The useful methods of quickly and effectively determining the primary stress position of the english words for 12th grade students

THANH HOA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

NGUYEN MONG TUAN COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL

EXPERIENCED INITIATIVE

THE USEFUL METHODS OF QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY
DETERMINING THE PRIMARY STRESS POSITION OF THE
ENGLISH WORDS FOR 12th GRADE STUDENTS

The writer:
School’s post:

Nguyen Van Thuan
Teacher

Experienced initiative of subject: English

THANH HOA 2017
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGES

1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………
1.1. THE REASON OF SELECTING THE TOPIC……………………..
1.2. OBJECTIVES OF THE TOPIC……………………………………..
1.3. THE TASKS OF IMPLEMENTING THE TOPIC……...…………..
1.4. THE MAIN METHODS OF STUDYING THE SUJECT…………..

1.5. STUDIED OBJECTS OF THE TOPIC……………………………...

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3
4
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5

2. THE REAL STATE OF PROBLEM RESEARCH………………..
2.1. The real state…………………………………………………………
2.2. The result of the above real state…………………………………….

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5
6

3. PROBLEM SOLVING……………………………………………….
3.1. THE MEASURES OF IMPLEMENTING…………………………..
3.2.THE METHODS OF ORGANIZING TO IMPLEMENT…………...
3.2.1. DEFINITE STRESS……………………………………………….
3.2.2. POSITION OF THE PRIMARY STRESS DEPENDS ON THE
FORMS OF THE: VERBS – NOUNS – ADJECTIVES –
ADVERBS………………………………………………………………..
3.2.3. OTHER MATTERS OF STRESS…………………………………

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6
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7

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4. CONCLUSION AND PROPOSAL………………………………….
4.1. THE RESULT OF RESEARCHING………………………………..
4.2. PROPOSAL………………………………………………………….

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5. REFERENCES………………………………………………………..

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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 THE REASON OF SELECTING THE TOPIC:
As we all know, marking primary stresses on multi-syllable words is so
much challenging for not only English learners, but the teachers as well. There
have many different ideas on this matter.
For many teachers, it is essential and better to teach stress while teaching
each word itself to the students. This is undoubtedly an excellent approach, but
how the students remember all individual words together with their primary
stress pattern is a big question. And, the stdents may forget the word, or its stress
pattern, or they may find it impossible to guess a new word’s stress pattern.
Other teachers believe that it is important for the students to be provided with
rules for marking stress, after that they are able to do the practice better. In fact,

English, as we know, is not a phonetically alphabet language, and there are
always irregular words facing the students. After years of teaching, with the
valuable help of colleagues, I find that it is effective and importand to combine
the two above mentioned ideas whiles teaching the students how to mark
primary stresses on multi-syllable English words. To better their teaching,
teachers are to make the students aware of what a primary stress on a multisyllable word is, how to guess the stress patterns on certain words. Checking the
students’ work, giving remarks, and summarizing the cases areimportant.
Keeping the work done times after time, paying attention to the irregulars,
establishing new rules are also essential and effective. In this talk, I would like
to share with you my own experiences (which I have had through time of
teaching and which I have had from colleages’ sharing) on how to mark stresses
on multi-syllable words. I really hope to receive your feedbacks and sharing so
as to enrich my knowledge to better my work. And I am writing into my
initiative “The useful methods of quickly and effectively determining the
primary stress position of the English words for 12 th grade students”. This is
considered to be a reference document, thus I would like the colleagues to give
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comments and ideas to my initiative so that I can make it perfect and practically
used in teaching.
1.2. OBJECTIVES OF THE TOPIC.
1.2.1. For the students
- Determine the objectives, the requirement and the importance of English.
- Understand the methods of determining the primary stress position of the
words quickly, effectively when doing exercises, tests and examinations.
- Know how to apply the methods of determining the primary stress position of
the words to do exercises, tests and examinations about stress.
- Speak English perfectly with accurate stress.
1.2.2. For the teacher

- Guides, examines and remarks the students to study the methods of
determining the primary stress position of the words quickly, effectively.
- Follows close to the process of teaching English especially when teaching
students to do exercises, tests, study for getting GCSE, attend to advanced
students examinations or entrance examinations to university.
- Supplies useful knowledge and good experiences for myself in order to
improve the quality of teaching.
1.3. THE TASKS OF IMPLEMENTING THE TOPIC.
- Understand the students’ state of skill of doing stress exercises.
- Studying the skill of doing stress exercises.
- Apply the topic to teach English in Nguyen Mong Tuan Comprehensive
school.
- Compare, collate the result of implementing the topic.
- Remark, have conclusion about the result and effect of the topic.
1.4. THE MAIN METHODS OF STUDYING THE SUBJECT.
I write this topic based on:
+ The method of studying theory.
+ The method of investigating.
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+ Comparison, collation and summary of the result, effect of the topic.
1.5. STUDIED OBJECTS OF THE TOPIC.
- The students of class 12A3 : The academic year 2016 -2017.
- Nguyen Mong Tuan Comprehensive school.
2. THE REAL STATE OF PROBLEM RESEARCH
2.1. The real state:
During the process of teaching English at Nguyen Mong Tuan
Comprehensive school, having helped students to study for getting GCSE, take
part in advanced students examinations and entrance examinations to

universities and colleges. Through many years of my own teaching, I realize that
most of students are bad at not only knowledge but also the skill of identifying
the primary stress position of the words when they do exercises, tests,
examinations about the stress of the words. With the primary stress position of
words exercises require students to have certain knowledge, and they have to
know and remember the main rules of position of the primary stress. They may
learn them by heart and apply these rules to do exercises flexibly so that they
will get good result.
Many years ago, when taking the national examinations, students had many
difficulties in indentifying the main stress of the words in the test. At that time
only about 30 percent of the students in Nguyen Mong Tuan Comprehensive
school was able to do this kind of exercise.
From this consequence, we can see that:
If the teachers pay no attention to innovating the method of teaching and
helping students have the best way to determine the primary stress of the words,
they can not understand how to do it effectively and quickly. To improve above
consequence as well as help the students of our school to do this kind of this
exercise better and more confidently, I present some methods or called the rules
of determining the primary stress position of the words quickly, effectively. In
this subject I will present some basic rules that students can understand and
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remember easily, from that they will be able to apply to do exercises, tests or
examinations effectively.
2.2. The result of the above real state:
I applied my topic to teach the students of class 12A3 in the academic year
2016-2017. Through the fact of teaching, I could hold the real ability of the
students as well as their ways of determining position of stress, and I had
practical solution to support, guide them to do this kind of exercise scientifically

and effectively. For the students, by applying this method they could determine
the position of the primary stress quickly and exactly.
3. PROBLEM SOLVING
3.1. THE MEASURES OF IMPLEMENTING
3.1.1. For the teacher:
- Guides the students to study basic knowledge and the rules of position of the
primary stress in the English words.
- Reminds the students to learn the rules of each part of stress by heart.
- Prepares exercises, tests for each part and the synthetic general exercises.
- Has the students practise to analyse, compare and collate.
3.1.2. For the students:
- Concentrate on the lessons; understand the rules, the methods to find out
position of the primary stress of the words,
- Know how to apply what they have learnt to do exercises, tests, examinations,
flexibly and effectively.
- Compare, estimate and get out experience by themselves to do exercises, tests
or examinations of stress better.
3.2. THE METHODS OF ORGANIZING TO IMPLEMENT.
NOTES
- The primary stress of words is marked with a comma ( ‘ ) in front of or above
the syllable containing stress.

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- Primary stress of words falls in two or more than two – syllable words and in
syllables containing vowels as a, e, i, o, or, u.
- Primary stress of words never falls in weak syllables containing /ə/
The topic “The useful methods of quickly and effectively determining
the primary stress position of the English words for 12 th grade students” is

the methods to determine the primary stress position of English words which
appears in exercises, tests, examinations quickly, effectively and speaking
English more accurately, consists of three following parts:
3.2.1. DEFINITE STRESS
3.2.1.1. Stress in suffixes
For the stem words with the following suffixes, stress is on these suffixes:
- ee

employee /implɔɪ’i:/

- eer

volunteer /vɒlʌt’ɪə/

- ese

Chinese / tʃai’ni:z/

- ette

cigarette /sigə’ret/

- esque

picturesque /piktʃə’resk/

- ique

unique /ju:’ni:k/

- oo

bamboo /bæm’bu:/

-ade

lemonade /lemə’neid/

-self

himself /him’self/

-ur

occur /ə’kɜ:/

-dict

predict /pri’dikt/

-ect

effect /i’fekt/

-fer

prefer /prifɜ:/

-mit

commit /kə’mit/

-pel

compel /kəm’pel/

-press

express /ek’pres/

-rupt

corrupt /kərʌpt/

- sist

assist /ə’sist/
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-test

detest /di’test/

-tract

attract /ə’trækt/

-vert

avert /ə’vɜ:t/

-vent

prevent /pri’vent/

- aire

millionaire /miliə’neə/

-ain

entertain /entə’tein/ (apply to verbs)

3.2.1.2. The words with the following suffixes have stress on the syllables
right in front of these suffixes.
-sion

discussion /dis’kʌʃn/

-tion

foundation /fau’deiʃn/

-ic

economic /i:kə’nɒmik/

-ical

economical /i:kə’nɒmikl/

-ity

familiarity/fæmili’ærəti/

-ial

official /ə’fiʃəl/

-ially

oficially/ə’fiʃəli/

-tive

suggestive /sə’dʒestiv/

-ative

representative /repri’zentətiv/

-logy

technology /tek’nɒlədʒi/

-ian

librarian /lai’breəriən/

-ance

attendance /ə’tendən/

-ence

independence /indi’pendənt/

-ience

experience /ik’spiəriən/

-ient

efficient /i’fiʃənt/

-iar

familiar /fə’miliə/

-eous

spontaneous /spɒn’teinəs/

-ious

victorious /vik’tɒriəs/

-ory

memory /’meməri/

-cial

financial /fai’næʃl/

-tial

preferential /prefə’renʃl/
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-cion

suspicion /sʌs’piʃən/

-xious

anxious /’ænʃiəs/

Except for :

television

/’teliviʒən/

Politics

/’pɒlətiks/

Arabic

/’ærəbik/

Lunantic

/’lu:nətik/

Arithmetic

/ə’ri θmətik/

Cathotic

/’kæθətik/

Rhetoric

/’retərik/

3.2.1.3. The words with the following suffixes, stress is on the third syllable
counting from the last syllable of the word.
-ate

consulate /’kɒnsjulit/

-ute

constitute /’kɒnstitju:t/

-ude

institude /’institju:/

-ite

opposite /’ɒpəzit/

-ary

documentary /dɒkju’mentəri/

-ative

propagative /’prɒpəgeitive/

-fy

beautify

/’bju:tifai/

-ply

multiply

/’mʌltiplai/

-ise

econnomise /i’kɒnəmaiz/

-ize

modernize /’mɒdənize/

3.2.2. POSITION OF THE PRIMARY STRESS DEPENDS ON THE
FORMS OF THE: VERBS – NOUNS – ADJECTIVES – ADVERBS.
3.2.2.1. Stress in two-syllable words.
3.2.2.1.1. Two - syllables words have unequal strength.
- Stress of the most of these words is on the stronger syllables
Example:
Advice (n)

/əd’vais/

Machine (n)

/mə’ʃi:n/
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Mistake (n)

/mis’teik/

answer (n-v)

/ ‘ænsə/

happen (v)

/’hæpən/

amazed (v)

/ə’meizd/

alone (adj – adv)

/ ə’l əʊ/

3.2.2.1.2. Two - syllables words have unequal strength.
Position of stress depends on the forms the words.
VERBS:
In this case, stress of most of the words is on the second syllables.
Example:
begin

/bi’gin/

relax

/re’læks/

maintain

/mein’tein/

NOUNS, ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS.

Stress is on the first syllable of most of nouns, adjectives and adverbs
Example:
hobby (n)

/’hɒbi/

habit (n)

/’hæbit/

luckily (adv)

/’lʌki/

busy (a)

/’bizi/

pretty (a)

/’priti/

3.2.2.2. Stress in three - syllable words.
- The rules for verbs
For most three-syllable words, stress is on the last syllable.
Example:
entertain

/entə’tein/

understand

/ʌndə’stænd/

introduce

/intrə’dju:/

- If the last syllable is weak or short, stress is on the second syllable.
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Example:
develop

/ di’veləp/

determine

/di’tɜ:min/

- Stress is not on the first syllable, except for the definite stress in part
[3.2.1.1]
Example:
concentrate

/’kɒnsentreit/

Modernize

/’mɒdənaiz/

- Rulers for nouns, adjectives, adverbs
+ For most three-syllable nouns, adjectives, adverbs, stress is on the first
syllable.
Example:
Cinema

/’sinəmə/

Intellect

/’intəlekt/

Government

/‘gʌvmənt/

Difficult

/’difiklt/

Different

/’difərənt/

+ If the first syllable is a weak, short one, or ended with /əʊ/, the main
stress is on the second syllable
Example:
Computer

/kəm’pju:tə/

Potato

/pə’teitəʊ/

Disaster

/di’za:stə/

+For three – syllable nouns, adjectives and adverbs, stress is rare on the
third syllable, except for part [3.2.1.1].
Example:
volunteer

/vɒlən’tɪə/

referee

/refə’ri:/

3.2.2.3. Stress in words of more than three syllables.
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- For more than three syllables words which does not belong to definite stress,
stress is usually on the third syllable counting from the last syllable.
Example:
Biology

/bai’ɒlədʒi/

Philosophy

/fi’lɒsəfi/

Manificent

/mæn’nifiksənt/

Trigonometry

/trigə’nɒmətri/

3.2.3. OTHER MATTERS OF STRESS.
3.2.3.1. For two- syllable words which have both noun and verb meanings
- Nouns have stress on the first syllable.
- Verbs have stress on the second syllable.
Example:
Words
Contrast
Decrease
Export
Insult
Progress
Record

Nouns
/’kɒntra:st/

/’dikri:s/
/’ekspɔ:t/
/’insʌlt/
/’prəʊgres/
/’rek ɔ:d/

Verbs
/kən’tra:st/
/di’kri:s/
/iks’pɔ:t/
/in’sʌlt/
/prə’gres/
/ri’k ɔ:d/

3.2.3.2. The primary stress position of compound nouns.
3.2.3.2.1. Most compound nouns have main stress position on the first
syllable.
Example:
filmmaker

/’filmmeikə/

shorthand

/‘ʃɔ:thænd/

bookshop

/’bʊkʃɒp/

airport

/’eəpɔ:/

dropout

/’drɒpaut/

check-up

/’tʃekʌp/
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breakdown

/’breikdau/

3.2.3.2.2. But compound verbs combined from a verb and a preposition
have stress on the second syllable.
Example:
breakdown

/breik’dau/

tryout

/trai’aut/

walkout

/wɔ:lk’aut/

dropout

/drɒp’aut/

check –up

/tʃe’kʌp/

3.2.3.3. Affects of suffixes for the position of stress.
3.2.3.3.1. The following suffixes neither have stress nor affect to position the
main stress of words.
-able, -age, -al, -en, -ful, -ing, -ed, -ish, -like, -less, -ly, -ment, -ness, -ous, -fy,
-wise, -y
Example:
Ly
Ful
Ing
Ment

Dangerous
Beauty
Engineer
develop

/’deindʒərəs/
/’bju:ti/
/endʒi’nɪə/

/di’veləp/

Dangerously
Beautiful
Engineering
development

/’deindʒərəsli/
/’bju:tifl/
/endʒi’nɪəriŋ/
/di’veləpmənt/

3.2.3.3.2.The suffixes make a change of the position of stress.
- The following suffixes can make a change of the possition of stress in original
words.
al, ary, ity, ion, ic,ial , alism, ian, ious ...
Example:
-ian
-ity
-al
-ial

human
durable
environment
president

/’hju:mən/
/’djurəbl/
/in’vaiərəmənt/

/’prezidənt/

humanitarian
durability
environmental
presidential

/hju:m æni’teərɪən/
/djurə’biləti/
/invaiərəmæntəl/
/prezi’denʃl/
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-alism
-ion

experiment
exhibit

/iks’perimənt/
/ig’zibi/

experimentaliasm /iksperi’mentəlizəm/
exhibition
/igzi’biʃn/

4. CONCLUSION AND PROPOSAL.
4.1. THE RESULT OF RESEARCHING
- Through surveying, experimenting, comparing and collating the result that the

students of 12A3 school year 2016-2017 applied my subject to do exercises,
tests and examinations of stress, I have conclusion that :
4.1.1. About the theory:
4.1.1.1 For the teacher
- Creates the teaching methods which are suitable for students request.
- Forms and applies the methods, skills of doing exercises on stress to teach the
students flexibly and effectively. From this, I have been improving my quality of
English teaching.
4.1.1.2. For the students
- Understand and know how to do exercises, tests, examinations of stress
perfectly. They feel confident and enjoy doing this kind of exercises.
4.1.2. About the fact :
- Through result of doing stress exercises, tests and examinations, it can be seen
that the experience and result of the students in doing this kind of this exercise
have been improving much more than they used to be. Because they can
understand the basic rules of determining the primary stress primary of the
words. Furthermore, they can pronounce English words better and speak English
perfectly.
- To have a basic comparison, give out the exact conclusion for the studying
process and applying the topic to teach English in Nguyen Mong Tuan
Comprehensive school. I implemented to examine and collate the result of class
12A3, the academic year 2016 -2017 was applied the above topic.

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4.1.3. Question: Find the word with the stress pattern different from that of
the other three words in each question. (Allowed time: 15 minutes)
1.

A. admire

B. honor

C. title

D. difficult

2.

A. describe

B. struggle

C. political

D. society

3.

A. independence

B. Politician

C. immortality

D. different

4.

A. comfort

B. nation

C. apply

D. moment

5.

A. ashamed

B. position

C. begin

D. enemy

6.

A. influential

B. creative

C. introduction

D. university

7.

A. profit

B. suggest

C. surrender

D. report

8.

A. career

B. majority

C. continue

D. education

9.

A. vocational

B. employer

C. minority

D. reasonable

10.

A. general

B. opinion

C. abroad

D. surprise

11.

A. Important

B. especially

C. prefer

D. influence

12.

A. mineral

B. example

C. diamond

D. popular

13.

A. republic

B. collector

C. situation

D. inscription

14.

A. protection

B. separate

C. develop

D. encourage

15.

A. recognize

B. stimulate

C. activity

D. adult

16.

A. intelligent

B. direct

C. desire

D. satisfactory

17.

A. relationship

B. command

C. vocabulary

D. island

18.

A. define

B. idea

C. express

D. figure

19. A. suppose

B. Expect

C. unusual

D. Literary

20.A. carpenter

B. revise

C. ignore

D. traditional

The achieved result of class:
Class Total Mark 0-4
number %
12A3 42
13

Mark 5-6
SL
%
20

Mark 7-8
SL
%
6

Mark 9-10
SL
%
3

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4.2. PROPOSAL.
Application the topic: “The useful methods of quickly and effectively
determining the primary stress position of the English words for 12 th grade
students” has been gaining good result. However, I myself have not discovered
its limitation yet, I would like to get the comments and advice from the
colleagues, especially from the English teachers so that my topic will be more
completed and widely used in teaching English for students in high school.

CONFIRMATION OF THE PRINCIPAL

Thanh Hóa, May 25th, 2017
I declare that this is my writing
and It does not infringe any copy.
Writen by:

Nguyen Van Thuan

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5. REFERENCES.
5.1. Textbooks English 12 ( Published in 2007 Educational Publishing )

5.2. Book of English teachers 12 ( Published in 2007 Educational Publishing )
5.3. Documentation teacher training class 12 ( Published in 2007 Educational
Publishing )
5.4. English language teaching Methodology ( Teacher ' s work book)
5.5. Internet

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