Page:The Comic English Grammar.djvu/118

114 is the distinguishing of some word or words in a sentence, on which we wish to lay particular stress, by a stronger and fuller sound, and sometimes by a particular tone of the voice.

A few illustrations of the importance of emphasis will be, perhaps, both agreeable and useful. When a young lady says to a young gentlemen, "You are a nice fellow; you are!"—she means one thing.

When a young gentleman, addressing one of his own sex, remarks, "You're a nice fellow; you are;"—he means another thing.

"Your friend is a gentlemen," pronounced without any particular emphasis, is the simple assertion of a fact.

"Your friend is a gentleman," with the emphasis on the words "friend" and "gentleman," conveys an insinuation besides.

So simple a question as "Do you like pine-apple rum?" is susceptible of as many meanings as there are words in it; according to the position of the emphasis.

"Do you like pine-apple rum?" is as much as to say, "Do you, though, really like pine-apple rum?"

"Do you like pine-apple rum?" is tantamount to, "Can it be that a young gentleman (or lady) like you, can like pine-apple rum?"

"Do you like pine-apple rum?" means, "Is it possible that instead of disliking, you are fond of pine-apple rum?"