Section 7

Basic intonation patterns of English

The basic patterns are classified according to the directional type of nuclear pitch change: the falling tone-pattern, the rising tone-pattern, the falling-rising tone-pattern and the rising-falling tone-pattern.

The rising tone-pattern

Contour 1. High/Stepping Head + High Narrow Rise

This contour has a strong interrogative force transforming any sentence-type into a question.

Modal Meaning and Usage

In statements: questioning or asking for repetition

In special questions: calling for a repetition of the particular part of the information

In general questions: echoing the listener's questions in order to gain time before answering

In imperatives and exclamations: querying all or part of the listener's utterance but with no critical intensions

Contour 2. High/Stepping Head + Mid Wide Rise

This contour is interrogative but the feeling of surprise is much weaker. It is used in straightforward i e. non-echo questions.

Contour 3. High/Stepping Head + Low Wide Rise

Modal Meaning and Usage

In statements: without a head – non-categoric

with a head - lively, friendly and warm

In special questions: without a head – puzzled

with a head – interested, warm, friendly

In general questions: without a head – casual

with a head – interested and warm

In imperatives and exclamations: soothing, calm

Contour 4. Low Head + Low Narrow Rise

An important of this contour is that both the prehead and the head must be low in pitch.

Modal Meaning and Usage

In statements: in monosyllabic utterances (e.g. yes, right, well) – encouraging further conversation. In loner utterance – casual perfunctory.

In special questions: wondering, mildly puzzled.

In general questions: casual, critical.

In imperatives and exclamations: casual, calm.

Pages 193-200

The falling tone-pattern

Falling contours all sound definite and complete, presenting information as “news”. Yet, each separate type of a Falling contour has a more or less clearly distinct range of meanings conveying the speaker's attitude to the situation, to the subject-matter and to the listener.

Contour 1. High/Stepping Head + Wide/Narrow and Usage

Modal Meaning and Usage

In statements: with no head – calm reserved: with head - categoric, weighty

In special questions: with no head – calm detached; with the nucleus on the interrogative word – insistent without interest

In general questions: with no head – skeptical, uninterested

In imperatives: calm and cold

Contour 2. High/Stepping Head + High/Mid Wide Fall

has largely the same meanings with or without a head.

Modal Meaning and Usage

In statements: with the High Head – light and lively, with the Stepping Head – enthusiastic

In special questions: with the High Head – business, lively

with the Stepping Head – considerate , concerned

In general questions: with no head - mild surprised

with the High Head – light, lively

with the Stepping Head – insistent, urgent

In imperatives: with the High Head – brisk, businesslike

Pages 204-210

The Falling –Rising Tone Pattern

Contour 1. Sliding/ Falling Head + Fall-Rise Undivided

The basic meaning of an utterance bearing a falling nuclear tone is implicatory and referring to the

preceding context.

Modal Meaning and Usage

In statements : contradicting ,correcting, doubtful ,apologetic ,warning ,reproachful .

In questions: astonished

In imperatives : a note of reproach or concern .

In exclamations : warm or protesting .

Contour 2 .Stepping / High Head + Fall- Rise Divided

Modal Meaning and Usage

In statements : contrast ,regret ,apology ,concern .

In questions : warmth ,concern .

In imperatives : polite , cordial .

p. 215-220

The Rising- Falling Tone-Pattern

Stepping / High Head + Rise-Fall Contour

The rising-falling tone has a strong modal-attitudinal coloring .The exact connotation emerge from the

lexical content and context in which the utterance is used .

Modal Meaning and Usage

In statements : challenging , mocking ,ironical .

In special questions : quizzical , impatient , antagonistic.

In general questions : impressed , quizzical , mocking ,impatient ,antagonistic .

In exclamations : impressed ,sometimes with a hint of accusation or irony . p. 225-230

Section 8 Division of Utterances into Intonation-Groups .

An intonation-group corresponding to a grammatical sentence is marked by specific characteristic of tone, stress and duration, serving to express semantic completeness and independence-the relevant features of an utterance. An intonation- group of this kind is defined as a simple tune .

Most grammatical sentences are prosodically expressed by a combination of intonation-groups .

Utterances which are composed of more than one intonation- group form a combined tune .

Long sentences break up into smaller parts in spoken language .Their division is based both on

physiological convenience (an intonation- group is normally a breath-group)and on the complexity of

information being conveyed .Of the two factors semantic reasons are overriding in importance .

Through intonation division the speaker can make several items stand out as more or less independent

parcels of information in a short utterance , too , increasing the general prominence of the

utterance .

p.235-236

Basic Types of Tone-Sequences in English

When analysed for the nuclear tones in each of the component parts , combined tunes may be described

as sequences of tones .

The most general observation concerning this subject is that tone-sequences in English display relatively

free combinability of nuclear tones .

Low Rise –High/Mid Fall

If I remember correctly, she’s living somewhere in Kent.

To make matters worse the weather was terrible.

High / Mid Fall – High / Mid/ Low Fall

We know the environment is threatened but we overlook it.

There’s no great hurry so you can take your time over it.

Fall – Rise- High / Mid Fall

First and foremost we should concentrate on public transport.

Unfortunetely I won’t be able to attend the club meeting.

Fall-Rise D –Mid /Low Fall

He wasn’t an interviewer he was being interviewed.

High/ Mid Fall-Low Rise

We’ll be there at about six if the baby-sitter doesn’t let us down.

High / Mid Fall – Fall-Rise

You remembered that friend of his, the guy who came from Liverpool.

Fall – Rise-Fall-Rise

Recycling products are often cheaper than making new ones.

Fall-Rise- Low Rise

Tuesday is his day in London, as usual.

However free the uses of nuclear tones may seem , there are certain underlying tendencies in the choice

of tones .First of all , there is some evidence that the choice of a nuclear tone in an intonation group is to

a considerable degree determined by the immediately preceding nuclear tone .In other words ,there is a high probability of tonal reduplication , which means that if there is a fall in the preceding group there is

a tendency to use the same or a similar kind of nuclear tone in the following one .

The purpose of such a repetition of tones in adjacent groups seems to consist in keeping the same attitude throughout an utterance as a means of linking its parts more closely together .The use of varying nuclear tones in adjacent groups , on the other hand , serves to indicate a change in the speaker's attitude .In longer

utterances the difference between the nuclear tones of the final and non-final groups is the result of their

specific roles in the organization of an utterance .The nuclear tone of the final group marks the communicative type of an utterance , while the choice of the nuclear tone in the non-final group is determined by the degree of its semantic independence and completeness .

p. 245-247

Prosodic Co-Ordination and Prosodic Subordination

It is necessary to consider some other aspects of combined tunes , and first of all ,those referring to the degree of prominence of each of the intonation-groups , which depends on the semantic relations between the adjacent parts of an utterance . These may be classified into relations of a ) equality , b ) inequality

c ) mutual dependence .

The first type implies a relatively equal degree of semantic importance of the adjacent parts which is often associated with their relative semantic independence . Such tone-sequences are called coordinative .

The second type that one of the two parts is semantically dependent , it requires either an obligatory continuation or a preceding part containing more important information . These are subordinative tone –sequences.

The third type –relations of mutual dependence-is intermediate between the first and the second. Both groups are equally important as far as the information message is concerned, yet neither of them can be