肩こりがひどいのです。

stiff shoulders

indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; still; and

cruel; heartless; hard; harsh; severe; violent; intense; strong; heavy; extreme; very bad; terrible; awful; excessive; exorbitant; unreasonable; outrageous; unfair; unjust

indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question

be; is