Classwork Series and Exercises {English Language – JSS3}: Adverbials and Intonation/Stress

English Language JSS3 First Term

Week 1

Contents:

Grammar: Adverbials

Speech Work: Intonation and Stress

Adverbs

An adverb is a part of a speech which can be added to a verb to modify its meaning. Usually, an adverb tells you when, where, how, in what manner, or to what extent an action is performed. Many adverbs end in ly particularly those that are used to express how an action is performed. Although many adverbs end in ly, some others do not. Example fast, never, well, most, least, more, less, now, for and there.

Adverb modifies verb by giving us the following information.

1. How the action occurs
2. Where the action occurs
3. How many times action occur
4. At which time the action occurs
5. Intensity of action

Types of Adverbials

Adverbials of Frequency: There are two kinds of adverbs of frequency:

a. Definite; For example:

• once, twice, three/several times a day/week/month/year
• hourly/daily/weekly
• everyday/week, every morning, every other day, every few days, every three months

These usually come at the end of a sentence. But where would you place the edverbial once a month in this sentence and why?

we visit our son who is a univeristy of Ibadan

b. Indefinite.

These adverbials give  general answers to the question How often …? The most common are

• always, invariably
• almost/nearly always
• generally, normally, regularly, usually
• frequently, often
• sometimes, occasionally
• almost never, rarely, hardly ever, seldom never, not ever

Adverbs of manner: An adverb of manner tells us how something is done or happens. These adverbs tell us that in which manner the action occurs or how the action occurs or occurred or will occur. Most adverbs of manner end in –ly such as badly, happily, sadly, slowly, quickly, and others that include well, hard, fast.

Examples:

She sings loudly

The old man walks slowly

Adverbs of Time: These adverbs tell us about the time of action. We use it at the beginning or at the end of a sentence. We use it as a form of emphasis when we place it at the beginning. e.g. now, then, soon, tomorrow, yesterday, today, tonight, again, early, yesterday

Example:

He fell down yesterday

Tomorrow I will go to the market

Adverbs of Place: Adverb of place tells us about the place of action or where action occurs/occurred/will occur. We use it after the verb, object or at the end of a sentence e.g. here, there, near, somewhere, outside, ahead, on the top, at some place.

Stop there!!!

Let us go outside

Adverbs of Degree: An adverb of degree tells us the level or extent that something is done or happens. Words of adverb of degree are almost, much, nearly, quite, really, so, too, very.

Examples:

He nearly lost his life in the accident

We are almost at the Zoo

Adverbs of Certainty: Adverbs of certainty express how certain we feel about an action or event. Adverbs of certainty go before the main verb unless the main verb is ‘to be’, in which case the adverb of certainty goes after. certainly, definitely, probably, undoubtedly, surely

Examples:

He definitely left the house this morning.

She is certainly a smart young lady

Adverbs of Reason: These adverbs answer the question ‘why’. Examples are: therefore, hence, thus, consequently etc.

1. Everybody likes Saturday Nights
2. Actions speak louder than words
3. Honesty is the best policy
4. Neither a borrower nor a lender be
5. Why haven’t you done your homework?

Rising Intonation: Wh- sentences questions are sentences beginning with words like who, what, when, where, why and How? They can not be answered with a simple Yes or No.

Yes/No questions are questions like the following. In each case, the voice goes up on the last stressed syllable – and the answers (being statements) fall.

Listen and repeat:

1. Did you see the match last ↑SATurday? Yes, I ↓ DID. No, I ↓ DIDn’t.
2. Have you ever used a com↑PUTer? Yes, I V HAVE. No, I ↓HAVEn’t.
3. Are you interested in ↑HIStory? Yes, I ↓AM. No, I’m ↓NOT.

Note: When a sentence contains more than one clause, it is usual for the first parts or parts to have a rising intonation pattern; the last part falls in the usual way.

Read aloud these sentences:

1. A banker is someone who lends you an umbrella when the sun is ↑ SHINing, and who asks for it back when it starts to ↓ RAIN
2. Ability can take you to the ↑ TOP, but it takes character to ↓ KEEP you there.
3. Ask me no ↑ QUESTions, and I’ll tell you no ↓ LIES

Stress

English words have certain patterns of stress which you should observe strictly if you want to be understood. The best way to learn English stress is to listen to audio materials and to repeat them after the speaker.

Generally, common English nouns, adjectives, and adverbs are more often stressed on the first syllable than on any other syllable. Verbs with prefixes are usually stressed on the second syllable, i.e., on the first syllable of the root after the prefix. English words can’t have two unstressed syllables at the beginning of the word; one of these syllables will be stressed. If a word has four or more syllables, there are usually two stresses in it: primary stress (strong stress) and secondary stress (weak stress). Also, secondary stress may be present (in addition to primary stress) in shorter words in the syllable in which the vowel sound remains long and strong.

The Same Stress Pattern

deNY (verb) – deNIal (noun)

PREview (noun) – PREview (verb)

reVIEW (noun) – reVIEW (verb)

Shift of Stress

preSENT (verb) – PRESent (noun)

exTRACT (verb) – EXtract (noun)

inCREASE (verb) – INcrease (noun)

OBject (noun) – obJECT (verb)

Adjectives are usually stressed on the first syllable or repeat the stress of the nouns from which they were derived: fate (noun) – FATal (adj.); COLour (noun) – COLourful (adj.). But stress may change in longer derivative adjectives: METal (noun) – meTALlic (adj.); ATHlete (noun) – athLETic (adj.); geOLogy (noun) – ‘geo’LOGical (adj.); ARgument (noun) – ‘argu’MENtative (adj.).

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