Pronunciation skills

by Jonathan Marks
Stress in compound nouns

Level: Intermediate
pronunciation SKILLS teacher’s notes

Activity 2
Target age: Adults and teenagers
Time needed: 25 minutes 1. Hand out Worksheet 2 and ask students to complete
Activity 2. They should underline the stressed element
Summary: This lesson focuses on a typical of each compound. Students then check their answers
stress pattern in compound nouns. In in pairs.
compounds formed of two nouns, the stress is
generally on the first element, e.g. car + park 2. Students now check their answers by listening to the
> car park. Students form compounds to fit recording. They should practise saying the compounds,
definitions and then practise the compounds by making sure the stress is on the first element.
asking questions.
3. Play the recording again if necessary.

Warmer Audioscript:

1. Ask the class What do you call a clock that can you 1. an earplug

can set so that it rings and wakes you up at a certain 2. a seatbelt
time? They should say an alarm clock. 3. a building site
4. a supermarket
2. Point out that the stress is on the first element, 5. a lighthouse
alarm. English has innumerable compounds formed 6. a light year
from two nouns, and with the same stress pattern. 7. a leap year
Some of them are written as two words, such as 8. seaweed
alarm clock, and others are written as one word, like 9. a satellite dish
classroom. 10. a motorbike
11.    a litter bin
3. Ask the class to brainstorm other such compounds
12. a pushchair
and say whether they are written as one word or two.
13. a photocopier
Activity 1 14. a fountain pen
15. sandpaper
Hand out Worksheet 1 and ask students to complete
the activity in pairs. Students should read each Activity 3
question and find the answer by matching one word in
1. Students individually write questions about any ten
the left column with a word in the right column to make
of the compounds, which they will then ask each other.
the appropriate compound noun.
Read through the given examples:
Key: Do you ever use earplugs?
1. an earplug Would you like to work in a lighthouse?
2. a seatbelt
2. They mingle and ask each other their questions.
3. a building site
4. a supermarket 3. Students report back to the class on anything
5. a lighthouse particularly interesting they found out about
6. a light year their classmates.
7. a leap year
8. seaweed
9. a satellite dish
10. a motorbike
11. a litter bin
12. a pushchair
13. a photocopier
14. a fountain pen
15. sandpaper
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© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

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SKILLS / Pronunciation / Pronunciation skills: Stress in compound nouns

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 Pronunciation skills
by Jonathan Marks
Stress in compound nouns

Worksheet 1
pronunciation
subject title SKILLS worksheet 1

Activity 1
Match the words on the left to the words on the right to make compound nouns and answer the
questions below. One word in each column is used twice.

fountain house
light plug
seat copier
motor market
sand bin
photo bike
ear dish
super paper
litter year
push weed
satellite site
building chair
leap belt
sea pen

1. What do you call a thing you can put in your ear to reduce noise?
2. What do you call a safety belt that you wear in a car ?
3. What do you call an area where a building is under construction ?
4. What do you call a large food shop ?
5. What do you call a tower or building with a light to guide ships?
6. What do you call the distance that light travels in one year?
7. What do you call a year with 366 days?
8. What do you call a kind of plant that grows in the sea?
9. What do you call one kind of device for receiving TV broadcasts?
10. What do you call a two-wheeled vehicle with a powerful engine?
11. What do you call a small container to put rubbish in?
12. What do you call a kind of small vehicle for transporting a very young child?
13. What do you call a machine for making copies of documents?
14. What do you call a pen that you have to fill with ink?
15. What do you call a kind of rough paper for smoothing wood?
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© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

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O DO O
FR BE C

SKILLS / Pronunciation / Pronunciation skills: Stress in compound nouns

T O
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 Pronunciation skills
TG or WORKSHEET
by Jonathan Marks
Stress in compound nouns

Worksheet 2
pronunciation
subject title SKILLS worksheet 2

Activity 2
Underline the stressed element of the following compound nouns.

Example: an alarm clock

1. an earplug
2. a seatbelt
3. a building site
4. a supermarket
5. a lighthouse
6. a light year
7. a leap year
8. seaweed
9. a satellite dish
10. a motorbike
11. a litter bin
12. a pushchair
13. a photocopier
14. a fountain pen
15. sandpaper

Now listen and check your answers.

Activity 3
Work on your own to write questions about ten of the compounds.

Examples: Do you ever use earplugs?

Would you like to work in a lighthouse?
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TE DE E
SI A L
EB LO B
W N IA

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

M W P
O DO O
FR BE C
O

SKILLS / Pronunciation / Pronunciation skills: Stress in compound nouns

T
O
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•P
CA