SEMINAR 6. INTONATION.

TOPICS FOR REPORTS

1) The notion of intonation and its constituents.

2) The functions of intonation.

4) The formation of nucleus tones in English (illustrate their use with examples):

a) Falling tones (The Low Fall, The High Fall).

b) Rising tones (The Low Rise, The High Rise).

c) The Rise-Fall, The Fall-Rise, The Rise-Fall-Rise.

d) The Level Tones

e) Tone combinations/ Complex tones

5) The formation of scales in English (illustrate their use with examples):

a. Descending scales (The Descending Stepping Scale, The Descending Sliding Scale, The Descending Scandent Scale).

b. Ascending Scales (The Ascending Stepping Scale, The Ascending Sliding Scale, The Ascending Scandent Scale).

c. A Level Scale

HOME PRACTICE.

Exercise 1. Which sentence of each group is marked in the way most likely to correspond to the attitudes given?

1. Extremely surprised a) 'What’s the ˛matter?

b) 'What’s the ¸matter?

c) ¸What’s the `matter?

2. Excitedly enthusiastic a) It’s `really `very `good.

b) It’s 'really 'very ¸good.

c) It’s ֽreally ֽvery ¸good.

3. Sullenly critical a) We ֽhaven’t got ֽvery much ¸time.

b) We ¸haven’t got 'very much `time.

c) We 'haven’t got 'very much ¸time.

4. Deeply sympathetic a) I’m 'terribly ¸sorry for him.

b) I’m `terribly ¸sorry for him.

c) I’m ֽterribly ¸sorry for him.

5. Excited a) It’s `further than `ha1f a `mile.

b) It’s ֽfurther than ֽhalf a ¸mile.

c) It’s 'further than 'half a ¸mile.

6. Gentle a) It’s a ¸play by 'Oscar `Wilde.

b) It’s a 'play by 'Oscar ΄Wilde.

c) It’s a \play by \Oscar ΄Wilde.

7. Startled a) I ¸always en`joy fish and ¸chips.

b) I ֽalways en ֽjoy fish and ¸chips.

c) I 'always en'joy fish and ¸chips.

8. Impressed a) It ar 'rived the 'next ˛day.

b) It ar 'rived the 'next `day.

c) It ar 'rived the 'next ¸day.

9. Sullen a) Do you ¸mind?

b) 'Do you ΄mind?

c) 'Do you ˛mind?

10. Encouraging a) You can ֽhave a ֽnother ˛cake.

b) You can 'have a'nother ˛cake.

c) You can 'have a'nother ¸cake.

11. Sympathetic a)You ֽcan’t ֽget them ¸anywhere.

b) You 'can’t 'get them ¸anywhere.

c) You \can’t \get them ˇanywhere.

12. Warm a) I 'beg your ˛pardon.

b) I ΄beg your pardon.

c) I `beg your ¸pardon.

13. Surprised a) They’ll 'ripen in ¸time.

b) They’ll \ripen in ˇtime.

c) They’ll ¸ripen in `time.

14. Careful, polite a) It’s the \way to the ˇsea-side.

b) It’s the ֽway to the ¸sea-side.

c) It’s the ¸way to the `sea-side.

15. Impatient, puzzled a) 'What’s the ˛matter?

b) ¸What’s the `matter?

c) `What’s the ¸matter?

16. Gloomy, listless (a) I’ll ֽtell him as ֽsoon as I ¸can.

b) I’ll 'tell him as 'soon as I ¸can.

c) I’ll \tell him as \soon as I ˇcan.

Exercise 2. Complete the intonation markings of the following underlined sentence parts to indicate an appropriate way of saying them.

For example: She \isn’t twenty-ˇone |— she’s twenty-two.

Answer: She \isn’t twenty-ˇone |— she’s twenty-`two.

1. Jim: I’ve got `news for ¸you.

John: I’ve got news for you.

2. There were ¸pears, | ¸plums, | ¸ apples | and finally grapes.

3. \Not the \Shaming of the ˇTrue | — the Taming of the Shrew.

4. It \wasn’t a \small ˇcat | — it was a very large tiger.

5. Mary: It’s `due ¸now, | ¸isn’t it?

Alec: It’s overdue!

6. Paul: 'Is he 'being 'well ¸paid?

Tom: He’s coining money, I’d say.

7. He 'spoke more in `sorrow | than in anger.

8. I’ve 'done them al`ready, | as it happens.

9. John: ֽDid he ΄copy?

Fred: Word for word, the lazy hound.

10. Bill: ֽThat’s very ¸kind of you.

Tom: Think nothing of it.

11. He’s ֽtoo con`ceited. He needs taking down a peg or two.

Exercise 3.Mark on each of the following passages, according to the situations evident from the context in each case, the intonation patterns most likely to be used by the speakers.

1. Is it five yet?

Ten minutes past five.

My watch says five o’clock.

It’s ten minutes slow then.

Unless your watch is ten minutes fast.

2. Ever been to Russia?

Never been near the country.

Would you like to go there?

I’d leap at the chance.

Where would you go if you got there?

Heaps of places.

3. Hear about Smith’s accident?

Yes, indeed. Hard luck, on the poor fellow, wasn’t it?

Dangerous country, Norway.

Has terrible winters, too, they say.

I hear the place isn’t so bad in summer.

When they get a summer, that is.

4. Come and help me pack this food, you lazy dog.

I can’t help you—not just now. I’m packing the tent.

Where’s young Tommie?

I don’t know where the little devil is.

I expect he’s playing football.

He’s gone mad on the game lately.

It’s all his Uncle Bill’s fault giving him that ruddy great football.

You’re telling me.

5. Have you seen the play?

What play? The Importance of Being Earnest?

No, A Waste of Money.

There’s no play called that. Not A Waste of Money. You mean A Taste of Honey.

Oh that’s the name of it, is it? Who wrote the thing?

A young Manchester girl. Or at any rate she was when she wrote it. Very young. Still in her teens, I believe, in fact.

6. Brace yourself, darling.

Yes?

I’ve broken a plate.

No! Not one of the best plates.

Yes, I’m afraid. We’ve had the old things thirteen years.

More years than that. Since nineteen forty-eight.

Come, now. It can’t be all that time.

At any rate, I can hardly replace it, at this late date.

7. The phone’s ringing.

Well why don’t you answer it, then?

Answer it yourself.

I’m not expecting a call.

Neither am I.

Nobody ever phones me anyway.

Someone did yesterday.

Who?

I don’t know. I didn’t answer it, Bob did.

Oh well it’s stopped ringing now.

So it has. I wonder which of us it was for.

Probably neither of us.

True. Wrong number in all probability.

8. I’ve just been to the pictures.

Where did you say?

To the Majestic.

Oh you have, have you? Did you enjoy yourself?

I always do enjoy the movies.

What was it you saw?

Well I never! You know, the name of the blessed thing’s gone right out of my mind.

Never mind. It doesn’t matter.

It’s on the tip of my tongue.

It’ll come back to you in a minute.

Yes, but it’s very irritating, though.

9. Hullo there. It’s Smith, isn’t it?

Well, well. Robinson! I haven’t seen you for ten years or more.

No. It must be at least that.

Well, how are you keeping?

Oh, very well, thanks.

You’re certainly looking well.

So are you, old boy.

I thought you were living up north.

We were till this summer.

Where are you living now, then?

Just the other side of the river.

I often walk over there with Fido, here.

You must drop in and have a chat.

Thanks, I’ll do that.

10. Have you been at the cakes again?

No, no. I haven’t had a single one all the afternoon, honestly.

But I’ve counted them and there are four less than there were this morning. Are you, quite sure you haven’t touched them?

Well not exactly.

What do you mean? Now come on, now. I want the truth and nothing but the truth.

Well, you see, I gave four of them away.

11. For the last time, are you coming!

Now, now. Take it easy.

We promised we’d be there by three fifteen.

And we shall be. Never fear.

You are exasperating, Herbert.

You mustn’t let yourself be exasperated, my sweet.

Anyway, we’ve missed the fourteen minutes to two train, now.

Let’s get a taxi, then, old girl.

You know very well we can’t afford taxis on your salary.

12. I’d leave that heavy case in the corridor if I were you.

You could rupture yourself trying to get it up on the rack.

Where had I better put this one?

You can shove it up there.

I knew there was a reason why I shouldn’t have worn this suit.

Our tickets are in the pockets of my brown one.

Well tell the inspector that, when he comes. Fat lot of use that’ll be.

13: Evening, Jim!

Oh, it’s you, Len!

Whose poodle’s that you’ve got with you?

Poodle? What poodle?

Isn’t it a poodle?

You want your eyes tested! He’s half Bedlington, half Scottie!

Really? A cross-breed? He doesn’t look like a mongrel.

Like him? He’s yours for a fiver.

I wouldn’t give you five shillings for the little brute!

Exercise 4. Read each of the following sentences shifting the position of the last stress according to the following pattern:

Lanny turned into Adderley Street.

(a) Who turned into Adderley Street? `Lanny ֽturned into ˛Adderley ֽStreet.

(b) Where did Lanny turn? 'Lanny 'turned into `Adderley ֽStreet.

1. Fatty came over to the table. 2. I’m leaving tonight. 3. Lanny shrugged. 4. Fatty clicked his tongue in sympathy. 5. At the door he shook Fatty’s hand. 6. Two taxis took them to the station. 7. The train was waiting.

QUESTIONS FOR SELF STUDY:

1) What pitch levels are generally distinguished?

2) What is a pitch range? What pitch ranges are called normal, wide, narrow?

3) Enumerate and define the pitch-and-stress sections of an intonation pattern.

4) What is the nucleus? What types of nuclear tones do you know?

5) What is ‘the head’? How are the heads grouped in English?

6) Why is it necessary to differentiate four types of descending heads?

7) What is the main difference between the falling, stepping and scandent heads? What is a sliding head?

8) What is meant under ‘the broken descending head’?

9) What is the difference between the rising head and the climbing head?

10) What heads are called level?

11) What is a pre-head? What types of pre-head are generally distinguished?

12) What intonation means can make intonation groups and sentences sound more emphatic?

13) What are the typical intonation patterns for the main sentence types in English?

14) How are kinetic and static terminal tones connected with the other components of intonation?