WORKSHEET- Prominence

Play tracks 37 (for part A) and 38 (for part B). Listen to the recordings a few
times and place tone-units boundaries //. Then, mark prominent word/s.
(Remember to underline prominent words and to underline and circle the last
prominent word). The first one has been done for you.
Attention!! You dont always and necessarily need a pause to determine a
tone-unit. So pay attention to prominence and remember that you can only have
up to two prominent words within each unit.
Part A

1. She's leaving // to take up a post in Glasgow we wish her

well
2. The door opened and this person got out and it was a little
old lady with a shopping bag
3. I hurried

across and turned into an alleyway and started to

walk it was dark and drizzling a little

4. At the top of the stairs was the coffee room and opposite
that was

the photocopying room just beyond there was the

post room

and Arthur's room was about three doors along

Part B

1. Well I'm rather busy just at present perhaps you wouldn't

mind

waiting

for a few minutes

2. We need to reduce the number of cars on our roads we

don't

need

to increase them

3. The thing to look out for is the playing fields and soon
after

you've

passed them you'll go under an underpass

4. You remember that friend of his though the guy who came
from

Liverpool he always came on Fridays and nobody quite

knew why

NOW, CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

KEY
Part A

1. She's leaving // to take up a post // in Glasgow // we wish her well

2. The door opened and // this person got out // and it was a little old lady //
with a shopping bag
3. I hurried across // and turned into an alleyway // and started to walk // it
was dark // and drizzling a little
4. At the top of the stairs // was the coffee room // and opposite that // was
the photocopying room // just beyond there // was the post room // and
Arthur's room // was about three doors along
Part B

1. Well I'm rather busy // just at present // perhaps you wouldn't mind
waiting for a few minutes
2. We need to reduce // the numbers of cars on our roads // we don't need to
increase them
3. The thing to look out for // is the playing fields // and soon after you've
passed them // you'll go under an underpass
4. You remember that friend of his though // the guy who came from
Liverpool // he always came on Fridays // and nobody quite knew why

Source: Brazil, D. (I994) Pronunciation for Advanced Learners of English