preposition	Determiner	Noun
Who	will	come	to	the	party?
unstressed	unstressed	STRESSED (primary)	unstressed	unstressed	STRESSED (secondary)

Like the previous example, the sentence stress here also denotes the natural rise and fall of the word combination. However, you could still ask this question six different ways to convey six slightly different meanings:

• 
  Who will come to the party? (you want to know who the party attendees are)
  
• 
  Who will come to the party? (you want to know who will definitely be attending the party)
  
• 
  Who will come to the party? (you want to know who will attend the party, but this form does not change the standard meaning of the question)
  
• 
  Who will come to the party? (inappropriate sense stress, but emphasizes the location of the party) 
  
• 
  Who will come to the party? (inappropriate sense stress, but emphasizes which party you’re talking about)
  
• 
  Who will come to the party? (you want to emphasize the party, possibly in contrast to a separate event)
  

Sentence Stress and Intonation in English
If you couldn’t already tell, sentence stress is often linked to the way our voices rise and fall (intonation) while speaking. The natural rise and fall in pitch usually determines which words are stressed and unstressed. This is why the two example sentences above have similar structures. They are both examples of falling intonation.
There are two basic types of intonation: rising intonation and falling intonation. Falling intonation is far more common. When you speak with falling intonation, the pitch of your voice starts high and gets lower by the end of the sentence. More often than not, sentences with falling intonation use stressed verbs and objects. For example:

• 
  I saw a crab at the beach.
  
• 
  They never return my calls.
  
• 
  Frank is a responsible person.
  
• 
  My dad doesn’t like to wash the dishes.
  

Alternatively, rising intonation occurs when the pitch of your voice starts lower and gets higher at the end of the sentence. This type of intonation is less common, but you can use it when you want to ask a Yes/No question or when you want to express a negative emotion, like anger. Similarly, the stress often falls on verbs and objects, though this can vary depending on the meaning you want to convey. Here are some examples:

• 
  Are you sure?
  
• 
  Do you want to go to the park?
  
• 
  You’re so mean!
  
• 
  I don’t want to talk to you!
  

What is sense stress?
You might have heard of sense stress, which is very similar to the concept of sentence stress. Sense stress simply refers to the use of stress on different words to convey different meanings. Thus, sense stress is a form of sentence stress. Usually, people refer to appropriate or inappropriate sense stress. Appropriate sense stress sounds natural and correctly conveys the meaning of a sentence. Here are some examples of appropriate sense stress:

• 
  How many HAMBURGERS should we get?
  
• 
  What TIME is it?
  
• 
  He ANSWERED the phone.
  
• 
  They did NOT want to go swimming.
  

Alternatively, inappropriate sense stress sounds unnatural and conveys strange or incorrect meanings. Here are a few examples:

• 
  Where do you want to eat?
  
• 
  Did you go to the doctor?
  
• 
  I never go to the supermarket by myself.
  
• 
  She was watching a movie when the guests arrived.