For these questions, choose the most appropriate stress pattern from the options. The Stressed syllable are written in capital letter (s) obligation

Analyze the question: You are asked to pick the correct stress pattern for the word "obligation". It is a stress (word accent) question in oral English.

Explain the concept: In English, words ending in -tion (also -sion, -ic, -ical, -ity) usually take the primary stress on the syllable just before the suffix. Examples:

• eduCAtion
• communiCAtion
• situAtion
• appreciAtion

Show the solution:

Break the word into syllables: ob - li - ga - tion (4 syllables)

The suffix is -tion, so the stress falls on the syllable right before it: ga.

Stress pattern: ob-li-GA-tion

Check the options:

• A. obliGAtion: stress on "ga". Correct.
• B. OBligation: stress on the first syllable. Wrong.
• C. obligaTION: stress on the suffix itself. Wrong, as -tion is never stressed in this way.
• D. obLIgation: stress on "li". Wrong.

Answer: A. obliGAtion

Tip: For words ending in -tion or -sion, put the stress on the syllable before the ending. Say "eduCAtion, obliGAtion, nominAtion" aloud, and you will hear the beat fall on the "ga" or "ca" each time. Also note that a secondary stress may fall on the first syllable (ob), but the primary stress is on "ga".