I. Listen to the following utterances. Identify the component parts of the tunes.

1. Mack. 2. 'Can 'you? 3. 'Are you 'there? 4. ^vHave we? 5. He ^vmay. 6. She can ^xgo. 7. ⁴This time. 8. All /right. 9. 'Anything /else you "want me to 'do? 10. You'd ^better ,go to /bed.

II. Compare the number of elements in the tunes you hear. Point out the element common for all the tunes in each group. , •

1. ^xGood. 'That's ^xgood.

'All that is 'very ^Ngood.

'All that is 'very ⁴good in a /Way.

2. ⁴Fine.

The 'garden 'looked ^Nfine.

The ,green 'garden 'looked ⁴fme in the /Sun.

3. 'Be on your Hoes.

'Be on your Hoes when he ^uras ,up.

4. ^Careful.

'Try to be ^xcareful.

'Try to be Ycareful when you /do it.

5. ^vRight.

You are Vight.

"You are perfectly Vight, ,Fred.

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"-E PITCH COMPONENT OF INTONATION (PROSODY) «ЩЯИ««»Шв* 1 27 ■

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Section V BASIC NUCLEAR TONES

Unit 1. Rising and Falling Tones in English

Explanation

A. RISING TONES

The rising type of pitch-change in English has two structural varieties: a) the rise of the voice takes place on the stressed syllable; b) the rise is carried by the unstressed syllables following the stressed one while the latter is pronounced on a steady pitch.

The two varieties are mutually exclusive: the first one occurs when the nuclear syllable is the last syllable of an intonation-group, i.e. when there is no tail; and the second is found in intonation-groups having a tail.

a) /No. j b) I suppose so.

When there is a tail the effect of a rise may be the result of a pitch contrast between the low or mid level of the stressed syllable and the mid or high level of the unstressed syllables; in other words, there may be no actual pitch glide. This is often the case when there is one syllable in the tail and its vowel is short.

/Sixty?

Apart from structural variation depending on the syllabic composition of the nuclear word and its position in an intonation-group the rising tone, as any other kinetic tone, has functional variants (see the previous chapter about it).

For practical teaching / learning purposes four variants of a nuclear rise should be distinguished in English.

1. The Mid Wide Rise ('m). The voice rises (on the nuclear syllable or on the tail) from a mid-low to a high pitch-level. The given variety of the rising tone is called wide because the pitch change actually covers two zones of the voice range: the mid and the high zones.

_{a) 'Yes. J b) 'Wonderful. *}

2. The High Narrow Rise ('m). The ending pitch-level of the High Narrow Rise is the same as for the Mid Wide Rise: near the top of the voice-range. But the High Narrow Rise begins rather higher: at a mid-high level, which accounts for a much narrower interval of the pitch-change: one zone (high) as compared with two zones of the above variety.

NON-SEGMENTAL PHONETICS

Yes.

b) 'Wonderful.

The Low Wide Rise От). The rise of the voice in this case starts from the -:—. of the voice-range and ends above the middle of it. The low and the mid zones гэг voice-range are thus embraced by the rising pitch movement.

I Yes. j b) /Wonderful.

The Low Narrow Rise (,m). The starting point of this tone coincides with that of v Wide Rise: it is pitched at the bottom of the voice-range. The pitch interval - л ever, rather narrower here since the rise ends about the mid-low pitch-level.

a) Yes. b) Wonderful.

"be difference in form as well as in meaning and usage is most conspicuous between two narrow varieties: the High Narrow and the Low Narrow Rise. The former has -.irked interrogative force bordering on surprise, incredulity, etc., and is typically eird in all kinds of interrogative repetitions, while the latter is most readily associated r.th non-assertiveness and lack of interest. It is used in various casual remarks, fte^thoughts, etc.

a) - Will you pass me the newspaper?

• 'Pardon?

• Pass me the newspaper, please.

b) - Have you seen much of him lately?

- ,No.

~r.e meaning and usage of the two wide rising tones - mid and low - can be specified - terms of incompleteness in the most general sense of the word. The Low Wide j is commonly pronounced in unfinished parts of sentences indicating that a ntinuation is going to follow. When it is used in independent utterances there is an tfect of the speaker s interest in the situation and in the listener s response.

a) 'After they 'passed the /roundabout, | she re'versed into a /drive ^ on the left. He 'got 'out with his /bag and 'everything | and 'went /round ^ to the "back of the ⁴car.

b)- I ar'ranged to 'meet my Maughter here. I 'hope you 'don't /mind.

- 'Certainly not. 'When was your 'daughter sup'posed to be /Coming?

•Vim an increase of the relative height of the rise the effect of its stimulating the esponse is still greater, and, therefore, the Mid Wide Rise is a typical nuclear tone of general, alternative (the first part) and disjunctive (the second part) questions.

ASIC NUCLEAR TONES

a

) - 'Do you 'speak 'French? - I'm a'fraid I ⁴don't.

b)- We can 'call 'in at 'Peter's, 'can't we?

c) - 'Can you 'let me 'know 'soon | or shall I have to 'wait till 'next ,week?

The discrimination between the Mid Wide and the Low Wide Rise is not always easy since there may be a considerable degree of overlap, particularly, in the initial pitch-level. Yet, keeping the possibility of the above distinction in mind is useful as an aid for the foreign learner's work on imitation and performance.

From the Mid Wide and the Low Wide Rise there is only a small step to the Full Wide Rise covering the whole of the voice-range. This kind of the rising pitch-change is very often associated with an emotional colouring such as surprise, protest, enthusiasm, etc.

B. FALLING TONES

The falling type of nuclear pitch-change in English is realized by a downward move­ment of the voice on the stressed syllable, while the syllables of the tail (if there are any) form a level series on the pitch to which the nucleus has fallen, or they may continue the fall slightly to a still lower pitch. The difference, however, is not relevant, since it can hardly be perceived by the listener.

₁

_V.

a) ^NNo.

or

b) ^xCertainly.

Sometimes, when the stressed vowel is short, the impression of a fall is the result of a pitch contrast between the level of the stressed syllable and that of the tail.

^xFifty.

Functional variation within the falling tone is based (as with the rising tone) on the initial pitch-level and the interval of the pitch-change, the ending point of the Fall being more difficult to discern perceptibly.

According to the width of the fall and its position on the speaker's voice-range the following varieties of the given type of pitch-change are distinguished in this book.

1. The Mid Wide Fall (₄m). This is the most commonly used variety. It starts about the high-mid level and ends at the bottom, thus covering the mid and the low pitch zones of the speaker's voice-range.

a) ₄Yes.

b) ^Certainly.

. The High Wide Fall (^xm). The voice falls from a high or very high to a rather low itch, so that the pitch-change embraces the high and the mid zones of the voice-mge and sometimes it is as wide as the whole of the voice-range.

a) ^xYes.

_\

b) ^NCertainly.

The High Narrow Fall (⁴m). The difference between the two high varieties is that e Narrow Fall ends rather higher: about the middle of the voice-range or even sjher than that.

a) ⁴Yes.

b) "Certainly.

The Low Narrow Fall (₄m). This tone beg,m_s about lb& mid-low pwc\\ k\tl чхА ds at the bottom of the voice-range.

a) ₄Yes.

b) vCertainly.

e two narrow varieties of the falling pitch-change, as is clear from the description their form, display the greatest contrast. Neither the beginning nor the ending ints of these tones coincide, whereas with the two wide falling tones the ending ch point can be common for both members of the pair being contrasted and, nsequently, there is a possibility of overlapping of some kind. A falling pitch-change is usually associated with finality and completeness, decisive-~s, assertiveness, etc. Each of the falling tones, naturally, has some peculiarity as as its meaning and usage are concerned. The High Narrow Fall has the least degree finality of all the falling tones. It sounds light and airy. It is typically used in direct 'ress (the so-called calling tone) and short comments expressing agreement, etc.

7. 'Come 'on, Terry! We're ^waiting.

8. - My name's Jordan. I'm from John Davies & Co. Could I have a word

with Mr. Robertson? - Oh, "yes ^ one "moment, Mr. Jordan. I'll see if he is in.

e general meaning of a falling pitch-change can in full degree be applied to the ^:d Wide Fall which is the most neutral (unmarked) variety. The term neutral here ans, firstly, that this tone is commonly used in the so-called unemotional speech ^J. secondly, that its usage is least of all limited to a specific situation.

• I'm 'looking for the Technical College.

• It's a 'red and vyellow building | on your J.eft.

e High Wide Fall, alongside completeness, finality, etc., often conveys additional rotations of an emotional kind, such as insistence, protest, personal concern, and Ivement.

NUCLEAR TONES

137

1. - What do you think of his behaviour?

- It's irresponsible.

2. - Why do you think that house is better?

- It's 'more "spacious. Don't you 'see?

The Low Narrow Fall is the opposite of the High Wide Fall in that it completely lacks personal interest or enthusiasm and often sounds phlegmatic, calm and rather dogmatic. As compared with the High Narrow Fall the Low Narrow Fall is much more independent: no continuation is signalled and the utterance sounds cool an; reserved rather than light and airy.

1. - When does the pub open?

- At _sseven.

2. - Look! It's raining again. -~I ^thought it would.

Ear-Training