Intonation-Practice 2

INTONATION PRACTICE continued

6. Rise on Echo Questions.

The speaker repeats something said by another person:

a) while he/she thinks what to reply,

For example:

A: Have we got any postcards?

B: Postcards? Yes, I think they are in the drawer with the envelopes.

b) to query what the other person said or ask for further information,

For example:

A: Every cook should have a computer.

B: A computer?

A: Yes, to keep a record of the menus and recipes.

c)because he/she did not hear or understand or believe what was said,

For example:

A: The new manager is coming tomorrow. His name is Wilbur Winterbottom.

B. What‘s his name?

Practise the conversation between a son and his mother.

A: Have you seen my sports shirts?

B:Your sports shirts? They’re being washed.

A: Have you moved my maths books?

B: Your maths books? They’re on the shelves.

A: Have you taken my reading lamp?

B: Your reading lamp? No, it‘s on the desk.

A: Can I borrow some postcards?

B: Postcards? All right. They’re in the drawer, with the envelopes.

A:Will you iron my tennis shorts?

B. Your tennis shorts? No, you can iron them yourself!

7. Correcting.

a) The voice falls on the correct word, to emphasise it.

For example:

A: Her birthday is on the tenth of December.

B: No, it isn’t. It‘s on the fifth of December.

b) The voice falls and then rises on the incorrect information.

Then it fall on the correct information to emphasise it.

For example: Her birthday isn’t the tenth of December. It‘s the fifth.

S: I’m going to meet Ann, Grandfather.

G:You’re going to meet Sam? Who’s Sam?

S: Not Sam – Ann. We’re going to play tennis.

G:You’re going to play with Dennis? And who’s Dennis?

S: Not Dennis. Tennis. We’re going to play tennis in the park.

G:You’re going to play with Dennis and Mark? Who are all these boys you‘re going to meet?

S:I’m not going to meet any boys, Grandfather. I’m going to play tennis – in the park –with Ann, a girl. Oh,never mind. See you later!

G: Dennis? Mark? Sam? The girl’s going mad!

8. Polite Rise

Because a rise sound less definite than a fall it can be used to sound polite, especially when beginning a conversation. Itis common when answering the phone.

Practise this telephone conversation.

A: Cavendish Manufacturing Company. Can I help you?

B: I‘d like to speak to the Managing Director, please.

A: The Managing Director? That’s Anna Cavendish. I’ll put you through.

Now make similar phone conversations, asking for different people each time.

9. Yes/No Short Answers.

For example: Yes, it was.

The voice often falls on ‘Yes‘, which could be a complete answer, and also on ‘it was‘, which is also a complete, definite statement. The speaker often goes on to give a more detailed answer, also with a fall.

10. Rise in subordinate clause or non-final phrase, fall in main clause

For example: Before I read this book, I thought stress was an executive disease.

One day, our teacher asked us to write a story.

One day, when I was in the third class, we had to write a story. I told a true story about my father. He wanted to clean the windows so he borrowed a ladder. He tried to put it against a wall, but the end of the ladder went through the window. My teacher said it was a very good story and asked me to read it aloud to the other students. Three years later, my brother was in that class. He wrote the same story about my father and the ladder. He had to read it aloud too.