The high fall

Intonation pattern: (LOW PRE-HEAD +) HIGH FALL (+ TAIL)

The high fall in the nucleus starts very high and reaches the lowest pitch. The syllables of the tail are pronounced on the low level.

The high fall provides a greater degree of prominence for the word, making it more emphatic.

In general questions this intonation pattern conveys mildly surprised acceptance of the listener’s premises, sometimes with a shadow of impatience.

E.g. ˈIs it ̀possible ∣ to ˈsee ˈanything of ˈLondon in ˈone or ̀two ˌdays?

(Practical Course of English, part two. Edited by V.D. Arakin. Sightseeing)

Compare: ˈDid she ˈask you to ˈgo ˏthere? (unemphatic)

ˈDid she ˈask you to ˈgo `there? (= Didn’t she ask you to go to another place?)

Exercise 1.

Read the following conversational situations with general questions, use the high fall. Show your mildly surprised acceptance of the listener’s premises. Sometimes you show a shadow of impatience.

1. – I like it here. – ‵Do you?

2. – She is thirty-five. – `Is she?

3. – They won’t help us. – `Won’t they?

4. – I can’t bear cats. – `Can’t you?

5. – I must be home by six. – `Must you?

6. – I ought to go to the lecture. – But `will you go, do you think?

7. – I’m terribly hard up. – ˈAren’t we `all?

8. – I’m quite booked up next week. – ˈWill the ˈweek `after suit you better?

9. – I can’t meet you this Tuesday. – ˈShall we ˈleave it till `next week?

10. – I’m sorry, but I hate cocoa. – ˈWould you ˈlike a ˈcup of `tea, then?

11. – Thank you for all you’ve done. – ˈIs there ˈanything `else I can do to help?

12. – He’s promised to stop smoking. – ˈDoes he `really mean what he says?

13. – Shall we go for a walk to the forest? – ˈIsn’t it ˈstill `raining?

14. – She promised to bring the book. – ˈDoes she `always keep her promises?

The most common way of asking general questions is the low rise preceded by the descending scale. The speaker sounds sympathetically interested or puzzled.

Exercise 2.

a) Read the following conversational situations. Use the low rise in the general questions. Show that you are sympathetically interested.

1. – I’m quite booked up next week. – ˈWill the ˈweek ˈafter ˈsuit you ˏbetter?

2. – I can’t meet you this Tuesday. – ˈShall we ˈleave it till ˈnext ˏweek?

3. – I’m sorry, but I hate cocoa. – ˈWould you ˈlike a ˈcup of ˏtea, then?

4. – Thank you for all you’ve done. – ˈIs there ˈanything ˈelse I can ˈdo to ˏhelp?

5. – He’s promised to stop smoking. – ˈDoes he ˈreally ˈmean what he ˏsays?

6. – Shall we go for a walk to the forest? – ˈIsn’t it ˈstill ˏraining?

7. – She promised to bring the book. – ˈDoes she ˈalways ˈkeep her ˏpromises?

b) Now show difference in your attitude to the situation. Use either the high fall or the low rise. Explain your attitude.

1. – I’m quite booked up next week.

– ˈWill the ˈweek ˈafter ˈsuit you ˏbetter?

– ˈWill the ˈweek `after suit you better?

2. – I can’t meet you this Tuesday.

– ˈShall we ˈleave it till ˈnext ˏweek?

– ˈShall we ˈleave it till `next week?

3. – I’m sorry, but I hate cocoa.

– ˈWould you ˈlike a ˈcup of ˏtea, then?

– ˈWould you ˈlike a ˈcup of `tea, then?

4. – Thank you for all you’ve done.

– ˈIs there ˈanything ˈelse I can ˈdo to ˏhelp?

– ˈIs there ˈanything `else I can do to help?

5. – He’s promised to stop smoking.

– ˈDoes he ˈreally ˈmean what he ˏsays?

– ˈDoes he `really mean what he says?

6. – Shall we go for a walk to the forest?

– ˈIsn’t it ˈstill ˏraining?

– ˈIsn’t it ˈstill `raining?

7. – She promised to bring the book.

– ˈDoes she ˈalways ˈkeep her ˏpromises?

– ˈDoes she `always keep her promises?

Exercise 3.

Read the following general questions and express your attitude towards the situation. Use either the low rise or the high fall.

1. – I’m quite booked up next week.

– Will the week after suit you better? (sympathetically interested)

– Will the week after suit you better? (mildly surprised)

2. – I can’t meet you this Tuesday.

– Shall we leave it till next week? (sympathetically interested)

– Shall we leave it till next week? (slightly impatient)

3. – I’m sorry, but I hate cocoa.

– Would you like a cup of tea, then? (mildly surprised)

– Would you like a cup of tea, then? (sympathetically interested)

4. – Thank you for all you’ve done.

– Is there anything else I can do to help? (slightly impatient)

– Is there anything else I can do to help? (sympathetically interested)

5. – He’s promised to stop smoking.

– Does he really mean what he says? (with a shadow of impatience)

– Does he really mean what he says? (sympathetically interested)

6. – Shall we go for a walk to the forest?

– Isn’t it still raining? (sympathetically interested)

– Isn’t it still raining? (with a shadow of impatience)

7. – She promised to bring the book.

– Does she always keep her promises? (slightly impatient)

– Does she always keep her promises? (sympathetically interested)

V