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Bob: That's not true. Jack won a fortune there last year.
Alice: No, Jack got married. He didn't win a fortune.
Bob: That's what I call winning a fortune. I don't need to gamble to win a fortune.
Alice: Looking for love in Las Vegas is definitely not the answer.
Bob: OK. What is the answer in your opinion?
Alice: I think you need to start dating girls from here.
Bob: Don't get me started on girls from here. They're all out of my league!
Alice: Come on Bob, you're a nice guy. You will find someone.
Bob: I hope so...
Stressing these key words helps change the topic from a vacation in Las Vegas, to
finding someone to marry, to solving Bob's love life issues.
Practice: Choose the Focus Word
Now it's up to you to choose the focus word. Choose the focus word for each sentence
or group of short sentences. Next, practice speaking these sentences while making
sure to emphasize the stress word more.
1. What do you want to do this afternoon? I'm bored!
2. Why didn't you tell me she had a birthday?
3. I'm hungry. Let's get some lunch.
4. Nobody's here. Where has everyone gone?
5. I think Tom should buy lunch. I bought lunch last week.
6. Are you going to finish work or waste time?
7. You always complain about work. I think you need to stop.
8. Let's get Italian food. I'm tired of Chinese food.
9. The students are getting horrible grades. What's wrong?
10. Our class is going to have a test on Friday. Make sure you prepare.
The focus word for most of these should be clear. However, remember that it's possible
to change the focus word in order to bring out different meanings. Another good way to
practice is to use sound scripting - the marking up of your text - to help you practice
dialogues.