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Difficulty: Very hardWord and Syllable Stress

Complete the sentence by filling in each blank with the correct syllabified form of the word 'attribute', using UPPERCASE letters to indicate the primary stressed syllable (e.g., AT-tri-bute or at-TRIB-ute).

Answer:Scholars often 【at-TRIB-ute】 the anonymous manuscript to a sixteenth-century monk, noting that humility was a defining 【AT-tri-bute】 of his order.

Answer

The first blank requires 'at-TRIB-ute' because the word functions as a verb with primary stress on the second syllable, while the second blank requires 'AT-tri-bute' because the word functions as a noun with primary stress on the first syllable.
The trisyllabic word 'attribute' follows the grammatical stress shift rule. As a verb in the first blank ('often attribute'), the primary stress falls on the second syllable (/əˈtrɪb.juːt/), represented as 'at-TRIB-ute'. As a noun in the second blank ('defining attribute'), primary stress shifts to the first syllable (/ˈæt.rɪ.bjuːt/), represented as 'AT-tri-bute'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the syntactic role and stress pattern of 'attribute' in the first blank.
In the clause 'Scholars often {{blank_1}} the anonymous manuscript...', the word acts as a verb meaning to ascribe authorship or origin.
In standard English phonology, trisyllabic words of this category shift primary stress to the second syllable when functioning as verbs (/əˈtrɪb.juːt/), yielding 'at-TRIB-ute'.
2
Determine the syntactic role and stress pattern of 'attribute' in the second blank.
In the phrase 'a defining {{blank_2}} of his order', the word functions as a noun meaning a characteristic feature or quality.
When functioning as a noun, 'attribute' shifts its primary accentuation to the initial syllable (/ˈæt.rɪ.bjuːt/), yielding 'AT-tri-bute'.

Key Concept

Grammatical Category Stress Shift in Polysyllabic Words
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Word and Syllable Stress

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