2011-12 LINGUA INGLESE 1 modulo A/B2011-12 LINGUA INGLESE 1 modulo A/BIntroduction to English LinguisticsIntroduction to English Linguisticsprof. Hugo Bowlesprof. Hugo Bowles

Lesson 17Intonation

1

The functions of intonationThe functions of intonationAttitudinal functionAccentual functionGrammatical functionDiscourse function

Speech may be divided into tone units.Speech may be divided into tone units.Each tone unit is composed of:Each tone unit is composed of:

a tonic syllable (obligatory)optional elements which precede the tonic

syllable (pre-head, head)optional elements which follow the tonic

syllable (tail)

In short:In short:

(pre-head) + (head) + tonic syllable + (tail)

We will begin by looking at the tonic syllable, it We will begin by looking at the tonic syllable, it may follow one of these intonation patternsmay follow one of these intonation patterns

FallRiseFall-RiseRise-FallLevel

Each of these may express Each of these may express particular particular attitudesattitudes

Fall: neutral statementRise: neutral question, doubtFall-Rise: surprise, scepticismRise-Fall: emphatic statementLevel: boredom, disinterest

Fall: neutral statement, conclusionFall: neutral statement, conclusion

E.g. Have you seen Ann?

Yes. (Falling intonation indicates ‘I have answered your question and do not intend to add anything else’)

Rise: questioning, doubt, desire to continue Rise: questioning, doubt, desire to continue conversationconversation

E.g. Have you seen Ann lately?

Yes… (Rising intonation indicates ‘I want to continue the conversation, I am curious’)

Rise-Fall: emphatic statement, irritation, Rise-Fall: emphatic statement, irritation, command, enthusiasmcommand, enthusiasm

Do I really have to clean my room?

Yes!

Fall-Rise: surprise, scepticismFall-Rise: surprise, scepticism

Ann and Peter were on good terms at the party

Oh yes?

Level: boredom, lack of interestLevel: boredom, lack of interest

Can you remember Peter Jackson, the cost consultant for our company in Taiwan? The other day in the office I invited him for dinner, he’ll be coming tomorrow.

Yes.

We shall begin by considering the fall: here is We shall begin by considering the fall: here is a tone unit solely composed of a tonic syllablea tone unit solely composed of a tonic syllable

Things become more complicated when we Things become more complicated when we add syllablesadd syllables

In this case there are no stressed syllables In this case there are no stressed syllables before the tonic: ‘I said’ is the before the tonic: ‘I said’ is the pre-headpre-head

Here we have added a stressed syllable, Here we have added a stressed syllable, ‘told’, before the tonic, which is called the ‘told’, before the tonic, which is called the headhead. Notice how the intonation rises from . Notice how the intonation rises from the pre-head.the pre-head.

Here we have added syllables after the tonic, Here we have added syllables after the tonic, this is called the this is called the tailtail. Note how it tends to . Note how it tends to follow the intonation pattern of the tonic.follow the intonation pattern of the tonic.

This is obviously not the only possible This is obviously not the only possible realisation of this sentence. If we put the realisation of this sentence. If we put the main stress on ‘told’, it changes the pattern main stress on ‘told’, it changes the pattern completelycompletely..

In a similar way a rising tonic syllable will In a similar way a rising tonic syllable will condition its tail: here ‘when’ is the tonic condition its tail: here ‘when’ is the tonic syllablesyllable

Again when we come to complex tone we Again when we come to complex tone we find the tail following the tonic syllable: for a find the tail following the tonic syllable: for a fall-rise the fall occurs on the tonic and the fall-rise the fall occurs on the tonic and the rise at the end of the tailrise at the end of the tail

No matter how many syllables there are in No matter how many syllables there are in the tail, the rise finishes on the last the tail, the rise finishes on the last

While diagrams are immediate and clear, a While diagrams are immediate and clear, a more practical system of symbols has been more practical system of symbols has been developed to denote innotationdeveloped to denote innotation

Stress marking in a sentenceStress marking in a sentence

HEAD TAIL

I want to go to the dentists tomorrow morning.

Stressed syllables in the head ……Stressed syllables in the head …… HEADHEAD

……..are noted with a vertical tick ……..are noted with a vertical tick

I want to go to the dentists

ˈ

ˈ

Stressed syllables in the tail …….. Stressed syllables in the tail …….. TAILTAIL

are noted with a dot are noted with a dot

I want to go to the dentists to morrow morning

ˈ

ˈ . .

How to analyse a tone unitHow to analyse a tone unit

Identify the tonic (syllable) , i.e. the syllable where there is strong movement and stress)

Are there any other stressed syllables before the tonic?

- no: the area before the tonic is called the “pre-head”

- yes: the area between the stressed syllable and tonic is called the “head” and the area before the stressed syllable is the “pre-head”

Are there any words after the tonic? If yes, this is the “tail”

a.a.

movement on “these”

theseBill called to give me

give me these

these

ˈ HEAD

PRE-HEAD

TONIC SYLLABLE

TONIC SYLLABLE

TONIC SYLLABLE

Tonics in yellow, stress in Tonics in yellow, stress in whitewhite

b. Tuesdayd. hour e. less hourf. that endg. helph. red brown yellowi. hurtj. may k. lend l. all m. wow