THE USE OF THE FALLING TONE (Glide Down)

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 908.

INTONATION

Intonation is a complex unity of variations in pitch, melody, stress, tempo and timbre. The pitch component (melody) is the change in the pitch of the voice in connected speech. Sentence stress (accent) is the great prominence of one or more words among other words in the same sentence. Tempo is the relative speed with which sentences and sense-groups are pronounced in connected speech. Speech timbre is a special colouring of voice which shows the speaker's emotions.

In connected speech words are combined into sense-groups. A sense-group (syntagma) is a word or group of words organized syntactically and phonetically to express a thought unit. Sense-group division depends on the meaning and structure of the sentence and the style of speech. The meaning expressed by a sense-group is not always complete. A sentence may consist of one or several sense-groups. Each sense-group is characterized by a definite intonation pattern.

One sense-group is usually separated from another by a short pause indicated by a vertical line.

e.g. It is (winter.çç¢Is it & raining?çç

¢Lesson ¢six is (difficult ç& isn't it?çç

The falling tone in unemphatic speech is categoric and expresses completeness, assurance, finality and determination. It is used:

1) in statements (affirmative and negative sentences expressing a complete thought)

e.g. I ¢felt ( sorry.çç

2) in special questions

e.g. ¢What is your( name?çç

3) in commands

e.g. ¢Go( away. çç

4) in exclamations

e.g. ¢That is ¢very ( interesting!çç

5) in the second part of alternative questions

e.g. ¢Do you ¢study & Englishç or ( French?çç

6) in the first part of disjunctive questions (sometimes in the second too)

e.g. The ¢text is ( easyç &isn't it?çç

7) in greetings on meetings

e.g. ¢Good ( morning!çç