11. Sentence stress. Distribution of stress in an utterance. Functions of stress in discourse

Now we should like to distinguish the notions of word stress and sentence stress. They are first of all different in their sphere of application as they are applied to different language units: word stress is naturally applied to a word, as a linguistic unit, sentence stress is applied to a phrase. Secondly, the distinction of the rhythmic structure of a word and a phrase is clearly observed in the cases when the word stress in notional words is omitted in a phrase, e.g. I 'don't think he is 'right or when the rhythmic structure of the isolated word does not coincide with that of a phrase, e.g. 'Fifteen. 'Room Fifteen. 'Fifteen 'pages.

So in a speech chain the phonetic structure of a word obtains additional characteristics connected with rhythm, melody, and tempo. Though the sentence stress falls on the syllable marked by the word stress it is not realized in the stressed syllable of an isolated word but in a word within speech continuum. Since the spheres of word stress and sentence stress fall apart their functions are actually different. Sentence stress organizes a sentence into a linguistic unit, helps to form its rhythmic and intonation pattern, and performs its distinctive function on the level of a phrase.

Although sentence stress component is actually inseparable from its pitch component and performs the same three general functions (semantic, distinctive and recognitive), it fulfils them differently, in its own, specific way.

G.P. Torsouyev makes an attempt to draw a line of demarcation between the word stress and sentence stress. He states that sentence stress is based on the following 4 principles: musical, dynamic, quantitative and qualitative, while word stress is based on 3 principles only. The dynamic principle is

X.P. Gintovt

If the function of word stress is to mould the words by indicating the strongest syllable in a word, the function of sentence stress is different and more complicated.

1. Sentence stress indicates the end of the syntagm by means of strengthening the last word, by a definite pitch pattern and frequently also by a pause.

2. Sentence stress is used to indicate the important words in a syntagm (from the point of view of grammar, meaning or the speaker's attitude).

These functions of sentence stress are very closely connected with different types of it: syntagm stress (logical or normal) – the 1^st function, logical and emphatic sentence stress – the 2^nd function.