In the following questions, the word in capital letters has the emphatic stress. Choose the option to which…

Step 1: Analyze the question This is an emphatic stress question. The capitalized word carries the stress, and the stress shows what is being contrasted or questioned. The correct option is the question whose answer is the stressed word, which is the part of the sentence that changes.

Step 2: Explain the concept Emphatic stress puts focus on one word to show contrast. If STETHOSCOPE is stressed, the sentence means: "It was a stethoscope he used, not some other instrument." So the matching question asks about the instrument used, and that is the only thing that should differ from the original sentence.

Step 3: Test each option against the original Original: The doctor examined the patient with a STETHOSCOPE.

• A. "...the matron..." changes the patient, so it relates to PATIENT, not stethoscope.
• B. "...the nurse..." changes the doctor, so it relates to DOCTOR.
• C. "...with a microscope?" changes the instrument, so it relates to STETHOSCOPE.
• D. "...cure..." changes the action, so it relates to EXAMINED.

Step 4: Identify the answer Only option C keeps everything the same except the instrument (stethoscope → microscope). The stress on STETHOSCOPE answers this question: "No, he examined the patient with a stethoscope, not a microscope."

Correct answer: C

Tip: In these questions, find the option that changes only the word in capitals (or its counterpart). Each wrong option changes a different word, so match the capitalized word to the one thing that differs.