Function Words - American English Pronunciation + Intonation/Word Stress

This video will focus on function words, or, the words that will be lower in pitch, often

Este video se enfocará en palabras funcionales, o, las palabras que serán más bajas en tono, a menudo

very quick, sometimes lower in volume, and sometimes even reduced. Reduced means a sound

muy rápidas, algunas veces más bajas en volumen, y algunas veces incluso reducidas. Reducidas significa que un sonido

in the word may be altered, or dropped altogether. If you're not familiar with what stressed

en la palabra puede ser alterado, u omitido por completo. Sí tú no estás familiarizado con lo que estresarse

means, you might want to watch the Intro to Word Stress Video first.

significa, es posible que desees ver primero la Introducción al vídeo de Word Stress.

Intonation is the idea that we vary pitches throughout a sentence, throughout speech. We do not speak always

Entonación es aquella idea que variamos tonos a lo largo de una oración, a lo largo del discurso. Nosotros no siempre hablamos

on the same pitch. We vary our pitches a lot. This is part of what makes it easier to understand

en el mismo tono. Variamos nuestro tono un poco. Esto es parte de lo que hace que sea más fácil de entender

what's being said. Understanding the pitch patterns of American English, that's an important

lo que se dice. Entender los patrones del tono del inglés estadounidense, es una parte

part to being understood. So how do you know which words should be stressed, higher in

importante para ser entendida. Entonces, cómo sabes qué palabras deben ser enfatizadas (estresadas), más agudas (tono

pitch, and which should be unstressed, lower in pitch? Well, content words are the words

alto), y cuáles deben ser menos tensas, más bajas en tono? Bueno, las palabras de contenido son las palabras

that will generally be stressed, and function words will generally be unstressed. There

que generalmente se enfatizarán, y las palabras funcionales generalmente no se verán afectadas. Hay

are several categories and subcategories of function words. This video is just an overview.

muchas categorías y subcategorías de palabras funcionales. Este vídeo es solo una descripción general.

Later videos will more specifically categories with examples. Articles are function words.

Los vídeos posteriores incluirán categorías más específicas con ejemplos. Los artículos son palabras funcionales.

For example, a and the. In the sentence Do you have the time?, do you have the, the time?

Por ejemplo, a y the. En la oración ¿Tienes tiempo ?, ¿tienes el, el tiempo? (Do you have the time?, do you have the, the time?)

Do you see how the word 'the' is low in pitch? Do you have the, do you have the, do you have

¿Ves cómo la palabra "el" (the) es baja en tono? ¿Tienes el, tienes el, tienes? (Do you have the, do you have the, do you have)

the time? Auxiliary verbs are function words. Auxiliary verbs are also called helping verbs,

the time? Los verbos auxiliares son palabras funcionales. Los verbos auxiliares también se llaman verbos de ayuda,

and in English grammar they are paired with main verbs. There are several kinds. First,

y en la gramática inglesa están emparejados con los verbos principales. Hay varios tipos. Primero,

the kind of auxiliary verb that helps to make the passive voice. For example, the sentence:

el tipo de verbo auxiliar que ayuda a hacer la voz pasiva. Por ejemplo, la oración:

The wall was painted yesterday. The wall was painted, it didn't paint anything. Passive.

La pared fue pintada ayer. La pared estaba pintada, no pintaba nada. (The wall was painted yesterday. The wall was painted, it didn't paint anything). Pasivo.

The wall was painted yesterday. In this sentence, the word 'was' is the auxiliary verb. The

La pared fue pintada ayer (The wall was painted yesterday). En esta oración, la palabra "fue" ("was") es el verbo auxiliar. La (the)

wall was painted, was, was, was painted. Do you see how it is lower in pitch? The wall

pared fue, pintada, fue, fue, fue pintada (wall was painted, was, was, was painted) ¿Ves cómo es más bajo en tono? La pared (the wall)

was painted yesterday. We also need an auxiliary verb to help make the -ing, or, progressive

fue pintada ayer(was painted yesterday). También necesitamos un verbo auxiliar para ayudar para ayudar a hacer el -ing, o, forma

form. For example in the sentence: You are speaking too fast. The word 'are' here is

progresiva. Por ejemplo en la oración: Estás hablando muy rápido (You are speaking too fast). La palabra "estás" ("are") es el verbo

the auxiliary verb. You are speaking too fast. Do you see how it is lower in pitch than the

auxiliar. Estás hablando muy rápido (You are speaking too fast) ¿Ves cómo es más bajo en tono que la

word speaking? You are speaking too fast. These cases are often written as contractions.

palabra hablando (speaking)? Estás hablando muy rápido (You are speaking too fast). Estos casos a menudo se escriben como contracciones.

You're speaking too fast. Another kind of auxiliary verb is the one that helps to make

the perfect tense. For example, in the sentence: She has given up. The word 'has' is our helping

verb here. She has given up. She has, she has. Do you see how the word 'has' is very

low in pitch? It's actually been reduced and I've dropped the H. She has, she has, she

has given up. Modal verbs are also auxiliary, or helping, verbs. For example, might, could,

and can. Take for example the sentence: I can go tomorrow. I can go tomorrow. Do you

see how it is lower in pitch. It's unstressed. I can, can. It's actually even reduced, kn,

kn, from can to kn. I can, I can, I can go tomorrow. I can go tomorrow. Prepositions

are also function words. For example with, on, beside. And so are pronouns. For example

our, she. In the sentence "He came with his friends," the word 'with', a preposition,

low in pitch, unstressed. He came with his friends. Also, the word 'his', a possessive

pronoun. He came with his, with his, just like 'with', very low in pitch, unstressed.

He came with his friends. Conjunctions are also function words. For example and, but,

if. In the example sentence I'll come if you want, I'll come if you want. You can see that

'if' is one of the words that is not stressed, it is lower in pitch. I'll come if you want.

To review, function words are the words that will generally be unstressed in a sentence.

So this means they will be lower in pitch, sometimes lower in volume, often very, very

fast. Sometimes they will even reduce, which means, a sound will change or will get dropped.

They are the opposite of content words, which will generally be stressed within a sentence.

This contrast of stressed and unstressed is very important in American English. So now

that you know a bit more about it, do try to use it while speaking. That's it, and thanks

so much for using Rachel's English.