Logical Stress
Logical Stress serves to mark the semantic center of the utterance (a word or a word-group that carries new information important for the speaker).
Logical Stress is observed when the syntagmatic stress is shifted from its normal place (the last notional word of the intonation-group) to any of the preceding words thus creating a new semantic center. Logical Stress is always combined with one of the moving tones.
Stress on words that follow logical stress either disappears (rapid colloquial) or becomes partial (slow colloquial).
e.g. He left for Kyiv yesterday.
He left for Kyiv yesterday.
He left for Kyiv yesterday.
He left for Kyiv yesterday.
Some Rules of Syntagmatic Division
When we speak we make pauses necessary for understanding. They divide the speech-flow into syntagms. The syntagmatic division depends on the tempo and style of speech. The slow colloquial style is characterised by a greater number of intonation groups, than the rapid colloqual.
Simple extended sentence
The subject group and the predicate group consisting of more than one word form separate syntagms (extended subject group).
John’s sister entered the room.
Note. One-word subject can form a separate syntagm if it is emphasised (one of the complex tones must be used on it).
Mary is John’s sister.
Homogeneous predicates or other members of the sentence:
John came but didn’t stay long.
An adverbial or parenthetical phrase at the beginning of the sentence.
A few minutes later we heard a ring at the door.
To tell the truth, he’s never late.
An apposition makes up a separate syntagm.
Betty Smith, my wife’s niece, lives with us.
Alternative and disjunctive questions
Do you live here or out of town?
You live here, don’t you?
Note. In slow colloquial style participial, gerundial, infinitive, prepositional phrases can form syntagms.
Complex and Compound Sentences
They make up two syntagms.
If you are lateask permission to come in.
Note. Two-member principle clause and an object clause as a subordinate one are joined into one syntagm.
H
esays
I
think he
was late.
I know
I suppose
Direct Address
The intonation of direct address depends on its position in the sentence.
Direct address in sentence-initial position is always stressed, it makes up a separate sense-group. In formal speech it takes the LOW FALL, e.g. Gentlemen, take your seats.
In a friendly conversation the FALL-RISE is preferable, e. g. Mary, won’t you sit down?
Direct address in sentence-mid or sentence-final position does not make up a separate syntagm. It is pronounced as an unstressed or partially stressed tail of the preceding syntagm, e. g. Good night, Mary!
Note. Direct address after the low falling nucleus can make the LOW RISE without forming a separate syntagm. In this case it sounds informal, friendly, e. g. Good afternoon, Mary!
Parentheses
The intonation of parenthesis depends on its position in the sentence.
Parentheses in sentence-initial position are usually stressed. They can form separate syntagms which mostly take the Low Fall or Low Rise, though the Fall-Rise is also possible.
Note. Parenthetical phrases that introduce object clauses such as, “I think”, “I suppose”, “I believe” do not form separate sense-groups.
Parentheses in sentence-mid or sentence-final position do not form separate syntagms. They are pronounced as an unstressed tail of the preceding stressed word, e. g. He is out, I’m afraid.