SentenceSentenceRhythmRhythm

Victoria BrandVictoria BrandNaomi JavorsekNaomi Javorsek

Alissa ShepardsonAlissa Shepardson

What is Sentence Rhythm?

•The most distinctive and automatic feature of any language

•Language consists of a regular beat

•Rhythm is described as valleys and peaks

•Loudest/stressed syllables are represented by peaks

•Peaks and valleys of a sentence coincide with the message we are trying to make in our sentence

Continued…• Typically, only one part of multiple syllable

words is going to be stressed

• Stress relies on the context in which the word is in

Example:-“Did you hear what happened? Barbara

wrecked her motorcycle yesterday.”Or

-“The accident happened today?” -“No, Barbara wrecked her motorcycle

yesterday.”

What is Rhythm?                        

Content words (emphasized)

Structure words(de-emphasized)

    nouns  nouns  (cat, book, Mary) (cat, book, Mary)         main verbs    main verbs  (make, run, study) (make, run, study)       adjectives    adjectives   (good, happy, many) (good, happy, many)   

  adverbs  adverbs    (quickly, often, really)(quickly, often, really)        question wordsquestion words

        (who, what, when, where, how, (who, what, when, where, how, why)why)   demonstrative pronouns   demonstrative pronouns            (this, that, these, those)        (this, that, these, those)    

  pronouns     (he, she, it, they)    prepositions   (in, on, of, at)    articles   (a, an, the)    "to-be" verbs   (am, is, are, was) 

  "to-have" verbs   (has, have, had)    conjunctions   (and, but, so, since)     auxiliary verbs   (do, can, may, will) 

•Rhythm is timing patterns among syllables.

•Every time new information is presented, it is usually stressed.

General emphasized and de-emphasized words:

Sentence Focus

• Any word in a sentence can be a focus• Loudest stress = main point of focus

Example: John is leaving Paris next week.

     1. (Emphasize the person)

2. (Emphasize the time) 3. (Emphasize the truth) 4. (Emphasize the place)

5. (Emphasize the action)                          

How to Present How to Present Sentence Structure Sentence Structure

to Kidsto Kids

Review Word Stress

• Before presenting Sentence Rhythm, make sure students have a good grasp of word stress (usually around grade 3 or 4)

• Examples: – Baby- stress falls on first syllable– Repeat- stress falls on second syllable– Appointment- stress falls on middle

syllable

Presenting Sentence Rhythm

• In English, certain words in a sentence are stressed.

• Adults in this picture show stressed words and children show unstressed words in a sentence

What is Stressed?

• Stressed:– Nouns: (cat, book, Sally, Italy)– Verbs: (jump, talk, see)– Adjectives: (happy, big, funny)– Adverbs: (quickly, often, loudly)– Questions: (who, what, where)– Demonstratives: (this, that, those)– Negatives: (no ,never, can’t)

How to Explain?

• Explain to students that stressed words are big, long, loud, or slow

• Unstressed words are small, short, quiet, or fast

• Doesn’t matter which is presented as long as the words chosen are opposites of each other

* Note: by using small or short, “small” words like cat may not be stressed by kids.

How to Present?

• Say a sentence-A man is walking in the park.

• Tell students number of claps allowed for the sentence (3)

• Have students clap out the sentence only using # of claps allowed

• Students should clap out the stressed words (man, walking, park)

• With some practice students will get better