SOME POINTS ON INTONATION

Intonation may be defined as "speech melody consisting of different tones" (Dalton & Seidlhofer, 1994). When we speak we go up or down on certain stressed syllables. When, for example, we ask a yes/no- question in English (i.e. a question that may be answered by a yes or a no), we tend to go up (= a rising tune), and when we state a fact we tend to go down (= a falling tune). Intonation plays a very important role in the spoken language, and different intonation patterns are used to send out signals and express different attitudes that may "colour" a message. In this course, we are only going to have a brief look at some of the basic patterns, exemplified through a set of sentences. There is often a connection between sentence function and choice of intonation pattern. By listening to and practising the following examples you will at least get some idea of the most fundamental tones that are used (or should be used) in the English classroom.

A sentence normally consists of a combination of lexical words (mainly nouns, adjectives, adverbs and verbs) carrying important meaning, and form words (conjunctions, articles, pronouns, prepositions, auxiliaries, etc.) which function as support for the sentence structure and do not in themselves carry much meaning. The lexical words are normally stressed ("heavy"), and the form words are normally unstressed ("light"). The tone (or glide) up or down will in most cases fall on lexical words that are important for the meaning of a sentence. Sometimes the glide may be found on a form word (see example 4 below), but that would create a special effect, or a special focus. Listen to, and repeat, the following sentences:

 

A: Glide / stress on important words:
Listen and repeat:
1: He's a teacher
2: It's difficult for them
3: She 'wants to jump
4: It's you I'm 'talking about

B: Fall on definite statements:
Listen and repeat:
We 'bought a 'new house
They came 'back from France yesterday
I was 'very pleased
I'd 'like to 'speak to the manager, please
We 'saw a 'huge elephant there

C: Fall in WH-question (= questions starting with a question word):
Listen and repeat:
'What did he say?
'Who's over there?
'Where did Brian go?

D: Rise in Yes/No questions:
Listen and repeat:
Is 'that your father?
Would you 'like some tea?
Does your 'friend smoke?

E: Fall or rise in question tags?
A fall is used when the speaker expects confirmation. A rise is used when the speaker expresses an element of doubt.
Listen and repeat:
They are Swedish, aren't they?
They are Swedish, aren't they?

He's better, isn't he?
He's better, isn't he?

F: Fall + rise in phrases where there is a "but" in the air. (This pattern - fall+rise - is often used to send out other signals, too. In addition to reservation, it may for example express warning, and even irony.)
Listen and repeat:
She's nice, (but 'not that nice)
(Was it a good concert?) - The singer was good, (but the 'others were awful).

G: Rise on incomplete phrases; rise on listing, except final item.
Very often, the use of a rise signals "more to come, haven't finished yet". A fall often indicates "end of message".
Listen and repeat:
'When she 'came home, she 'went 'straight to bed.
They 'saw lions, tigers, zebras, elephants and antelopes.