In this third part to The Art of the Alternative series, we shall study the final three aspects of this technique for enhancing one’s personal speaking and writing skills in English.
 
Using different stress when pronouncing words as nouns, verbs and adjectives.
 
It is often common practice, especially for learners of English as an additional language (EAL), to stress bi-syllabic words with equal stress on each syllable, e.g. ham / mer, me / ter; rea / son; birth / day, etc.   A sign of a superior speaker is to know how to stress or emphasize parts of words differently when they are used as nouns, verbs, and sometimes as adjectives.

The 4S Approach To Literacy And Language teaches a Key to Understanding Pronunciation that says that: bi-syllabic nouns and adjectives stress the first syllable but when the word is used as a verb, the stress is usually on the second syllable.
 
Noun/Adj Verb          Noun/Adj Verb          Noun/Adj Verb

ac/count ac/count     per/mit  per/mit          sur/vey sur/vey
prod/uce pro/duce    rec/ord  re/cord          re/turn  re/turn
ad/dress ad/dress     re/ply    re/ply        con/fines con/fines

pan/try                 men/tion               hon/est
light/ning             des/ert                   ac/tion

work/er                 pris/on                   cof/fee
chim/ney             bash/ful                 dol/phin

Mo/ham/med     doc/u/ment         fluor/es/cent
bal/lis/tic              aud/i/ence            sig/na/ture

guar/an/tee           cin/e/ma            pen/in/sul/ar
el/e/phant          mes/sen/ger            mus/ic/al

This Key applies especially when the first syllable ends in a “long” vowel, i.e. it says its own name:
 
cy/clone  no/ble   to/tal  ti/dal   o/pen fi/nal     na/tion
te/di/ous  Je/sus   cy/cle  o/dour   cli/mate  sta/tion  mu/tiny

If the stress is not on the first syllable in a multi-syllabic word, it is nearly always on the base or root from which the word has been built or derived.

Another 4S Key To Pronunciation teaches: In a multi-syllabic word the stress  is usually on the ‘root’ or ‘base’ from which it has been built.
 
ex-pend-i-ture    e-val-u-a-tion    re-sour-ces     in-fla-tion          e-vac-u-a-tion
de-ben-ture        dis-trib-u-tion    e-con-om-y   vo-cab-u-lar-y      ex-cav-a-tion
ap-par-ent-ly         de-fen-sive        se-cur-i-ty    re-pent-ance       in-fat-u-a-ted

4S also teaches how English words have a secondary stress before the “tion” combinations, e.g. ex/am/in/a/tion – con/stip/a/ tion – es/cal/a/tion –inter/mis/sion - pru/den/tial – con/fi/den/tial - etc.
 
Just as the consonant “n” comes before the consonant “v” in the alphabet, so too does the stress on multi-syllabic nouns comes before verbs.   This explains why it is correct to say “contribution” but incorrect to say “contribute.   It should be stressed as “ contribute”.

Using alternatively structured sentences to ask something or to make an assertion so as not to offend or to achieve the best response.
 
How one says something often will determine the response received.   For example, if an accusative assertion is used about an issue, usually the target of the accusation will quickly be defensive or will reply, often saying something that is just as critical.

Consider the statements:   I think you really messed up when you did that. or That was a rather stupid and childish thing to do. Almost without doubt the response or reaction will be either defensive or attacking.
 
Now consider an alternative way of making a similar assertion or expressing a attitude: Do you think that there might be a better, more positive way of achieving that objective? or  I am sure that if that task could be performed again there might be a better way of achieving a positive outcome. Another important alternative to apply when making a critical comment or assertion is not to use the pronouns “you” or “they”.
 
Using a Thesaurus and a Dictionary with Purpose and Effect:

As mentioned in Part One, the thesaurus and a good dictionary are vital tools when applying the Art of the Alternative. The approach is simple.   Each week, using a thesaurus and a dictionary, learners and teachers alike are encouraged to “research” everyday communication words and find alternatives to them, e.g.

tired: exhausted, jaded, weary, listless, drowsy, languid, pooped, lethargic.

tell: communicate, reveal, explain, disclose, narrate, mention, recount, report, chronicle, relate.

kind: amiable, caring, benevolent, avuncular, considerate, hospitable, philanthropic, compassionate.

angry: infuriated, rabid, irate, incensed, enraged, wrathful, ropeable, indignant, livid.

In case you missed the first two articles, here is a list of the eight aspects of The Art of the Alternative:

1. Using clefting to give emphasis in conversation and communication.

2. Using superior adjectives, adverbs, nouns and verbs to express ideas.

3. Using phrase and clause rquivalents instead of single words to qualify another word.

4. Using alternative forms of punctuation.

5. Using words as alternative parts of speech.

6. Using different stress when pronouncing words as nouns, verbs and adjectives.

7. Using alternatively structured sentences to ask something or to make an assertion so as not to offend or to achieve the best response.
 
8. Using the thesaurus and the dictionary with purpose and effect.