Oral English

427 questions

Question 161Question

Consider the phonetic structure of the word bough. Which candidate word is pronounced using the exact same diphthong vowel sound?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: drought

Answer

The word 'drought' is the correct answer because it contains the diphthong /aʊ/, matching 'bough'.
The word 'bough' is phonetically transcribed as /baʊ/, featuring the diphthong /aʊ/. Among the given choices, 'drought' (/draʊt/) is the only word that shares this exact diphthong sound.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic vowel sound in the target word 'bough'.
The word 'bough' is transcribed phonetically as /baʊ/, containing the diphthong /aʊ/.
Accurate sound identification requires isolating the glide sound represented by the letter sequence '-ough' in 'bough'.
2
Transcribe and analyze the vowel sounds of each provided option.
'drought' is /draʊt/ (/aʊ/), 'dough' is /dəʊ/ (/əʊ/), 'rough' is /rʌf/ (/ʌ/), and 'through' is /θruː/ (/uː/).
English spelling can be deceptive; the grapheme '-ough' yields multiple distinct monophthongs and diphthongs across different words.
3
Match the target diphthong /aʊ/ with the corresponding word choice.
'drought' shares the exact /aʊ/ diphthong sound with 'bough'.
Only 'drought' replicates the precise two-target vowel glide /aʊ/.

Key Concept

Identification and phonetic matching of the English diphthong /aʊ/
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 162Question

Identify the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbol for the pure vowel sound in the given word.

Fill in the blanks below

In English phonology, the word 'cup' contains the short monophthong sound represented by the IPA symbol .
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The monophthong sound in 'cup' is represented by the IPA symbol /ʌ/.
The word 'cup' is pronounced /kʌp/, featuring the short pure vowel sound /ʌ/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the pronunciation of the word 'cup'.
The vowel sound produced in 'cup' is a short, central, open-mid unrounded pure vowel.
Determining the correct phonetic production of the vowel segment.
2
Map the spoken vowel sound to its standard International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) monophthong symbol.
The corresponding IPA symbol for this short vowel sound is /ʌ/.
Connecting the spoken sound to its canonical IPA phonetic notation.

Key Concept

Identification of pure vowel sounds (monophthongs) and their standard IPA symbols.
Estimated Time:45s
Question 163Question

Which word contains the exact pure vowel sound as the underlined letter in b<u>o</u>som?

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Answer: butcher

Answer

The word containing the same pure vowel sound as 'bosom' is 'butcher'.
In standard Received Pronunciation (RP), the underlined letter 'o' in 'bosom' is articulated as the short pure vowel sound /ʊ/ (/ˈbʊz.əm/). Among the choices provided, 'butcher' also features the short pure vowel /ʊ/ (/ˈbʊtʃ.ər/), making it the accurate phonetic match.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target monophthong in the prompt word
The underlined 'o' in 'bosom' represents the short pure vowel /ʊ/ (/ˈbʊz.əm/).
Phonetic transcription isolates the exact pure vowel sound being tested.
2
Determine the phonetic vowel sound for each option
'butcher' features /ʊ/, 'tomb' features /uː/, 'boss' features /ɒ/, and 'soul' features /əʊ/.
Comparing vowel transcriptions distinguishes pure short vowels from long vowels, alternate short vowels, and diphthongs.
3
Match the target sound to the correct option
'butcher' (/ˈbʊtʃ.ər/) matches the /ʊ/ monophthong in 'bosom'.
Both words share the identical pure monophthong /ʊ/ in their primary stressed syllables.

Key Concept

Monophthong (Pure Vowel) Phonetic Matching: /ʊ/ vs /uː/, /ɒ/, and /əʊ/
Question 164Question

Match each English word on the left with the correct silent consonant letter contained within its pronunciation on the right.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

Apostle
Plumber
Receipt
Chalk

Matches

Show answer & explanation

Answer

Apostle matches Silent 't', Plumber matches Silent 'b', Receipt matches Silent 'p', and Chalk matches Silent 'l'.
Each word pairs uniquely with its unpronounced consonant sound: 'apostle' omits the sound of 't', 'plumber' omits 'b', 'receipt' omits 'p', and 'chalk' omits 'l'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the phonetic transcription and pronunciation of each given word.
Apostle contains an unpronounced 't'; Plumber contains an unpronounced 'b'; Receipt contains an unpronounced 'p'; Chalk contains an unpronounced 'l'.
English orthography includes historic silent letters that are not articulated in standard speech.
2
Pair each word with its respective unarticulated letter feature.
Correct pairings are established based on standard Oral English rules.
Matching each word to its specific silent letter accurately demonstrates phonetic analysis.

Key Concept

Identification of unarticulated (silent) consonant letters in English words
Question 165Question

In English phonology, words ending with the nominalizing suffix '-ity' follow specific stress assignment rules. Which of the following options correctly indicates the primary syllable stress placement for the word 'superiority'?

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Answer: su-pe-ri-OR-i-ty

Answer

The correct stress placement is su-pe-ri-OR-i-ty, where the primary stress falls on the fourth syllable.
The word 'superiority' is a six-syllable word ending with the suffix '-ity'. Standard English accentuation rules dictate that words ending in '-ity' carry primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable (the third syllable from the end). In 'su-pe-ri-or-i-ty', counting back from the end places the stress on the fourth syllable 'OR' (su-pe-ri-OR-i-ty).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the syllable structure and suffix of the target word.
The word 'superiority' consists of six syllables: su-pe-ri-or-i-ty, ending with the suffix '-ity'.
Identifying word endings helps determine which stress rule applies.
2
Apply the phonological stress rule for words ending in '-ity'.
Suffixes like '-ity' cause the primary stress to shift to the antepenultimate syllable (the third syllable from the end of the word).
In English, polysyllabic words ending in '-ity' consistently stress the syllable immediately preceding '-ity'.
3
Count back from the final syllable to locate the antepenultimate syllable.
Syllable 6: '-ty' (ult), Syllable 5: '-i-' (penult), Syllable 4: '-OR-' (antepenult). Thus, primary stress falls on 'OR'.
Counting syllables backwards from the end ensures precise stress identification.

Key Concept

Suffix-conditioned Stress Shifts (-ity)
Question 166Question

Which word features the same monophthong vowel sound as the one represented by the underlined letters in pl<u>ai</u>t?

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Answer: cat

Answer

The word 'cat' contains the short monophthong vowel sound /æ/, matching the sound in 'plait'.
The word 'plait' is pronounced as /plæt/, which features the short pure vowel (monophthong) /æ/. Among the choices provided, the word 'cat' (/kæt/) is the only option that contains this exact sound.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic pronunciation of the target word
The word 'plait' is pronounced /plæt/, containing the short monophthong vowel /æ/.
Although spelled with 'ai', 'plait' is an orthographic exception pronounced with the short monophthong /æ/.
2
Analyze the vowel sound in each option
'plate' has /eɪ/, 'cat' has /æ/, 'harm' has /ɑː/, and 'wait' has /eɪ/.
Matching each option's vowel sound against /æ/ reveals the correct equivalent.
3
Select the option with the matching monophthong
'cat' is the correct match.
Both 'plait' and 'cat' share the pure short vowel sound /æ/.

Key Concept

Monophthongs (Pure Vowels) - Short Vowel /æ/
Question 167Question

Match each English word on the left with the correct structural description of its spoken consonant cluster on the right.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

sixths
splendid
bursts
debtor

Matches

Show answer & explanation

Answer

The word 'sixths' matches the four-sound final cluster (/ksθs/); 'splendid' matches the three-sound initial cluster (/spl/); 'bursts' matches the three-sound final cluster (/sts/); and 'debtor' matches the presence of a silent letter ('b') with no medial cluster.
Each word is correctly paired based on its spoken phonemic structure: 'sixths' contains a four-consonant final cluster (/ksθs/); 'splendid' contains a three-consonant initial cluster (/spl/); 'bursts' contains a three-consonant final cluster (/sts/) in RP English; and 'debtor' contains a silent 'b', resulting in no medial cluster.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Transcribe each word phonetically according to standard spoken English rules rather than orthographic spelling.
'sixths' = /sɪksθs/, 'splendid' = /ˈsplen.dɪd/, 'bursts' = /bɜːsts/, 'debtor' = /ˈdet.ə/.
Consonant clusters are defined strictly by sequences of adjacent consonant phonemes in speech, not written letters.
2
Identify silent letters and non-rhotic vowel lengtheners that affect the count of spoken consonant sounds.
In 'debtor', the letter 'b' is silent. In 'bursts', the 'r' modifies the vowel without introducing a consonant phoneme in standard RP.
Orthography can obscure actual pronunciation by including unpronounced letters or vowel indicators.
3
Count the number of contiguous consonant phonemes in initial, medial, or final positions for each target word.
'sixths' has 4 final consonants (/k-s-θ-s/); 'splendid' has 3 initial consonants (/s-p-l/); 'bursts' has 3 final consonants (/s-t-s/); 'debtor' has no medial cluster.
Pairing each phonetic count and position to its corresponding structural description establishes the correct solution.

Key Concept

Identification of Spoken Consonant Clusters vs. Orthographic Spelling
Question 168Question

Phonetic analysis requires isolating spoken consonant sounds from orthographic spelling. Which of the following words contains an initial consonant cluster of exactly two phonemes and a final consonant cluster of four phonemes?

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Answer: glimpsed

Answer

The word 'glimpsed' contains an initial cluster of two phonemes and a final cluster of four phonemes.
In spoken English, 'glimpsed' is transcribed as /ɡlɪmpst/. The initial position has two consonant phonemes (/ɡ/ and /l/), while the final position contains four distinct consonant phonemes (/m/, /p/, /s/, and /t/), fully satisfying the specified criteria.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Transcribe each word phonetically to count the spoken consonant phonemes rather than written letters.
glimpsed = /ɡlɪmpst/, climbed = /klaɪmd/, triumphed = /traɪəmft/, scratched = /skrætʃt/.
Phonetic clusters are defined solely by spoken consonant sounds, ignoring silent letters and multigraphs.
2
Analyze the initial consonant cluster of 'glimpsed'.
The initial cluster consists of /ɡ/ and /l/ (2 phonemes).
Both 'g' and 'l' are articulated before the vowel nucleus /ɪ/.
3
Analyze the final consonant cluster of 'glimpsed'.
The final cluster consists of /m/, /p/, /s/, and /t/ (4 phonemes).
The sequence /mpst/ following the vowel forms a continuous 4-sound consonant cluster.

Key Concept

Phonetic Consonant Clusters vs. Orthographic Spelling
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 169Question

In Oral English, spelling patterns often disguise the actual phonetic realization of consonants. Which of the following words contains the same consonant sound as the one represented by the underlined letter in a<u>z</u>ure?

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Answer: casual

Answer

casual
The underlined letter 'z' in 'azure' is articulated as the voiced postalveolar fricative /ʒ/. Among the given options, 'casual' also articulates its internal consonant 's' as /ʒ/ (/ˈkæʒuəl/), providing an exact phonetic match.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the exact phonetic consonant sound of the underlined letter in the target word.
The letter 'z' in 'azure' (/ˈæʒə/) represents the voiced postalveolar fricative phoneme /ʒ/.
Correct identification of the target phoneme /ʒ/ is required before examining the options.
2
Transcribe and analyze the corresponding consonant sounds in the options.
'casual' produces /ʒ/ (/ˈkæʒuəl/); 'breeze' produces /z/ (/briːz/); 'chasm' produces /z/ (/ˈkæzəm/); 'mission' produces /ʃ/ (/ˈmɪʃn/).
Analyzing Received Pronunciation (RP) transcriptions isolates orthographic spelling from actual sound.
3
Select the option sharing the identical consonant phoneme.
'casual' shares the /ʒ/ sound with 'azure'.
Both words contain the /ʒ/ sound despite using different graphemes ('z' vs 's').

Key Concept

Voiced Postalveolar Fricative (/ʒ/) Identification
Question 170Question

Complete the phonetic analysis statement by identifying the word that contains the specified diphthong sound.

Fill in the blanks below

While words like 'beard', 'tier', and 'pier' all contain the centring diphthong /ɪə/, the word from the list 'clerk', 'pearl', 'tier', and 'heir' that features the centring diphthong /eə/ is .
Show answer & explanation

Answer

heir
The word 'heir' is pronounced /eə/ with a silent 'h', containing the exact centring diphthong /eə/ as found in words like 'care', 'bear', and 'air'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Transcribe the target word options into Received Pronunciation (RP) International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols.
'clerk' is pronounced /klɑːk/ (monophthong /ɑː/), 'pearl' is pronounced /pɜːl/ (monophthong /ɜː/), 'tier' is pronounced /tɪə/ (diphthong /ɪə/), and 'heir' is pronounced /eə/ (diphthong /eə/).
Phonetic identification requires analyzing the vowel nucleus of each word.
2
Match the target diphthong /eə/ to the correct phonetic transcription.
The word 'heir' contains the silent initial 'h' and is pronounced identically to 'air' (/eə/), which matches the target diphthong.
'heir' is a classic silent-letter orthographic trap in JAMB Use of English.

Key Concept

Identification of the centring diphthong /eə/
Question 171Question

Which of the given words contains the same diphthong sound as sew?

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Answer: foe

Answer

The word 'foe' contains the same diphthong sound /əʊ/ as 'sew'.
The word 'sew' is pronounced /səʊ/, utilizing the diphthong sound /əʊ/. Among the choices, 'foe' is pronounced /fəʊ/, which features the exact same diphthong vowel glide.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic sound in the keyword
The word 'sew' is pronounced as /səʊ/, which features the diphthong vowel sound /əʊ/.
Determining the accurate phonetic transcription of the target word is essential before matching.
2
Transcribe and analyze the vowel sounds of each option
'foe' is /fəʊ/, 'law' is /lɔː/, 'shoe' is /ʃuː/, and 'few' is /fjuː/.
Comparing vowel transcriptions reveals which candidate retains the glide /əʊ/ versus pure monophthongs.
3
Match the matching diphthong sound
'foe' (/fəʊ/) matches 'sew' (/səʊ/).
Both words share the identical diphthong sound /əʊ/.

Key Concept

Diphthong Identification (/əʊ/ sound matching)
Question 172Question

In which of the following words is the consonant letter 'g' articulated in standard English pronunciation?

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Answer: signature

Answer

signature
The word 'signature' articulates the letter 'g' as the voiced velar plosive /ɡ/ (pronounced /ˈsɪɡ.nə.tʃər/). Although the base word 'sign' has a silent 'g', the derivative form shifts pronunciation to articulate the consonant sound.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the phonetic pronunciation of each word containing the consonant letter 'g'.
'signature' is pronounced /ˈsɪɡ.nə.tʃər/, 'paradigm' is pronounced /ˈpær.ə.daɪm/, 'phlegm' is pronounced /flem/, and 'campaign' is pronounced /kæmˈpeɪn/.
Identifying the presence or absence of the /ɡ/ sound in the phonetic transcriptions reveals which consonant is articulated versus silent.
2
Compare morphological shifts between base words and their derivatives.
While 'sign' has a silent 'g' (/saɪn/), adding the suffix '-ature' in 'signature' causes the silent 'g' to become articulated as /ɡ/.
JAMB UTME frequently tests morphological alternations where silent letters in base forms become audible in related derivative forms.

Key Concept

Morphological Sound Alternation in Silent Consonants
Estimated Time:45s
Question 173Question

In which of the following words is the letter 'l' silent when pronounced?

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Answer: salmon

Answer

The word 'salmon' is the correct choice because the letter 'l' is unpronounced in standard English.
In standard English pronunciation, the word 'salmon' omits the sound of the letter 'l' entirely, rendering it /ˈsæm.ən/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the phonetic transcription of each given option
Identify how the consonant 'l' behaves in each word.
Determining phonetic articulation reveals unpronounced letters.
2
Examine the pronunciation of 'salmon'
The word is pronounced as /ˈsæm.ən/ without any /l/ sound.
The letter 'l' is silent in 'salmon'.
3
Examine the remaining words ('silver', 'filter', 'valve')
The consonant /l/ is clearly pronounced in all three words.
These options feature an active, articulated 'l' sound.

Key Concept

Silent Consonant Sounds
Question 174Question

Complete the statement below by providing the correct International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbol representing the underlined monophthong sound.

Fill in the blanks below

In standard Received Pronunciation, the pure vowel sound represented by the underlined letters in the word qu<u>ay</u> is //.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbol for the underlined monophthong in 'quay' is /iː/ (or /i:/).
The word 'quay' is pronounced as /kiː/. The letters 'ay' in this term exceptionally realize the long pure front vowel sound /iː/, matching the vowel sound in 'see' and 'key'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the orthography and standard pronunciation of the word.
The word 'quay' is phonetically transcribed as /kiː/.
Although orthographically ending in 'ay', 'quay' is a classic English spelling exception pronounced identically to 'key'.
2
Identify the specific monophthong category.
The sound is the close front unrounded long vowel /iː/.
It is a pure vowel (monophthong), distinguished by its length from the short lax vowel /ɪ/.

Key Concept

Monophthongs (Pure Vowels) - Irregular Orthographic Spellings
Question 175Question

Match each word containing an underlined consonant spelling on the left with the word on the right that contains the exact same consonant sound.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

rough
choir
scene
badge

Matches

Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct matches pair 'rough' with 'graphic' (/f/), 'choir' with 'chemist' (/k/), 'scene' with 'psalm' (/s/), and 'badge' with 'giant' (/dʒ/).
Each item on the left is accurately matched to an item on the right based on sharing the identical consonant sound: /f/ in 'rough' and 'graphic', /k/ in 'choir' and 'chemist', /s/ in 'scene' and 'psalm', and /dʒ/ in 'badge' and 'giant'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic sound of the underlined consonant in each word on the left.
'gh' in 'rough' = /f/; 'ch' in 'choir' = /k/; 'sc' in 'scene' = /s/; 'dg' in 'badge' = /dʒ/.
English orthography uses varied letter combinations to represent the same consonant phonemes.
2
Analyze the sound corresponding to the target consonant in each item on the right.
'ph' in 'graphic' = /f/; 'ch' in 'chemist' = /k/; 'ps' in 'psalm' = /s/; 'g' in 'giant' = /dʒ/.
Matching requires identifying identical consonant phonemes regardless of spelling differences.
3
Pair the corresponding words sharing identical consonant sounds.
rough pairs with graphic; choir pairs with chemist; scene pairs with psalm; badge pairs with giant.
Each pair shares the same underlying consonant sound.

Key Concept

Consonant Sounds and Orthographic Variations
Question 176Question

Match each word on the left containing a non-standard spelling representation of a monophthong (pure vowel) sound with the word on the right that shares the exact same monophthong sound.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

quay
heifer
colonel
salmon

Matches

Show answer & explanation

Answer

'Quay' matches 'machine' (/iː/); 'heifer' matches 'leopard' (/e/); 'colonel' matches 'flirt' (/ɜː/); 'salmon' matches 'plait' (/æ/).
Each word pair shares an identical monophthong vowel sound despite their different spelling choices: 'quay' and 'machine' share /iː/; 'heifer' and 'leopard' share /e/; 'colonel' and 'flirt' share /ɜː/; and 'salmon' and 'plait' share /æ/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary monophthong vowel sound in each target word on the left.
'Quay' contains /iː/, 'heifer' contains /e/, 'colonel' contains /ɜː/, and 'salmon' contains /æ/.
Irregular orthographic patterns ('uay', 'ei', 'olo', 'al') must be transcribed into standard IPA pure vowel symbols.
2
Analyze the monophthong vowel sounds in the words on the right.
'Machine' contains /iː/, 'leopard' contains /e/, 'flirt' contains /ɜː/, and 'plait' contains /æ/.
Matching requires finding corresponding phonetic equivalents regardless of spelling variations.
3
Pair each left item with its corresponding phonologically matching right item.
quay ↔ machine (/iː/), heifer ↔ leopard (/e/), colonel ↔ flirt (/ɜː/), salmon ↔ plait (/æ/).
Each pair correctly shares the exact same IPA monophthong sound.

Key Concept

Monophthong (Pure Vowel) Identification across Non-Standard Orthography
Question 177Question

Complete the phonetic statement below by identifying the correct word that contains the target diphthong sound.

Fill in the blanks below

Among the options 'plough', 'soul', 'tomb', and 'soup', the word that features the diphthong sound /əʊ/ is .
Show answer & explanation

Answer

soul
The word 'soul' is pronounced /səʊl/, which contains the diphthong vowel sound /əʊ/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the phonetic transcription of each word given in the statement.
'soul' is transcribed as /səʊl/, 'plough' as /plaʊ/, 'tomb' as /tuːm/, and 'soup' as /suːp/.
Phonetic transcription helps isolate the exact vowel sound present in each word.
2
Match the target diphthong /əʊ/ with the word that contains it.
'soul' contains the diphthong /əʊ/.
The vowel sound in 'soul' glides smoothly from the schwa /ə/ toward the rounded vowel /ʊ/.

Key Concept

Diphthong Identification (/əʊ/ sound)
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 178Question

Identify the unpronounced consonant letter in the given word to complete the sentence.

Fill in the blanks below

In the pronunciation of the word phlegm, the silent consonant letter is .
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The silent consonant letter in the word 'phlegm' is 'g'.
In the word 'phlegm', which is phonetically transcribed as /flem/, the consonant letter 'g' is completely unpronounced.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the phonetic transcription of the word 'phlegm'.
The phonetic transcription is /flem/.
Phonetic transcriptions reveal which written letters correspond to spoken sounds.
2
Compare the spelling of 'phlegm' with its spoken phonetic components /flem/.
The letter 'g' has no corresponding phonetic sound in the spoken form.
A letter that appears in written orthography but is not articulated in speech is classified as a silent letter.

Key Concept

Silent Consonant Identification
Estimated Time:45s
Question 179Question

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the letter underlined in the word: of.

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Answer: Stephen

Answer

The word with the same consonant sound is 'Stephen'.
The correct answer is the word 'Stephen' because the digraph 'ph' in this proper noun is articulated as the voiced labiodental fricative /v/, which is identical to the pronunciation of 'f' in the preposition 'of' (/ɒv/).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic consonant sound of the underlined letter in the prompt word.
In the word 'of', the letter 'f' is pronounced as the voiced labiodental fricative /v/.
The word 'of' is a grammatical exception where 'f' produces the voiced sound /v/ rather than the voiceless sound /f/.
2
Analyze the consonant sound produced by the relevant letters in each option.
'Stephen' contains /v/, while 'off', 'cough', and 'orphan' all contain /f/.
The digraph 'ph' in 'Stephen' is pronounced /v/, matching the target sound.

Key Concept

Voiced vs. Voiceless Consonants (/v/ vs /f/)
Estimated Time:45s
Question 180Question

In the sentence below, the word in CAPITAL LETTERS has the emphatic stress.

The elderly landlord sold the APARTMENT last week.

Which of the following questions is answered by the statement above?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: Did the elderly landlord sell the bungalow last week?

Answer

Did the elderly landlord sell the bungalow last week?
Emphatic stress placed on 'APARTMENT' highlights contrastive focus on the property type sold. The statement serves as a corrective response to a question asking whether a different structure (such as a bungalow) was sold, while preserving all other sentence details exactly as stated.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the word printed in capital letters which carries the emphatic stress.
The word with emphatic stress is 'APARTMENT', which functions as the direct object of the statement.
Emphatic stress signals contrastive focus on the specific piece of information being emphasized or corrected.
2
Determine what question is logically answered or contradicted by emphasizing this word.
The statement answers a question that suggests a different object (such as a 'bungalow') was sold, while keeping the subject, action, and time frame unchanged.
In Oral English emphatic stress items, the emphasized word refutes a contrasting idea for that specific element only.
3
Select the option that questions strictly the capitalized word.
The question 'Did the elderly landlord sell the bungalow last week?' is answered directly by 'No, he sold the APARTMENT last week.'
This option introduces an alternative object ('bungalow') while leaving every other detail in the question identical to the statement.

Key Concept

Emphatic Stress and Contrastive Focus
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