Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Ecological Modernisation as an approach for solving of Environmental Coursework

Ecological Modernisation as an approach for solving of Environmental problems - Coursework Example This study looks into the concept of ecological modernisation started to gain attention in the 1990s. This concept evolved in the industrialised democratic states as a dominant way of addressing environmental policies. It was also aimed at identifying the root causes of these environmental problems and to suggest possible policies or solutions. These environmental problems include global pollution, global warming, Ozone depletion, soil erosion, overpopulation, natural resources’ exploitation, destruction and fragmentation of natural habitats, water crisis, loss of biodiversities etc. These environmental problems are creating adverse effects on health and well-being of human beings. Ecological modernisation has been developed in order to fight against these environmental problems at large. It was also developed to ensure sustainability of natural resources and natural well-being, maintaining environmental justice and preserving the rights and beauty of the nature. The concept o f sustainability or sustainable development considers that the present generation must consume goods and services in such a way that the consumption of these goods and services by the future generation is not hampered. The notion of sustainable development has been used to preserve and conserve natural and environmental resources, mainly non-renewable resources like coal, petroleum etc. Sustainable use of these resources by the present generation can help future generations to acquire benefits from these resources. According to Brundtland Commission, it means ‘meeting the needs of the present without bargaining the capability of future generations to meet their needs (Berger et al., 2001, p.57). The concept of environmental justice deals with the preservation of the nature and natural resources. This paper is aimed at critically assess the importance of ecological modernisation as an appropriate approach for solving environmental problems. Brief history of the concept of ecolo gical modernisation: Since a long time, a conflicting relationship exists between economic development and environmental sustainability. There are conflicting opinions regarding the relationship between economic growth and environmental policies as well. Those people in favour of rapid economic growth and development argue that the policies aimed to act in favour of the environmental protections are creating obstacles against the economic growth of industrialised nations of the world. They have argued that environmental policies like reducing environmental pollution create larger problems for producers to produce goods and services at lowest possible costs and hence, hamper the process of economic development of countries by reducing their national output and national income (Berger et al., 2001, p.56). But the opposite side argues that without proper environmental protection it will be difficult for these industrialised countries to achieve their desired pace of economic growth. Th ey also argue that in the presence of sustained ecological society the pace of economic growth gets accelerated. The need for environmental awareness started at the end of the 1980s and at the beginning of the 1990s, mainly in the industrialised nations of the world. In this time the concept of environmental protection and environmental awareness was seen differently from previous periods. Before this time environmental problems were largely seen as natural phenomena which were beyond the control of human beings. But in this time people started to believe that those environmental problems are largely dependent upon human activities. People also realised that controlled and protected human activities can easily reduce the prevalence of those environmental problems. The main reason for the conceptualized difference was the emergence of a new concept called

Monday, October 7, 2019

Compensation And Employment Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Compensation And Employment Ethics - Essay Example You don't necessarily know the inherent assumptions which went into the design of the software, nor do you know with certainty what its limitations are. These computer programs and the computers themselves are wonderful tools but don’t use them blindly. The E&C contractor lost the job, one that was worth over $500 million. I don't know but I would not be surprised if some engineers also lost their jobs – they should have. In this case, blind faith in a piece of software cost the firm a lot of money. In another set of circumstances, this type of error could have cost lives. Protection of the public, the basis for requiring the engineering â€Å"seal† in the first place, is only afforded when an engineer qualified in the relevant discipline is responsible for all aspects of planning, design, and field supervision of the project. Engineering is an exciting field, and one of the best things about it is the wide range of career opportunities it affords. However, as professionals, engineers must remain vigilant so that they do not overestimate their abilities in fields outside their chosen discipline. The American Society of Civil Engineers serves my field of study. In order to be a member of the society, one must be certified as a land surveyor or engineer intern and licensed in the US as an L.S or P.E. additionally, one must have a bachelor’s and master’s degree from an ABET/EAC accredited civil engineering school. the society requires engineers to comply with the ASCE code of ethics It was ethical for Most to decline the job since someone cannot be forced to undertake a job he feels uncomfortable with. Also, Ball acted ethically by highlighting that Most had the required qualifications. This is because lying to the administrative board would have been unethical.

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Engineering Changes Through Technology Improvement Over The Past 50 Thesis

Engineering Changes Through Technology Improvement Over The Past 50 Years - Thesis Example Burkins and Grasso (2009), state that the engineering fraternity and its multitude of professions and dimensions have engineered structures, chemicals, DNA, materials, machinery and so much more that has been responsible for shaping the current society in to the structure that is seen today. The great revolutions in the fields of industrial and agricultural technology are examples that show how engineering and technology had a greater influence on how human beings lead their lives when compared to the influence of the political and social revolutions of time. New discoveries in preventive medicine and sanitation have led to population explosion as well as its control. Weaponry from the time of arrows and bows to nuclear power and gun powder have also contributed to changes on how wars were fought; in the field of computers, the microprocessor has changed how people bank, shop, run businesses, communicate with other people and conduct research activities. While these are very minor ex ample, there is no dispute that the engineered technologies are responsible for large scale transformations that have contributed to the increase of urbanization in society and developing interdependence of societies worldwide (Ahlgren & Rutherford, 1990). All these changes in the world have been as a result of gradual development of artisan skills in engineering professions which have in turn gradually contributed to scientific knowledge and increased technological discoveries. Most of the technological and scientific discoveries have been a result of engagement in artisan skills of engineering. These artisan skills have gradually led to new discoveries and developments which occurred through empirical observations and regular experimentation. The artisan skills was the main way through which technological and scientific discoveries were arrived at prior to the development of active science skills that could anticipate situations and conditions as well as maneuver situations to ach ieve results in the experimental field. Practical engagement in various engineering artisan skills has directly led to vast acquisition of engineering experience and the building of a wealth of knowledge which has contributed to greater scientific advancements (Hughes and Hughes, 2000). In fact, most early scientific and technological discoveries were made by individuals who were practically engaging in engineering fields as either professionals or apprentices in their respective roles. It is for this same reason that engineering has always acclaimed practical old world artisan skills as the best mode of development of engineering skills. Prior to the emergence of formal science training and engineering studies, much of the learned skills in all forms of engineering were passed down generations by craftsmen and specialist through apprenticeship programs that attached learners to professionals for a length of time through which they could extensively develop their artisan skills in v arious engineering practices (Martin & Christensen, 2009). Throughout the apprenticeship period, all of these apprentices would learn their skills through practical engagements that would make their experiences ingrained to their personality as they learned from their actions. It was through the process of apprenticeship that construction skills such as building structures, roads, bridges and many other forms of constructions got developed and passed on to the others. Apprenticeship – Over the years However, with advancement, the mode of learning and engaging in scientific studies the acquisition of

Saturday, October 5, 2019

How to build a successful team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How to build a successful team - Essay Example The team leader is usually elected from the members of the team through voting. There are a number of desirable qualities that a team leader should possess in order to guide the team and keep the people in it together. There are different leadership styles that a leader may adopt in order to be effective at his job, such as visionary leadership, participatory leadership, charismatic leadership, authoritative leadership and others. A leader must be able to visualize the end goal of the team and formulate strategies to bring the team closer to the goal. Also, the leader must know how to listen actively and communicate assertively to influence the members of the team. 2. The Size of the Team The number of people within the team is very important so if the team is to functional and efficient, it needs to be at the right size. Too small teams may be too lean to be effective while too big teams may be difficult to manage. As a general rule, teams must have 8-10 members to be effective. If the group is too big, the members may be divided into smaller sub-groups. 3. Variety of Skills Among Members of the Group The skills of the members of the team are important and it is desirable that these skills be varied. No, it is not a good idea to choose team members that are of the same skills levels and the same frame of mind. Although homogenous types of groups have their own advantages, they also have their own disadvantages and more often than not, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Note that members have to play different roles within the team so if these members have varied skills, they can be assigned to certain tasks that are within their areas of expertise. Also, if the members of the group are of the same skills level and way of thinking, these people may tend to compete with each other instead of complement each other. For a team to stay strong, the people inside the team must complement each other and work together in a harmonious manner. Yes, there may be s ome degree of competition is a heterogeneous team but the competition may not be as fierce as it is in a homogenous team. 4. The Personalities of the Members of the Team The degree of maturity and the overall personalities of the people within the team contribute much to the strength and quality of the team. Choosing the personalities of the people in the team depend on the tasks that need to be done. For instance, if the task requires more mature judgment, it would be best to go for older and more mature team members. On the other hand, if the tasks to be performed require the agility and energy of young people, it would be best to select younger members for the team. However, if the team is to perform varied tasks, having both mature and young team members would be more appropriate. 5. Team Bonding Team bonding is very important to create rapport among the members. Creating a friendly and collegial atmosphere in the team will help facilitate the sharing of ideas and smoothen out t he working relationship between team members. Team bonding activities may include participation in training courses, strategic planning and social activities where the members of the team can interact freely with each other. A good time to promote team bonding is during celebrations of achievements and celebration of certain occasions such as birthdays and the likes. 6. internal conflict resolution mechanism Since teams are composed of individuals with different personalities,

Friday, October 4, 2019

RESEARCH CRITIQUE Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CRITIQUE - Research Paper Example oned in the article is not the lack of hourly rounding taking place; in fact it is that as the staff shortage has worsened over the years, the patient satisfaction had decreased which causes hindrance in the patient outcomes. The author identifies the significance of the problem as he mentions the detailed study about the change in the hourly rounding pattern in nursing and how it affects the patients and the whole system. The background information provided by the author supports the problem fully as he explains why the patient satisfaction rates fell, how they could be improved and what role does hourly rounding play. The purpose of the study is to work out the challenges faced by nurses every day and to improve the patient satisfactory level. The authors used previous researchers and their articles to support the current analysis and changing trends. The references that were used from the past 10 years were Meade and co-authors (2006), Krauss and co-authors (2005), Amador and Loera (2007) and Olive and co-authors (2006). The references used from the last 5 years are Culley (2008), Assi, Wilson, Bodino, Bognar and Lemenski (2008), Healy, Oliver, Milne, and Connelly (2008), Coussement and co-authors (2008) and Roszell, Jones and Lynn (2009). The authors suggest that future qualitative research should be done focusing on discharged patients’ perceptions about how nurses treated them during their hospitalization. The study is based on a theoretical framework discussing the many kinds of variables that need to be considered. The studies analyzed discuss the various views and methods used to implement the hourly rounding. The overall article shows a theoretical perspective of why the hourly rounding is needed, is significant, is effective, improves the patient satisfaction, and how it should be managed to ensure the future results are effective too. The research hypotheses are the use of hourly rounding in the nursing profession to improve the quality of services

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Hager Shipley in The Stone Angel Essay Example for Free

Hager Shipley in The Stone Angel Essay In Margaret Laurences novel, The Stone Angel, Hagar Shipley is the main character. Born the daughter of Jason Currie, she is one who possesses incredible depth in character. Mingling past and present, we observe the very qualities, which sustained her and deprived her of joy such as her lack of emotional expression. As well, inheriting her fathers harsh qualities, she exhibited pride that detested weakness in any form. Despite of her negative attributes she also displayed a positive mannerism through courage. Thus, Hagar is a cold, but strong willed woman. Such qualities give us a portrait of a remarkable character. Hagars most noticeable characteristic was her lack of feeling and emotion. Indeed there where many situations where she could not physically express what she felt in her heart. She did not cry at the death of her son John. That night she was transformed to stone and never wept at all (Laurence 243). During Marvins childhood, she would impatiently dismiss him due to his slowness of speech. Once when an ecstatic Marvin told Hagar that he finished his chores, Hagar bluntly sends him away saying, I can see youve finished. Ive got eyes. Get along now  ¼ (Laurence 112). Even as a child she was lacked emotion when she could not provide comfort to her dying brother, Daniel. Daniel needed the comfort of his mother, but for Hagar, to play at being her it was beyond me (Laurence 25). Indeed, Hagars deficiency in feeling or expressing emotion was a visible characteristic throughout the novel. As a result of her upbringing, Hagar possesses pride that despises weakness in any form. As a young girl she displayed this trait when her dad slapped her hand, I wouldnt let him see me cry, I was so enraged (Laurence 9). As previously mentioned before, Hagar could not portray her mother to comfort her dying brother. She characterized her mother as the woman Dan was said to resemble so much and from whom hed inherited a frailty I could not help but detest (Laurence 25). When Hagar brought upon the subject of marriage with Bram Shipley to her father he made it clear that theres not a decent girl in this town would wed without her familys consent (Laurence 49). Hagar rebelliously responded, It will be done by me (Laurence 49) and eventually marries Bram. Thus, throughout the novel, Hagars attribute of scornful pride is evidently exhibited. In contrast to her negative character, Hagar exhibits a great deal of courage. Following Hagars marriage to Bram, she immediately faced the reality of the life. The next day Hagar cleaned the house inside out. I had never scrubbed a floor in my life, but I worked that day as though Id been driven by a whip (Laurence 52). Hagar also had the courage to leave Bram for the sake of her childrens future. Physically, Hagar did not lack courage. At the age of 90, Hagar was able to painfully endure her journey to Shadow Point. Thus, her courageous character classifies her as a strong willed woman. Theres no question that Hagar, young or old, is a cold yet courageous woman. She was deficient in physically expressing her feelings and emotions. She also possessed an unbending pride, which despised weakness in any form. However, despite of her negative attributes she still exhibits a positive aspect through her courage. Hagars character has such immense depth. She may not be perfect; nevertheless she is unique. Important Note: If youd like to save a copy of the paper on your computer, you can COPY and PASTE it into your word processor. Please, follow these steps to do that in Windows: 1. Select the text of the paper with the mouse and press Ctrl+C. 2. Open your word processor and press Ctrl+V. Companys Liability 123HelpMe.com (the Web Site) is produced by the Company. The contents of this Web Site, such as text, graphics, images, audio, video and all other material (Material), are protected by copyright under both United States and foreign laws. The Company makes no representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the Material or about the results to be obtained from using the Material. You expressly agree that any use of the Material is entirely at your own risk. Most of the Material on the Web Site is provided and maintained by third parties. This third party  Material may not be screened by the Company prior to its inclusion on the Web Site. You expressly agree that the Company is not liable or responsible for any defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of other subscribers or third parties. The Materials are provided on an as-is basis without warranty express or implied. 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English Pronunciation And Accent For Students English Language Essay

English Pronunciation And Accent For Students English Language Essay The Language has three basic constituents: Sound, structure and vocabulary. The main problem of language learning is to master its sound system, to understand the streams of speech, to hear the distinctive sound features and to approximate their production .Accuracy Of sound, rhythm of innovation, structural forms and arrangement within a limited range of expression must be acquired first before the other linguistic aspect of the language. Correct pronunciation imparts clarity to the speech and correct tone. It makes the language more fluent. It makes an impression on the mind of the listener. The pronunciation has to be learnt through constant and sustained practices. This section provides the different sounds and practices to master the English pronunciation. Received PronunciTION Like all languages English has wide variation in its pronunciation. The variation is especially salient in English because the language is spoken over such a wide territory, being the predominant language in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, South Africa and India. Although there are many dialects of English, the Received Pronunciation is usually used as the standard accent. To learn the exact pronunciation of the words in English language we need to first identify the different speech, sounds in English language. There are 44 sounds in English language and they are divided into vowels sounds and consonant sounds. There are 20 vowels and 24 consonants. The vowels sounds are further classified into Monophthongs and diphthongs. Monophthongs are either short or long. VOWEL SOUND A vowel sound is produced by the free flow of air. During the articulation of vowel sound,the active articulator is raised towards the passive articulator in such a way that there is a sufficient gap between the two for air to escape through the mouth without friction. For example when we say True the air escapes freely and continuously without any friction. To begin with we first focus on the vowel sound. The vowel sound is the nucleus of the word. No word can exist without it. The consonant sound is the marginal element. It appears either before of after the nucleus. The Consonant sound at the beginning of the nucleus is called the releasing consonant and the one at the end is called the arresting consonant for egg. PICK pik p is known as the releasing consonant. Examples of short vowels: /É ª/ in kit and mirror, /ÊÅ  / in put, /e/ in dress and merry, /ÊŒ/ in strut and curry, /à ¦/ in trap and marry, /É’/ in lot and orange, /Éâ„ ¢/ in ago and sofa. Examples of long vowels: /iË / in fleece, /uË / in goose, /ɜˠ/ in nurse, /ɆÃƒâ€¹Ã‚ / in north and thought, /ɑˠ/ in father and start. RPs long vowels are slightly diphthongised. Especially the high vowels /iË / and /uË / which are often narrowly transcribed in phonetic literature as diphthongs [É ªi] and [ÊÅ  u]. Long and short are relative to each other. Because of phonological process affecting vowel length, short vowels in one context can be longer than long vowels in another context. In addition to such length distinctions, unstressed vowels are both shorter and more centralized than stressed ones. In unstressed syllables occurring before vowels and in final position, contrasts between long and short high vowels are neutralized and short [i] and [u] occur.[ CONSONANT SOUND A consonant sound may be defined as a speech sound that is produced with stoppage of air. For Ex ample when we say the word CUP to pronounce the initial /k/ and the final /p/the voice or breathe is particularly hindered by the tongue teeth, lip or other organ of articulation. The consonant sounds are classified according to the nature of the constrictions plosives friction, affricated , and lateral consonants. The sound of the language is known as phonemes. Phoneme is a minimal,distinctive, functional unit of the sound system of a language. Phonetics is the science of speech sounds, their production,transmission and reception, It studies the medium of spoken language. To learn the pronunciation and improve spoken Phonetic transcription. It may be defined as a way of representing speech sounds through symbols. A phonemic symbol represents each English sound. It is important to learn the phonemic symbol to acquire the accurate pronunciation because these symbols help to recognise the sound easily. knowledge of these symbols is useful while referring a Dictionary. It helps to know the pronunciation of the word. PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION It may be defined as a way of representing speech sounds through symbols. A phonemic symbol represents each English sound. To acquire the exact pronunciation it is important to learn phonemic transcription. This helps to identify the sounds easily .Knowledge of these symbols is useful while referring to a dictionary. The table below contains the list of these pronunciation symbols; VOWELS PHONEMIC SYMBOLS Monophthongs Front Central Back long short long short long short Close iË  É ª uË  ÊÅ   Mid e ɜˠ Éâ„ ¢ ɆÃƒâ€¹Ã‚  Open à ¦ ÊŒ ɑˠ É’ EXAMPLES Symbols words /e/ bet, let, men /i/ sit, lit, bit /Ɇ/ hot, shot , pot /ÊŒ/ hut, but, nut / à ¦ / bat, mat, sat /u/ would, could, should / Éâ„ ¢ / ago, aloud, about DIPHTHONGS SYMBOLS EXAMPLES Diphthong Example Closing /eÉ ª/ /beÉ ª/ Bay cake, lake, play /aÉ ª/ /baÉ ª/ buy /ɆÃƒâ€°Ã‚ ª/ /bɆÃƒâ€°Ã‚ ª/ boy /Éâ„ ¢ÃƒÅ Ã…  / /bÉâ„ ¢ÃƒÅ Ã…  / beau /aÊÅ  / /baÊÅ  / bough Centring /É ªÃƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢/ /bÉ ªÃƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢/ beer /eÉâ„ ¢/ /beÉâ„ ¢/ bear /ÊÅ  Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢/ /bÊÅ  Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢/ boor CONSONANT SYMBOLS Consonant phonemes of Received Pronunciation Bilabial Labio- dental Dental Alveolar Post- alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal Nasal m n ņ¹ Plosive p  Ã‚  b t  Ã‚  d k  Ã‚  g Affricate tʃ  Ã‚  dÊ’ Fricative f  Ã‚  v ÃŽÂ ¸Ã‚  Ã‚  ÃƒÆ' ° s  Ã‚  z ʃ  Ã‚  ÃƒÅ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ h  Ã‚   Approximant É ¹ j w Lateral l Nasals and liquids may be syllabic in unstressed syllables. /ÃÆ' °/ is more often a weak dental plosive; the sequence /nÃÆ' °/ is often realized as [nÃÅ' ªnÃÅ' ª]. /h/ becomes [É ¦] between voiced sounds. /É ¹/ is postalveolar unless devoicing results in a voiceless fricative articulation (see below). /l/ is velarized in the syllable coda. Unless preceded by /s/, fortis plosives (/p/, /t/, and /k/) are aspirated before stressed vowels; when a sonorant /l/, /É ¹/, /w/, or /j/ follows, this aspiration is indicated by partial devoicing of the sonorant. Syllable final /p/, /t/, /tʃ/, and /k/ are preceded by a glottal stop; /t/ may be fully replaced by a glottal stop, especially before a syllabic nasal (button [bÉ ÃƒÅ Ã¢â‚¬ nÃÅ' ©]). SYMBOLS EXAMPLES /P/ Pin, pick /b/ but, cup /t/ tin, stick /d/ bud , doll /k/ could, cake /g/ girl, mug / tʃ / church, chew / dÊ’ / jug, judge /f/ graph, fast /v/ give, vary / ÃŽÂ ¸ / theory, earth / ÃÆ' ° / mother, further /s/ sea, ask /z/ zero, design / ʃ   / ash, shift / Ê’ / garage, pleasure /m/ machine, charm /n/ nature, born / ņ¹ / ring, king /h/ hymn, harp /l/ life, style /l/ /r/ rose, correct /w/ water, work, /j/ yes, you DUALITY OF LETTERS AND SOUNDS Duality of letters and sounds mean that there is no one to one correspondence between letters and sounds in English. Different letters may represent different sounds . Following table gives example of words where different letters represent the same sound. /s/ see, censor, miss /SH/ chef, mention, passion /z/ zoo, season /k/ kill, sick, chemistry / ee/ key, deal, physique / oo/ movie, soup, true /AH/ market, fast, aunt, heart ACCENT Word Stress in English Word stress is the key to understand spoken English. In English, we do not say each syllable with the same force or strength. In one word, we accentuate ONE syllable. We say one syllable very loudly (big, strong, important) and all the other syllables very quietly for example if we say photograph, photographer and photographic. They do not sound similar because we accentuate (stress) ONE syllable in each word. And it is not always the same syllable. So the shape of each word is different . shape total syllables stressed syllable PHO  TO  GRAPH 3 #1 PHO   TO  GRAPH  ER 4 #2 PHO  TO   GRAPH  IC 4 #3 This happens in all words with two or more syllables: TEACHer, JaPAN, CHINa, aBOVE, converSAtion, INteresting, imPORtant, deMAND, etCETera, etCETera, etCETera The syllables that are not stressed are weak or small or quiet. Native speakers of English listen for the STRESSED syllables, not the weak syllables. If you use word stress in your speech, you will instantly and automatically improve your pronunciation and comprehension There are two very important rules about word stress: One word, one stress. (One word cannot have two stresses. So if you hear two stresses, you have heard two words, not one word.) The stress is always on a vowel. The stress in English language can be learned by listening to engish news on radio or television. This serves as a good practice exercise to learn the right stress pattern. Sentence Stress in English Sentence stress is the music of spoken English. Like word stress, sentence stress can help you to understand spoken English, especially when spoken fast. Sentence stress is what gives English its rhythm or beat. You remember that word stress is accent on one syllable within a word. Sentence stress is accent on certain words within a sentence. Most sentences have two types of word: content words structure words Content words are the key words of a sentence. They are the important words that carry the meaning or sense. Structure words are not very important words. They are small, simple words that make the sentence correct grammatically. They give the sentence its correct form or structure. If you remove the structure words from a sentence, you will probably still understand the sentence. If you remove the content words from a sentence, you will not understand the sentence. The sentence has no sense or meaning. Imagine that you receive this telegram message: Will you SELL me CAR because Im GONE to FRANCE This sentence is not complete. It is not a grammatically correct sentence. But you probably understand it. These 4 words communicate very well. Somebody wants you to sell their car for them because they have gone to France. We can add a few words: Will you SELL my CAR because Ive GONE to FRANCE The new words do not really add any more information. But they make the message more correct grammatically. We can add even more words to make one complete, grammatically correct sentence. But the information is basically the same: Content Words Will you SELL my CAR because Ive GONE to FRANCE. Structure Words Why is this important for pronunciation? It is important because it adds music to the language. It is the rhythm of the English language. It changes the speed at which we speak (and listen to) the language. The time between each stressed word is the same. In our sentence, there is 1 syllable between SELL and CAR and 3 syllables between CAR and GONE. But the time (t) between SELL and CAR and between CAR and GONE is the same. We maintain a constant beat on the stressed words. To do this, we say my more slowly, and because Ive more quickly. We change the speed of the small structure words so that the rhythm of the key content words stays the same. syllables 2 1 3 1 Will you SELL my CAR because Ive GONE to FRANCE. t1 beat t1 beat t1 beat t1 beat Important rules of word stress 1 Stress on first syllable rule example Most 2-syllable nouns PRESent, EXport, CHIna, TAble Most 2-syllable adjectives PRESent, SLENder, CLEVer, HAPpy 2 Stress on last syllable rule example Most 2-syllable verbs to preSENT, to exPORT, to deCIDE, to beGIN   3 Stress on penultimate syllable (penultimate = second from end) rule example Words ending in -ic GRAPHic, geoGRAPHic, geoLOGic Words ending in -sion and -tion teleVIsion, reveLAtion 4 Stress on ante-penultimate syllable (ante-penultimate = third from end) rule example Words ending in -cy, -ty, -phy and -gy deMOcracy, dependaBIlity, phoTOgraphy, geOLogy Words ending in -al CRItical, geoLOGical 5 Compound words (words with two parts) rule example For compound nouns, the stress is on the first part BLACKbird, GREENhouse For compound adjectives, the stress is on the second part bad-TEMpered, old-FASHioned For compound verbs, the stress is on the second part to underSTAND, to overFLOW