Query: Verb vs. Noun Syllable Stress (Modified by Grant Barrett)

[Grant Barrett]

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I am an ESL teacher, and one of my students has posed a question which
has
stumped me.  Can you help?  I have taught the class that words like
"convict,
export, subject, record, etc." have the stress on the first syllable
when a noun
and on the second syllable when a verb.  What about the words "outline"
and
"purchase" where the stress is always on the first syllable or "police"
and "cement,"
where it's always on the second?  How does this work?  Thank you so
much for
your help.

Sue M. Featro
smf at tri-valley.k12.pa.us