Emphatic stress may be used in a sentence to compare, connect, or clarify things. Usually emphatic stress singles out the word that the speaker considers the most important, and in this case even a function word may become stressed.

Emphatic stress is the placement of emphasis on a word in a sentence. In responding to questions on emphatic stress in examinations, interrogative sentences will be provided as options. The interrogative sentence that contradicts the emphasised word is the correct option.

example. John’s watch is made of GOLD.

The emphatic stress is on the word ‘gold’

Option:

(a) Is John’s watch made of silver?

(b) Whose watch is made of gold?

(c) What is made of gold?

(d) Is John’s necklace made of gold?

Option [A] is the correct answer because the word ‘silver’ contradicts the word ‘gold’ and the interrogative statement provides a chance to re-emphasise the word ‘gold’.

 Is John’s watch made of silver? No, it is not made of silver; it’s made of GOLD.