11. In Russian, only one syllable is accented in every word, with few exceptions. What does this indicate about Russian compared to English?
Answer: A
Russian stress is more consistent and predictable
In Russian, the presence of a single accented syllable in each word, with few exceptions, indicates that Russian stress patterns are more systematic compared to those in English.
A) Russian stress is more consistent and predictable
This option is correct because the accentuation in Russian is generally fixed to one syllable per word, allowing for a more predictable pattern of stress. This consistency contrasts with English, where stress can shift based on various factors and is less predictable.
B) Russian stress varies as much as English stress
This option is incorrect as it suggests that Russian stress is as variable as English stress. However, Russian has a much more consistent system where typically only one syllable is stressed, leading to less variation compared to English.
C) Russian avoids stress entirely
This option is incorrect because Russian does not avoid stress; rather, it emphasizes one syllable in each word. The idea that stress is absent in Russian is a misunderstanding of the language’s phonetic structure.
D) Russian stresses more syllables than English
This option is incorrect because Russian does not stress multiple syllables within a word; it typically has only one syllable that receives stress. In contrast, English can stress multiple syllables in multi-syllable words, making this option inaccurate.
Conclusion
The correct answer highlights the systematic nature of Russian stress, which is characterized by a single accented syllable per word, in contrast to the more variable stress patterns found in English. All other options fail to accurately reflect this key difference in linguistic structure.