【曼拓教育】句子重读，语音语调规则，如何在发音部分稳拿高分，直接赢在起跑线！

曼拓教育

不少同学在讲英文时存在 Flat tone的问题，主要表现在用同样的方式读每一个单词，语调没有变化等，这严重影响了pronunciation的质量。由于PTE有对pronunciation进行考核（如：speaking的题型Read Aloud 和Repeat Sentence都考核pronunciation），改善发音对提高考试分数有重要作用。It’s not what you say but the way you say it！

本期文章的目的就是帮助同学们认识pronunciation的两个特征 sentence stress 和 intonation 来帮助改善 flat tone 的情况。

1. Sentence Stress  句子的重读

由于英文是一个 tone language，如果每个词都给予相同的重要性，那么读起来会很机械化。在同一个句子里，重音落在不同的地方可以改变句子的意思。大家可以大声朗读以下句子并把重音落在蓝色加粗字上面来体会一下。

I don't think he should get the job.I don't think he should get the job.
I don't think he should get that job.
I don't think he should get that job.
I don't think he should get that job.
I don't think he should get that job.
I don't think he should get that job.
I don't think he should get that job.

一般说话的时候，一个句子里不只重读一个单词，那么什么单词需要重读呢？
英文的单词根据在句子里面的功能可以分成两类：Content word：有实际意义的词，如;名词、形容词、副词（除了频率副词）、主动词和否定式。Function：担当语法功能而没有重要意思的词语：助动词、介词、连词、代词、冠词等。

由于重读的意义是为了突出重读单词的意思，因此句子的stress会落在content word上。而一个句子里面通常有多个content word, 那么需要根据句子的意思，对不同重要程度的content word，用不同的重读方式来表现。

另外，在较长的篇幅中也需要不同的重读方法来表现情感。以下是三种重读的方式：

•改变重读单词中的重读音节的声调（changing the pitch），•延长重读单词的重读音节的发音(longer)；

•更大声地读重读单词的重读音节(louder)。

同学们可以通过朗读来练习sentence stress：把文章的content word 标注出来，分辨出意思最重要的单词，然后交替使用以上三种重读方式来表达。

Our school is the best in town. The teachers are friendly, and very knowledgeable about English. I've studied at the school for two years and my English is becoming very good. I hope you will visit our school and try an English class. Maybe we can become friends, too!

Our school is the BEST in town. The teachers are friendly, and VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE about English. I've studied at the school for two years and my English is becoming VERY GOOD. I hope you will visit our school and try an English class. MAYBE we can become FRIENDS!

值得注意的是，上面的练习是为了强化sentence stress而设的。在正常的英文交流里并不一定每个content word 都要重读，因此同学们要根据说话的场景和想要表达的意思来改变重读单词的选择和方式。
2. Intonation：rising and falling pattern 语音语调

英文的intonation 非常重要！这是英文的语言特征。有时候在雅思口语里，如果单词的发音没有大问题，改善intonation可以明显提高pronunciation的分数。

语调的升降可以表达意思和态度。这通常有三个规律：

A. 用intonation 把句子断开来强调某个意思或者单词：Clearly, ↓we were going to be disappointed.↓

Actually, ↓it isn’t very important.↓

B. 在陈述句，祈使句和‘wh-’引导的问句的句末用降调（falling tone）I’m practicing using intonation today.↓Chunk these words into groups.↓

Which words should I stress in this sentence? ↓

C. 句子里的列举，yes/no 问题和表达请求，使用升调.I need to practice chunking,↑ sentence stress, ↑and intonation.↓Do you think it is a good idea?↑

相比sentence stress,intonation的规则比较严格，大部分情况下需要遵循。

以下这段文字结合上面所说的两个方面， sentence stress 和intonation可以这样处理：

The development of easy-to-use statistical software↓ has changed the way statistics is being taught and learned.↓ Students can make transformations of variables, ↑create graphs of distributions of variables,↑  and select among statistical analyses↓ all at the click of a button. ↓However,↓ even with these advancements,↓ students sometimes find statistics to be an arduous task.↓

想刷出PTE成绩，就来找曼拓教育！