stammer
part of speech
verb (stammer, stammers, stammered, stammering); noun (a stammer)
meaning for a pupil
1) To stammer means to speak with pauses and repeated sounds, because you are nervous or because of a speech condition («I-I-I don't know»). tree →
2) A stammer is a speech condition that makes a person repeat or stretch sounds or get stuck on words; in the USA it is often called a stutter. tree →
sense in the lessons
In everyday life and PSHE pupils learn that many people have a stammer, that it is not caused by being nervous or less clever, and that the kind thing is to wait patiently, not finish their words or laugh. In stories a character stammers when shocked, scared or embarrassed. Phrases: «stammer out», «have a stammer», «stammer an apology».
examples
- «S-sorry,» he stammered. tree →
- She stammered when the head teacher asked her a question. tree →
- My friend has a stammer, so I give him time to finish. tree →
- Never laugh at someone who stammers. tree →
- He stammered out his answer. tree →
- Some famous actors and leaders had a stammer. tree →
- Speech therapy can help people with a stammer. tree →
- Nervous, Tom stammered his lines in the play. tree →
- They weren’t here a minute ago,” he stammered. tree →
note
Regular verb, double m: «stammered». «Stammer» (UK) and «stutter» (US) mean the same. Do not interrupt or finish the words for a person who stammers.
In the corpora
- You let people finish their own sentences, especially someone who stammers (gets stuck on sounds or repeats them while speaking).
- When a classmate stammers, wait patiently and do not finish their words.
- Maya's friend Josh copied the way a boy talks with his stammer, and everyone laughed.
- A stammer is a difference in speech that people cannot just switch off, and mocking it makes it harder.
- New boy Theo has a stammer; kids keep finishing his words for him — «b-b-bus?
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «stammer» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.