population — choose the one that has the correct stress

Analyze the question: You are asked to pick the option that shows the correct stress pattern of the word "population" (primary stress on the right syllable).

Concept: In English, words ending in -tion put the primary stress on the syllable immediately before the suffix. Examples: edu-CA-tion, in-for-MA-tion, com-pe-TI-tion, ad-mi-NIS-tra-tion.

Step-by-step solution:

1. Break the word into syllables: po – pu – la – tion (4 syllables).
2. Identify the suffix: -tion. It is never stressed itself.
3. The syllable before the suffix is la, so the main stress falls there.
4. Pronunciation: /ˌpɒpjʊˈleɪʃn/, which is po-pu-LA-tion. The "la" has the long vowel /eɪ/, which carries the primary stress. The first syllable "po" carries only a secondary stress.

Checking the options:

• A. PO-pu-la-tion: stress on the first syllable, which is only secondary stress, so this is wrong.
• B. po-PU-la-tion: wrong.
• C. po-pu-LA-tion: correct.
• D. po-pu-la-TION: wrong, because -tion is never stressed.

Answer: C

Exam tip: For words ending in -tion, -sion, -ic, -ical, -ity, the stress usually falls on the syllable just before the ending. Remember "the syllable before -tion gets the attention!"