Intonation refers to the way the voice goes up or down in pitch when we speak. Without intonation, it's impossible to understand the expression and thoughts that go with words
Intonation doesn't exist in isolation.So it makes sense to approach it together with 3 other factors: grammar, attitude, discourse
Many attempts have been made to show connections between intonation patterns and particular types of grammatical structures and the following list shows some of these:
Examples | Listen |
What's the time? ↘ | |
What's your name? ↘ | |
Where do you live? ↘ |
Examples | Listen |
Is this the blue one? ↗ | |
Have you got a pen? ↗ | |
Is Jenny with you ? ↗ |
Examples | Listen |
He lives in the house on the corner.↘ | |
It's over there. ↘ | |
She's very happy.↘ |
Examples | Listen |
Please come in.↘ | |
Get out of my life ↘ |
+ Expecting confirmation: falling tune ↘
+ Showing less certainty: rising tune ↗
Examples
|
Listen Expecting confirmation |
Listen Showing less certainty |
You're from Poland, aren't you? | ||
Your name's Jacek, isn't it? | ||
You live in Warsaw, don't you? |
Examples | Listen |
You need a pen↗, a pencil ↗and some paper.↘ | |
The stall sells ribbon↗, beads↗, elastic↗ and buttons.. ↘ |
The level tune is neutral and uninterested.
Examples | Explanation | Listen |
Teacher: Adam Smith Pupil: Yes |
Teacher's calling names of the pupils from the register. |
The rising tune conveys an impression that something more is to follow
Examples | Explanation | Listen |
A: Do you know John Smith? B: Yes ↗ |
B's reply is to invite A to continue what she intends to say about John Smith. |
The falling tune is regarded as more or less neutral. It gives an impression of finality.
Examples | Explanation | Listen |
A: Do you know John Smith? B: Yes ↘ |
B's reply will be understood that the question now answered and there is nothing more to be said. |
The rising- falling tune is used to convey strong feelings of approval or surprise
Examples | Explanation | Listen |
A: I have heard that he is a kind man. B: Yes ↗ ↘ |
B's reply shows a strong approval. |
The falling-rising tune shows limitted agreement, response with reservation, uncertainty, or doubt
Examples | Explanation | Listen |
A: I have heard that he is a kind man. B: Yes ↘↗ |
B doesn't completely agree |
It is needed to be aware of intonation in the longer stretches of language. Here are some clearer guidelines given: "new" information = fall tune, "shared" information = fall -rise tune.
Examples | Explanation | Listen |
A: Edinburgh's one of my favourite places in England. B: But Endinburgh ↘↗ isn't in England ↘↗, it's in Scotland↘ |
"Edinburgh" and " England" are old information, "Scotland" is new information. | |
A: What time are we meeting? Did you say half past two? B: No, not half past two↘↗, half past three↘ |
"Two" is old information, "three" is new information |