The high fall

Special questions with the high fall are very common in conversation. They sound lively and interested.

E.g. Peter: Mum! Dad! ˈWhere is `everyone? Is the house empty? Hallo! (Meet the Parkers 8)

But sometimes the high fall shows that the speaker is unpleasantly surprised.

E.g. Robert: Peter! ˈWhat are you ˈmaking ˈall that` noise about? (Meet the Parkers 8)

Nora: The “Rovers” Robert? Why, ˈwhere have you `been? (Meet the Parkers 3)

Exercise 1.

Read the following conversational situations with special questions, use the high fall. Sound lively and interested.

1. – I shall have to give it to him. – `Why?

2. – I’m going to England. – `When?

3. – You’ll never guess who is here. – `Who?

4. – You can win easily. – `How?

5. Peter: Hallo, Robert. ˈWhat are you ˈdoing in the `bathroom?

Robert: I’m having a wash. What do you think?

Peter: ˈWhy are you ˈhaving a ˈwash `now? (“Meet the Parkers”8)

6. – I mustn’t take them. – `Why ˌmustn’t you ˌtake them?

7. – Sorry to be so late. - ˈWhat’s `happened?

8. – Give them one of these books. – `Which one, do you think?

9. – I must go there. – But `when?

10. – I’ll find him. - But `how can you ˌfind him?

11. – I’ve just seen that new musical. – ˈWhat is it `called?

Exercise 2.

Read the following conversational situations with special questions, use the high fall. You are unpleasantly surprised.

1. Robert: Here, Peter! ˈWhat are you ˈdoing with ˈthat `cake?

Peter: Don’t be silly! You know exactly what I am doing with it. (“Meet the Parkers”8)

2. – I don’t know Peter’s address. – ˈWhy ˈdidn’t you ˈask him about it be`fore?

3. – You can’t go there. – But ˈwhy `not?

4. - I said no such thing. – `What did you ˌsay, then?

5. – Today’s out of the question. – `When can you ˌcome, may I ask?

6. – Mary is waiting for you. – `Why has she ˌcome?

Exercise 3.

Read the following special questions, use either the low fall or the high fall according to the state of the speaker.

1. Mum! Dad! Where is everyone? Is the house empty? Hallo! (interested)

2. Hallo, Robert. What are you doing in the bathroom? (lively)

3. I’m having a wash. What do you think? (irritated)

4. Here, Peter! What are you doing with that cake? (unpleasantly surprised)

5. Hallo. Who has been playing with my pipes? One of them is missing. (Unpleasantly surprised)

6. Why do you keep looking at the clock? (irritated)

7. Just call him. – When? He is always away and I don’t have time to wait for him (unsympathetic)

8. Can she see you tomorrow? – What is the matter with her now? I’m sick and tired of her.

(unsympathetic)

9. Mary is waiting for you.

– Why has she come? (unpleasantly surprised)

– Why has she come? (irritated)

10. I don’t know Peter’s address.

– Why didn’t you ask him about it before? (unpleasantly surprised)

– Why didn’t you ask him about it before? (flat, reserved)

IV

The low rise

The low rise is used in special questions when the speaker:

(a) expresses a friendly interest;

E.g. ˈWhere is ˏMum? I want to ask her something. (“Meet the Parkers”8)

(b) sounds wondering or mildly puzzled, and wants the speaker to repeat the previously made statement calling for information already given;

E.g. ˈHow ˏold are you? (= I wonder what your age might be; please, tell it to me.)

(c) implies a mild reproach or sounds soothing;

E.g. ˈWhat have you ˏdone? (implying a mild reproach)

And ˈhow ˈoften do you ˈhear of a ˏcrash? ˈOnce or ˈtwice a ˏyear? (soothing)

(a)

Exercise 1.

Read the following conversational situations, use the low rise. Express your sympathy and interest.

1. I’m leaving tomorrow. – ˈWhy are you ˈleaving so ˏearly?

2. I’ve seen him today. – ˈWhere did you ˏsee him? ˏ

3. I’ve lost the key, Mum. – ˈHow did you ˈmanage to ˏdo that?

4. Steven is going to retire. – ˈWho ˈdo you ˈthink will ˈtake ˏover from him?

5. I’m afraid they’ve gone out. – ˈWhen will they be ˏback?

6. Alice is on the phone. – ˈWho does she ˈwant to ˏspeak to?

7. I don’t think I’ll speak to him today. – ˈWhy ˏnot?

8. My pen won’t write. – ˈWhat’s ˏwrong with it?

9. I am so tired. – ˈWhy ˈdon’t you ˈhave a ˏrest?

10. I can’t do it alone. – ˈWhy ˈdon’t you ˈask your ˈfriend to ˏhelp you?

11. Oh dear, oh dear! – ˈWhat’s the ˏmatter?

12. Who am I talking to? – ˈWho are you ˏtalking to?

13. What’s our home assignment? – ˈWhat’s your ˈhome asˏsignment?

(b)

In special questions with the low rising nuclear tone on the interrogative word the speaker sounds wondering or mildly puzzled and wants the speaker to repeat the previously made statement.

E.g. ˏWhat’s the time? (= I’m sorry I didn’t hear / understand, what you said; please, repeat it.)

Exercise 2.

Read the following conversational situations, use the low rise on the interrogative word. Show that you are wondering or puzzled.

1. How must I do it? – ˏHow?

2. She’s thirty-six. – ˈHow ˏold is she?

3. How old are you? – ˈHow ˏold am I?

4. You must do it this way. – ˏHow?

5. Which is William’s book? – ˏWhich?

6. William’s is the blue book. – ˏWhich?

7. Who’s coming this Friday? – ˏWho?

8. That one is yours. – ˏWhich one?

9. His name was William. – ˏWhat was that?

10. Richard’s due at eleven o’clock. – ˏWhen is he due?

11. What are they doing? – ˏWhat?

12. He is at home after four. – ˏWhen?

13. Lucy is coming to Moscow. – ˏWho?

14. Where shall we meet? – ˏWhere?

15. You should write to her at once. – ˏWho should I write to?

16. Come round at five. – ˏWhat time do you want me to come?

17. Who gave it to you? – ˏWho gave it to me?

18. I’ll finish it by Sunday. – By ˏwhat day?

19. He is a writer. – He is ˏwhat?

20. Your train goes from King’s Cross station. – From ˏwhich station?

21. The train leaves at two. – At ˏwhat time?

22. Someone wants you on the phone. – ˏWho is it?

23. He wasn’t there. – ˏWhere was he then?

(c)

Exercise 3.

Read the following conversational situations, use the low rise in special questions. Express your mild reproach.

1. I wasn’t there in the morning. – ˈWhere were you in the ˏmorning?

2. I want to sell the house. - ˈWhy ˈdon’t you ˈwant to ˈkeep it for the ˏfamily?

3. He must go there at once. – ˈWhy must he ˈdo it ˏnow?

4. A boy wants you on the phone. – ˈWhy ˈdidn’t you ˈtell him that I ˈcan’t ˏanswer?

5. I’ll be at home after seven. – ˈWhy ˈcan’t you ˈcome ˏearlier?

6. I’m going for a picnic with Mary tomorrow. – And ˈwhen are you ˈgoing to preˈpare for your eˏxam?

7. I wanted to prepare fish for supper but I couldn’t. – ˈWhen am I ˈgoing to ˈhave ˏfish?

8. Could you turn out your workroom? – ˈWhy do you ˈwant me to ˈdo it on ˏSaturday?

Exercise 4.

Read the following conversational situations, use the low rise in special questions. Sound soothing.

1. I don’t think I’ll finish it by tomorrow. – ˈWhen will you ˏfinish it then?

2. I’m afraid I won’t see them in the morning. – ˈWhen will you ˏsee them?

3. You know, Harry, I wanted to prepare fish for supper but I couldn’t. – ˈWhen will you preˏpare fish?

4. I think I’ve lost the purse. – ˈHow have you ˏdone it?

5. I’m so tired. – ˈWhy should you do ˈall the ˈhousework aˏlone?

6. I’ve been cleaning the house since morning and am tired. Could you turn out your workroom? – ˈWhy ˈdon’t you ˈwant to ˈwait till the week-ˏend?

7. I’m tired! – ˈWhy should you ˈdo your ˈhome asˈsignment ˈlate at ˏnight?

Exercise 5.

Read the following conversational situations. Use either the low rise or the low fall according to the attitude expressed by the speaker.

1. I wasn’t there in the morning.

– Where were you in the morning? (friendly interested)

– Where were you in the morning? (serious and calm)

2. He must go there at once.

– Why must he do it now? (reserved)

– Why must he do it now? (mild reproach)

3. I don’t think I’ll finish it by tomorrow.

– When will you finish it then? (calm)

– When will you finish it then? (soothing)

4. I think I’ve lost the purse.

– How have you done it? (mild reproach)

– How have you done it? (calm)

5. I want to sell the house.

– Why don’t you want to keep it for the family? (flat)

- Why don’t you want to keep it for the family? (mild reproach)

V