Exploring Language-How intonation works

Exploring Language:How Intonation Works

Source: http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/resources/exp_lang/how.html

The full description of intonation patterns is very complex. Here, only some fundamental points will be explained.

• Within each tone group, there will be the normal English combination of stressed (strong) and unstressed (weak) syllables.

  • It was the best car for them to buy.

• Within the tone group, one syllable will be even more strongly stressed than the other stressed syllables. This is called the nuclear syllable.

  • It was the best car for them to buy. (Buy is the nuclear syllable.)

• The nuclear syllable carries the main focus of information. It also carries any new information.

  • We looked at the hatchback. (Hatchback is new information.)

  • The hatchback was old. (Hatchback is given information. Old is new information.)

• The usual position for the nuclear syllable is on the final lexical word in the tone group.

  • It had a lot of rust in it.

• However, the nuclear syllable can appear in other positions if the sense requires it.

Normal placement:

• Linda was wearing that black skirt.

Contrastive placements:

• Linda was wearing that black skirt. (not a red one)

• Linda was wearing that black skirt. (a particular skirt referred to already)

• Linda was wearing that black skirt. (not just carrying it)

• Linda was wearing that black skirt. ( you said she wasn't)

• Linda was wearing that black skirt. (it wasn't Jill wearing it)

• The nuclear syllable sounds louder than the other stressed syllables. It also has a change of pitch.

The two most common pitch movements are:rising pitch yésfalling pitch yčs

It is also possible to have a fall-rising pitch ys a rise-falling pitch yęs

Compare these replies:

• Q: When would it suit you to come? A: Nów? (The intonation expresses a question: would it be OK if I came now?)

• Q: When would it suit you to come? A: Nňw. (The intonation expresses a statement: I'll come now.)

The effects of the rising or falling pitch can be seen very clearly on sentences with tag questions.

• They're coming on Mňnday / arčn't they. (statement anticipating the listener's agreement)

• They're coming on Mňnday / arén't they? (question seeking an answer, yes or no)

• A falling tone is used to show completeness. A rising tone can indicate incompleteness.

A falling tone is normally used when a person is about to stop talking.

If they finish the tone group with a rising tone, we are likely to understand that they wish to continue speaking and are seeking feedback, by word or gesture.

A falling tone is used at the end of a list to show that the list is complete.

• Would you like tea / coffee / fruit juice / or lemonade / (That's all I'm offering.)

• Would you like tea / coffee / fruit juice / lemonade / (There might be other drinks as well that I haven't named.)

• Intonation shows the speaker's attitude. It is by changing the pitch that we can indicate certainty, uncertainty, enthusiasm, boredom, and so on. We can say "yes" so that it almost means "no". As listeners, we become skilled at detecting fine shades of meaning in other people's speech. We can say they sounded unhappy, tired, sneering, self-satisfied, sarcastic, and so on. These attitudes are picked up from very fine variations in pitch and loudness.