The intonation of special questions.

The intonation of statements.

1) Statements are mostly used with the Low/Mid Fall preceded by the Falling/Hi Head. In all these cases they are final, complete and defenite.

It’s difficult.

I wanted to go there immediately.

2) But if we want to sound categoric or concerned we are to use Hi Fall.

If the statement is intended to be encouraging, the last stressed syllable is pronounced with th Low/Mid Rise preceded by the Falling or the Hi/Mid Level Heads.

It’s allright.

Statements are also used with the Low Rising tone when they are intended as questions.

You like it?

3) If the statement is grumble we use Low Head + Low Fall.

I didn’t expect you to see here.

4) If the statement is a correction/contradiction/warning we use Fall-Rise preceded Falling/Hi(Mid) Level Head

-He is thirty.

-He is thirty five.

The intonation of disjunctive questions.

Disjunctive questions are simple sentences which consist of at least two sentences: a statement (affirmative/negative) and a tag question (negative/affirmative), corresponding two intontaional groups. The choice of tones depends on the speaker’s certainty of the facts expressed in the first sense-group.

1) The most common pattern dor a disjunctive question is Low Fall + Low Rise.

It is quite simple, isn’t it?

The pattern with the Low Rise of the tag question implies a mixture of positivness and doubt. Speaker inclies the listener’s agreement but the speaker won’t be surprised to hear contradiction.

The Low Fall in the second intonation group shows that the speaker demands agreement from the listener.

He’s a clever man, isn’t he.

But in conversational language Low Fall used only formally.

Lovely day, isn’t it.

2) In some cases Low Rise/Fall-Rise can be used in the first part, while Low Rise/Low Fall appears in the second part for support. Low Fall in the tag is often used in talking to a child. Low Rise in the tag may echo the first in the statement. The Low Rise sounds protesting, while the Rise in tag expresses uncertainty.

They will com, won’t they?

Alternative Questions.

An alterntaive question indicating choice between two homogeneous parts is usually represented by two ontonation groups. The most usual way of pronouncing them is to use Low Rise in the first intonation group and Low Fall in the second one.

Have you a son, or a daughter?

The second Low Fall in this ype of question shows that the choise should be made of two items expressed. If we have more than two alternatives in question we are to use Low Rise after every alternation but in final we use Low Fall.

Would you ilke tea, milk, or coffee?

In colloquial speech alternative questions can be reduced to one intonational group.

The intonation of special questions.

1) Special questions are mostly used with th low falling tone on the last stressed syllable preceded by the Falling Head or the Hi/Mid Level Head. In these cases they sound serious.

Why did you decide to do that?

What’s the matter?

2) If we want so show much interest in the other person or in the subject and sound friendly and sympathetic we pronounce it with the Low Rising Tone + Falling/Hi(Mid) Level Head

Where do you live now?

What’s your name?

3) For repeated or echoing special questions in unemphatic usage the Low Rising Tone on the question word is also common

-I went with Jack. – Who did you go with?

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 5098