Module 3 the anatomy of an intonation pattern

Theoretical Material

An intonation group is a word or a group of words characterized by a certain intonation pattern and is generally complete from the point of view of meaning.

An intonation pattern is a special model according to which an intonation group is formed. An intonation pattern consists of one or more syllables of various pitch levels and bearing a larger or smaller degree of prominence.

Those intonation patterns containing a number of syllables consist of the following parts:

1. The Pre-Head includes unstressed or partially stressed syllables preceding the Head. It can be High and Low.

2. The Head is the first stressed syllable. It can be High and Low.

3. The Body is the succession of unstressed, stressed or partially stressed syllables stretching from the Head up to the nucleus. The Head is not included to the Body.

4. The Nucleus (the Nuclear Tone) is the last stressed syllable in which the pitch changes.

5. The Tail is a succession of partially stressed or unstressed syllables following the Nucleus. It can be High (after all rising tones), Mid (after the Mid Level) and Low (after all falling tones).

The only compulsory component of an intonation pattern is the Nucleus. The rest are optional.

Practical Tasks

I. Transcribe and pronounce the following words.

The pre-head, the pre-nucleus, the scale, the tail, the nuclear tone, the terminal tone.

2. Match the words with their definition.

1) the tail a) includes the syllables beginning with the first stressed syllable up to the last stressed syllable

2) the head b) includes unstressed and half-stressed syllables preceding the head

3) the nucleus c) consists of the unstressed and half-stressed syllables that follow the nucleus

4) the pre-head d) is the most prominent syllable in the intonation pattern which is characterized by the change of pitch.

5) the scale e) is the first stressed syllable

3. Finish the following definitions.

1. The intonation group consists of ...

2. An intonation pattern is ...

3. In phonetics intonation patterns are represented by ...

4. A pre-nucleus is ...

5. A pre-head is formed by ...

6. A head is ...

7. A scale consists of ...

8. A nucleus is ...

9. A tail includes ...

10. The terminal tone is ...

5. Read and transcribe the following sentences. Draw on the staves the correct variant of the tonogram for each sentence. Define the structure of the intonation pattern.

1. He was always generous to the poor.

2. The painting was ordered by the woman's husband.

3. London always welcomes its visitors.

4. What are the most popular sports in your country?

5. Are all sorts of physical exercises very helpful?

6. Soho is known for a lot of entertainments.

6. Transcribe the sentences of the jokes. Put stresses and nuclear tones. In your transcription, point out the Pre-Head, the Head, the Body/Scale, the Nuclear Tone and the Tail.

1.

Prof.: "Can you tell me anything about the greatest chemists of the 17^th century?"

Stud.: "They are all dead, sir."

2.

At a college examination a professor said: "Does the question embarrass you?"

"Not at all, sir", replied the student, "not at all. It is the answer that bothers me".

3.

Prof.: "Hawkins, what is a synonym?"

Stud.: "It's a word you use in place of another one when you cannot spell the other one".

4.

During a Christmas exam, one of the questions was: "What causes a depression?" One of the students wrote: "God knows! I don't. Merry Christmas!" The exam paper came back with the prof's notation: "God gets 100, you get zero. Happy New Year!"

5.

The professor rapped on his desk and shouted: "Gentlemen, order!" The entire class yelled: "Beer!"

6.

Medical prof.: "What would you do in the case of a person eating poisonous mushrooms?"

Stud.: "Recommend a change of diet".

7. Transcribe and intone the following sentences. In your tonogram, point out the Pre-Head, the Head, the Body/Scale, the Nuclear Tone and the Tail.

1. Don't ever take a fence down until you know the reason it was put up.

2. The spirit is most often free when the body is satiated with pleasure.

3. The object of work is leisure.

4. Always forgive your enemies. Nothing annoys them so much.

5. It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues.

8. Read and transcribe the following sentences. Draw on the staves the correct variant of the tonogram for each sentence.

10. Choose the correct variant of the tonogram, which corresponds to the tonetic stress marks suggested in the sentence.

12. Read, transcribe and intone the following sentences. Mark words which are stressed and put necessary tonetic stress mark on the last word of each sentence to show the nuclear tone suggested in brackets.

1. I'll always keep your words in my memory (Rise-Fall-Rise).

2. Ukraine has metallurgical and heavy industries (Low Fall).

3. Do you like to be called a genius (High Rise)?

4. He showed more financial sense (Fall-Rise).

5. She tried to live a simple life (High Fall).

6. My friend is often sad in private (Rise-Fall).

13. Read and transcribe the following sentences.