Tuesday 30 June 2020

KINDS OF INTONATION



Using the right intonation can change the meaning of the words you try to say.  As you speak, your voice gets louder and softer, as it places emphasis on certain parts, and it even goes up and down. The notes of your voice are called its pitch, and the change in pitch is what we call intonation.

Intonation is about how we say things, rather than what we say.


Use the rising intonation when asking a Yes-No question. 
NOW LISTEN!
Do you like your new ➚teacher?
Have you finished ➚already?
May I borrow your ➚dictionary?
Do you have any ➚magazines?
Do you sell ➚stamps?

YOUR TURN!
“Are you going to school ➚tomorrow?”
___________________________________

 High-energy emotions like happiness, excitement, fright and annoyance usually use a rising intonation. 
                             YOUR TURN!
“I can’t believe he gave you a ➚ride home!”
___________________________________

Use rising intonation on specific words in a sentence to emphasize their importance. 
                            YOUR TURN!
“I hope you got the➚red scarf.”

“I hope you got the red ➚scarf.”
___________________________________

Use rising intonation on tag questions which show uncertainty and require an answer. Tag questions on the other hand, are questions found at the end of a statement.

NOW LISTEN!
We've met already, ➚haven't we?
You like fish, ➚don't you?
You're a new student ➚aren't you?

The view is beautiful, ➚isn't it?

YOUR TURN!
“It’s a beautiful day,➚ isn’t it?”

___________________________________


Falling intonation is the most common intonation pattern in English. It is commonly found in statements, commands, wh-questions (information questions), confirmatory question tags and exclamations.

To ask most questions except for Yes-No questions, use the falling intonation at the end of the sentence.
“Why are you going to school tomorrow? It’s Saturday!”

 Declarative statements that only states facts or information use a falling intonation at the end of the sentence.
NOW LISTEN!
Nice to meet ↘you.
I’ll be back in a ↘minute.
She doesn’t live here ↘anymore.
Dad wants to change his ↘car.
Here is the weather ↘forecast.
We should work together more ↘often

I'm going for a walk in the ↘park.

YOUR TURN!
Cloudy weather is expected at the end of the ↘week.
______________________________________

In giving commands, the falling intonation is used.

                            NOW LISTEN!
Write your name ↘here.
Show me what you’ve ↘written.  
Leave it on the ↘desk.
Take that picture ↘ down.
Throw that ↘out.
Put your books on the ↘table.

YOUR TURN!
"Take your hands out of your ↘pockets."
___________________________________


WH- questions which request for information use the falling intonation.

                            NOW LISTEN!
What country do you come ↘from?
Where do you ↘work?  
Which of them do you ↘prefer?
When does the shop ↘open?
How many books have you ↘bought?
Which coat is ↘yours?

YOUR TURN!
"Whose bag is ↘this?"

__________________________
Tag questions that are statements requesting confirmation rather than questions.
Not all tag questions are really questions.
Some of them merely ask for confirmation or invite agreement, in which case we use a falling tone at the end.
                            NOW LISTEN!
He thinks he’s so clever, doesn’t ↘he?
She's such a nuisance, isn't ↘she?  
I failed the test because I didn't revise, did ↘ I?

YOUR TURN!
"It doesn't seem to bother him much, does ↘ it?"
____________________________


Exclamations, boredom, sarcasm and disinterest often use a falling intonation. For example, the sentence below would sound very sarcastic if you said it in a low pitch. With the sarcastic tone, it would mean that the speaker actually isn’t excited at all.

NOW LISTEN!
How nice of ↘ you!
That's just what I ↘need!
You don't ↘ say!

That's a ↘surprise!

                              YOUR TURN!
                "What a beautiful ↘ voice!"
___________________________________

Items on a list use a rising intonation until the final item, which uses a falling intonation.

NOW LISTEN!
We've got ➚apples, pears, bananas and ➘oranges
The sweater comes in ➚blue, white pink and ➘black
I like ➚football, tennis, basketball and ➘volleyball.
I bought ➚a tee-shirt, a skirt and a ➘handbag.

YOUR TURN!
“I love ➚ chocolate, strawberry and ➘ pistachio ice cream.”
___________________________________


When asking alternative questions use the rise-fall intonation.


NOW LISTEN!
Is John leaving on ➚Thursday or ➘Friday?
Does he speak ➚German or ➘French?
Is your name ➚Ava or ➘Eva?

YOUR TURN!
"Are you having ➚soup or ➘salad?"
_____________________________

For conditional sentences, the tone rises in the first clause and falls gradually in the second clause.

NOW LISTEN!
If he ➚calls, ask him to leave a ➘message.
Unless he ➚insists, I'm not going to ➘go.

 YOUR TURN!

"If you have any ➚problems, just ➘contact us."
___________________________________

The main function of fall-rise intonation is to show that the speaker is not certain of the answer they are giving to a question, or is reluctant to reply. It is also used in polite requests or suggestions.

Use the fall-rise intonation when reluctant or when you are hesitating.

NOW LISTEN!
So you'd be willing to confirm that? ...Well ... I ➘sup➚pose so ...

YOUR TURN!
"You didn't see him on Monday?   I don't quite ➘re➚member ..."
___________________________________


Use the fall-rise intonation when you are doubtful or uncertain of the answer to your question but wants to remain polite.

NOW LISTEN!
Perhaps we could ➘vis➚it the place?
Should we ➘cop➚y the list?

YOUR TURN!

"Do you think it's ➘al➚lowed?"
___________________________________


Here's the summary of the YOUR TURN section.

References:
Geikhman, Y. (2020). Intonation for English Learners: 
When to Change It and How to Learn It

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