Third year Practical phonetics Test 1

1. Consider the following questions in written form.

1. What phenomenon is called 'reduction'?

2. Name the sounds which are commonly found in the un­stressed syllables.

3. In what kind of words do non-reduced vowels occur in unstressed syllables? Give examples.

4. What degrees of reduction do you know?

5. What type of reduction is observed in the word can in the following sentence: 'I can read it alone.'?

6. Transcribe the sentence: "He is right.' What type of reduction is found in the word he?

7. Give examples to illustrate the verb to do in the reduced and non-reduced forms.

8. Within what segments of speech is the reduction realized?

9. Suppose your fellow-student says: "Com'bine is a noun.' What is his mistake? What will you tell him to do to correct the mistake? What kind of mistake is it, phonet­ic or phonological?

10. Your fellow-student may probably say satisfaction as [s tis'faekJn]. Is his mistake phonetic or phonological? What will you advise him to do to correct his mistake?

Test 2

1. Consider the following questions in written form.

1. What is a syllable?

2. What sounds can form the 'peak' of a syllable?

3. What sonorous sounds are syllabic?

4. What are the two possible ways to pronounce a word with a vowel-letter preceding a sonorant?

5. When does a sonorant lose its syllabic character?

6. Why is it important to know the syllable boundaries in a word?

7. Where does the syllable boundary go in words with an intervocalic consonant? Give reasons and examples.

8. What is the peculiarity of the syllable boundary with an intervocalic consonant preceded by a vowel?

9. How would you find the syllabic boundary in a word with intervocalic combinations of consonants? Give examples.

10. What is the generalized formula of a syllable structure?

11. Wliat pronunciation habits of Russians can interfere with correct syllable division in English?

Test 3

1. Consider the following questions and items in written form.

1. Why do we recognize phonostylistic effects carried by intonation irrespective of the speaker?

2. Dwell on interrelation of intonation with verbal and non­verbal contexts.

3. Give the definition of an intonational style.

4. Compare intonational and verbal style categories. Where do they overlap?

5. What imposes restrictions on the speaker's choice of an intonational style?

6. Dwell on intonational styles distinction.

7. Give semantic characteristic of every style.

8. What is the difference between informational and scien­tific styles? Give examples of their usage.

9. Compare declamatory and publicistic styles. In what spheres are they used?

10. What is the essential characteristic of familiar style? Where does it occur? Compare it with the other four style categories.

Test 4

1. Consider the following questions and items in written form.

1. What are the characteristic features of informational (formal) style? Analyse and read extracts exemplifying this style. Take into account the tone-marks provided. Do you agree that both extracts can be said to belong to the same variety?

2. What are the most essential characteristics of the academic kind of lecturing? Analyse the lecture presented under the heading of 'Scientific (Academic) Style'. Why is the lecturer trying to obtain a balance between formality and informality? What evidence is there that he is trying to do so?

3. Analyse the extract exemplifying scientific prose. Compare it with the lecture given above. Attempt to make as full list as possible of the linguistic similarities and differences. How do you account for the differences? Do you agree that both oral texts can be said to belong to the same style?

4. Compare the intonation of reading serious descriptive prose (declamatory style) with that of reading scientific prose (scientific style). Identify and account for file simi­larities and differences.

5. How does a novelist try to reflect conversation? Discuss the way in which the author provides us with clues as to how the speech of the characters should be interpreted. Analyse and read the extract from "Eating People is Wrong" by M. Bradbury (declamatory style). In what way does this conversation differ from the natural speech of living people, described under the heading of "Familiar (Conver­sational) Style"? What phonostylistic information is left out of the printed version?

6. Compare two types of public speaking: political speech-making (publicistic style) and the academic kind of lecturing (scientific style). Identify and account for the simi­larities and differences. Read (lie extract from a political speech in accordance with the tone-marks provided.

7. Why does familiar (conversational) style allow the occur­rence of the entire range of intonation patterns existing in English?

8. How do you account for the differences between telephone and non-telephone conversational situations? Compare them in terms of hesitation phenomena. What constraints does the absence of visual contact between speaker and hearer impose on the kind of linguistic and extra-linguistic features used?