For the question, choose the most appropriate stress pattern from the options. The stressed syllables are written in capital letters. Grammarian

Analysis

The question asks for the correct stress pattern of the word "Grammarian". In English phonetics, stress refers to the emphasis placed on a specific syllable within a word. Identifying the correct stress pattern is a common requirement in JAMB Use of English examinations.

Concept: Word Stress Rules

To find the stress in "Grammarian," we break the word into its syllables: Gram - mar - i - an

1. Syllable Count: The word has four syllables.
2. Suffix Rule: Words ending in the suffix "-ian" usually carry the primary stress on the syllable immediately preceding the suffix.
3. Application: • The suffix is "-ian". • The syllable immediately before it is "-mar-". • Therefore, the primary stress falls on the second syllable: gra-MMA-ri-an.

Step-by-Step Solution

• Step 1: Pronounce the word naturally: gruh-MAIR-ee-uhn.
• Step 2: Identify the syllable that receives the most emphasis (the "loudest" or "longest" part). You will notice that the emphasis is clearly on the second syllable (-mar-).
• Step 3: Compare this with the provided options: • A. GRAmmarian (Incorrect stress on the first syllable) • B. graMMArian (Correct stress on the second syllable) • C. grammaRIAN (Incorrect stress on the third/fourth syllable) • D. grammaRIANS (Incorrect; this is also a different word form)

Conclusion

The correct stress pattern is on the second syllable. This matches option B.

Exam Tip

When you encounter words ending in -ian, -ion, or -ic, look at the syllable right before that ending. In the vast majority of cases, the primary stress will land on that preceding syllable. For example:

• Mu-SI-cian
• Po-LI-tician
• E-LEC-tric