17. A Falling nuclear tone, due to its categoric and definite character, adds greater semantic weight to a non-final group in comparison with the Low Rising pattern.

Cf. 1 live near the bus-stop and the metro station.

I 'live near the bus-stop which is very convenient.

It must be noted that the Falling tone in non-final groups often has the so-called "not-low ending", i. e. when the ending level of the fall doesn't reach the bottom of the voice range.

This variant of a Fall lacks the effect of semantic completeness and is therefore most typical of semantically important but incomplete parts of sentences.

Falling tones used in structurally independent non-final intonation-groups usually end on a low pitch, at the bottom of the voice range:

Cf. Once or twice a week we 'go to the pictures.

The 'train 'leaves at nine so we have 'little time left.

18. A Falling-Rising nuclear tone (Divided or Undivided) is perhaps the most widely used pattern of non-final groups in English. It has a complex semantic effect, since it conveys two kinds of meaning: 1) special semantic importance or emphasis — due to the falling component of the tone, 2) semantic incompleteness and close links with the continuation — due to the rising component of the tone. Such a semantic relationship is most typical of cases when the non-final group is contrasted either to what follows in the same utterance or to what precedes it in the earlier context:

In 'front of the house we have a 'small garden. At the back of the house there's a 'much larger garden.

When the context does not imply the meaning of contrast, the function of the falling-rising tone is to express emphasis:

My daughter's name is Susan. Susan is the eldest child in the family.

The prenuclear part of a Falling-Rising tune often takes the pattern of a Sliding Head:

We went to the pictures last night, and saw a very interesting film.

19. Initial Parentheses

Parenthetical words and phrases at the beginning of an utterance are used for various purposes:

a) in order to gain time while,the speaker is framing the main remark of his utterance or to call the listener's attention to what is going to follow. B) to show the speaker's attitude towards the subject matter., supposition, certainty, satisfaction, regret, etc. E. g.: Unfortu­nately, Charles doesn't know about it.

Initial parentheses often_form a separate intonation-group which possesses all the typical characteristics of a non-final group:, the choice of the nuclear tone in it is determined by the degree of se­mantic independence and importance attached to the parenthesis. A common pattern for an initial parenthetical phrase is a Low Rising nuclear tone preceded by a normal (or high) prehead and high head (if there is any):

As far as 1 know, his daughter has a beautiful voice.

Parentheses pronounced with a Falling nuclear tone sound weighty and make the whole utterance more important:

By the way, I .heard you were thinking of going abroad this summer.

Additional emphasis or contrast is added to the parenthetical phrase by a Falling-Rising nuclear tone:

Personally I've always wanted to be a farmer.

Initial parentheses which are linked very closely with the main remark do not, as a rule, form a separate intonation-group. This is a common pattern for parenthetical clauses such as «/ suppose .... believe ... ,presume ... , I'm afraid ... , I think ...», etc. They may be unstressed or partially stressed and then form the prehead of a tune, or they may have a full stress which becomes part of the head:

I think 'that's my niece at the door.

I 'hope things will soon improve.

Short parentheses such as "well, now, but, oh, surely, probably, certainly, of course " frequently follow this pattern. They are unstressed or stressed according to the degree of importance attached to them: Of 'course it's a splendid idea.

Well, 'let's ask the others.