語音學(xué)—intonation

1、Intonation (語調(diào)) Intonation the total pattern of pitch changes, i.e., the rise and fall of the voice during speech Functions of English intonation showing the purpose, the attitude and the feeling of the speaker Types of English intonation patterns three commonly-used tunes in English: falling / risi

2、ng / falling-rising Transcription of English intonation: using strokes and lines: & using dots and curves: % Intonation (語調(diào)) I taught him all I know. I %taught him all I know. There are too many people %there. Intonation (語調(diào)) Have you seen him yet? “Can you come?” he asked quietly. Forty of them

3、 were there.Intonation (語調(diào)) Important words the words which carry most of the meaning in a context: How was John? He was in an appallingly bad temper. Was John in a good temper? He was in an appallingly bad temper. Was John in a bad temper? He cant have been in an appallingly bad temper.Intonation (

4、語調(diào)) the falling tune / the falling intonation 1. word groups with only one word: No. Two. Tenpence. Excellent. 2. word groups with more than one word: Whatsthat? What was that?Intonation (語調(diào)) What was the matter with that? How can I possibly pay him two hundred pounds? Intonation (語調(diào)) I wasglad. I w

5、as veryglad. I %taught him all Iknow. I taught him all I know.Intonation (語調(diào)) RP & GA falling tune: RP: GA: What is the matter? What is the matter?RP: I dropped the letter in the mailbox on the corner.GA: I dropped the letter in the mailbox on the corner. Intonation (語調(diào)) the rising tune / the ri

6、sing intonation 1. word groups with only one important word: Two. Five. Six. Eight. Forty. Forty of them. Forty of them were there.Intonation (語調(diào)) 2. word groups with more than one important word: Are you married? Have you posted it to him? Are there two of them? Can you be here by five? But is it t

7、rue that youre changing your job? Intonation (語調(diào)) RP & GA rising tune:RP: Couldnt you have managed to avoid them? GA: Couldnt you have managed to avoid them? Intonation (語調(diào)) the falling rising tune / the falling-rising intonation 1. word groups with only one stressed word: &Five. &Why? &

8、amp;Twenty. &Seventy. &Seventy of them. Intonation (語調(diào)) 2. word groups with more than one stressed words: That was nice. That %wasnt %very friendly. She was quite &kind. I may be able to come on &Monday.Intonation (語調(diào)) The Intonation of Statements 1. Use the falling tune if the state

9、ment is complete and definite. I work an average of forty hours a week. The English climate is mild. 2. Use the rising tune or falling-rising tune when the statement is not complete but leading to something more. The English climate is mild and changeable. If you have finished the books, you return

10、them. If you havent finished, you can renew them. 3. Use the rising tune if the statement is intended to be soothing or encouraging. Nothing serious. Theres no hurry.Intonation (語調(diào)) The Intonation of Statements 4. Use the falling-rising tune if the statement has two parts, of which the first is more

11、 important to the meaning than the second. The fall is at the end of the first and the rise at the end of the second. How was John when you last saw him? He was drunk when I last saw him. He is always drunk, I am afraid. 5. Use the falling-rising if the statement is a correction of what someone else

12、 has said. Hes forty-five. Forty-&six. Thirty- five. 6. Use the rising tune if the statement is intended as a question. I really want to see the film you saw last week. You like it?Intonation (語調(diào)) Broken Tunes (句中上升) When to use a broken tune: When a sentence in falling intonation has so many st

13、ressed syllables that a descent would bring the voice to its lowest limit too soon and would sound monotonous, a broken tune can be used to break the long descent into two. How to use a broken tune: The pitch is moved up a bit (not as high as the first stress) at a convenient place, i.e. on the stre

14、ssed syllable of an important word in the middle of the sentence to begin another falling tune (the voice falls again after the rise). Intonation (語調(diào)) Broken Tunes (句中上升) We managed to carry the boxes as far as the end of the street. We managed to carry the boxes as far as the end of the street. Int

15、onation (語調(diào)) The Intonation of General and Special Questions 1. The intonation of general questions: *Use the rising tune for general questions. Did you have good weather on holiday? Have you seen him yet? 2. The intonation of special questions: *Use the falling tune if you want the question to soun

16、d businesslike. How many books can I take out of the library? *Use the rising tune if you want to show as much interest in (concern about) the other person as in (about) the subject: Hows everything with you?.Intonation (語調(diào)) The Intonation of General and Special Questions 2. The intonation of specia

17、l questions: *Use the falling tune for the one-word question (asking for new information). I want to quit the job. Why? *Use the rising tune for repetition-questions (repeating the other speakers question or asking for repetition of some old information) I arrived at ten oclock. When? / When did you

18、 arrive?Intonation (語調(diào)) The intonation of tag questions 1. For tag questions after commands (imperative sentence + tag question), use the rising tune: Pass it to me, would you? Lets take a break, shall we? 2. For tag questions after statements (statement + tag question), use the falling tune if you

19、are sure about what you have said and expect the other person to agree with you; use the rising tune if you want the other person to give you some information or his own opinion: He is a doctor, isnt he? (expecting agreementthe answer yes) He isnt a doctor, is he? (expecting agreementthe answer no)

20、You are coming with us, arent you? Your arent coming with us, are you?Intonation (語調(diào)) The Intonation of Imperatives 1. Use the falling-rising tune for a pleading request. The fall is on Do or Dont or Please if they occur, or on the main verb if not, and the rise is at the end. Do finish it on time.

21、Dont laugh at it. Please come with me. Sit here. Mind your steps. 2. Use the falling tune for strong commands. Dont make a noise! Shut up!Intonation (語調(diào)) The intonation of Alternative Questions 1. For alternative questions resembling general questions in form: use the rising tune on each alternative

22、 and the falling tune on the last one. Shall we go by plane, by train, or by boat? 2. For alternative questions resembling special questions in form (a wh-question followed by an elliptical alternative question) : use the falling tune on the special question; use the rising tune on each alternative

23、and the falling tune on the last one. How shall we go? By plane, by train, or by boat?Intonation (語調(diào)語調(diào)) Emphatic Intonation Reasons for giving special prominence (emphasis) to a particular word in speech: 1. to contrast two ideas I like listening to the BBC, not the VOA. 2. to intensify the meaning

24、of a word I have taught you all I know. 3. to add interest to an utterance / to avoid monotonous repetition of the same intonation patterns Tomorrow he will be watching her anxiously as she swims the long distance to England.Intonation (語調(diào)語調(diào)) Nucleus of an intonation unit A nucleus refers to the syl

25、lable in an intonation unit that carries the tune pattern (the fall, the rise or the fall-rise) the voice moves down or up from the nucleus. Generally speaking, the nucleus is the stressed syllable of the last content word. How to use the emphatic intonation The nucleus is shifted to the stressed sy

26、llable of the most important word the stressed syllable of the word that receives emphasis becomes the nucleus of the intonation unit; the nucleus carries a fall, a rise, or a fall-rise.Intonation (語調(diào)語調(diào)) Emphatic intonation in a falling pattern: the stressed syllable of the most important word falls

27、 from high to low; other syllables in the intonation unit remain low. Hes bought a new car. (simple statement) Hes bought a new %car. (not second-hand) Hes bought a %new %car. (not hired) Hes bought a new car. (not a bike)Intonation (語調(diào)語調(diào)) Emphatic intonation in a rising pattern: the stressed syllab

28、le of the most important word rises from low to a higher level; the falling tune is used before the nucleus. Did you buy the car? (common general question) Did you buy the car? (not hired) Did you buy the car? (not anyone else) Did you %buy the car? (not a bike).Intonation (語調(diào)) Emphatic intonation i

29、n a falling-rising pattern: the fall-rise is on the stressed syllable of the most important word, or the fall is on the stressed syllable of the most important word and the rise is on the last stressed syllable of the intonation unit. Did you buy it for Peter? I bought it for &David. Did you bor

30、row it for David? I bought it for David. Didnt your mother buy it for David? I bought it for David.Intonation (語調(diào)) The Intonation of Reporting Phrases Reporting phrases Phrases such as “. said,” “asked” used in conjunction with conversations are referred to as reporting phrases. Use the rising tune

31、or level tune on the reporting phrases when they are before the quoted speech. So she %said to %Tommy, “Why would anyone write about school?” He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, “Centuries ago.” The final reporting phrases rise after the falling-rising or rising quoted speech and remai

32、n on a low level after the falling quoted speech. May I have two tickets, please?” I asked. “Im sorry, weve sold out,” the %girl %said.Intonation (語調(diào)語調(diào)) The Intonation of Enumerations 1. Items in a series often have a rising intonation, especially when spoken rather slowly (in counting, listing, etc

33、.); the last item has a falling tune when the enumeration is completed. A, B, C, D, E, One, two, three, four, five. 2. A level tune is also common in enumeration. A succession of falls can be used, which sounds more formal. One, two, three, four, five, Five, four, three, two, one, lift off! 3. There

34、 is a tendency to use the same pattern throughout, whatever it may be.Intonation (語調(diào)) The Intonation of Vocatives Vocative a word or a noun phrase used when calling or addressing someone. In calling or addressing someone when the name begins the utterance, the falling tune, the rising tune,or the fa

35、lling-rising tune can be used. When the name comes at the end of the utterance, it is often unstressed after the fall of the utterance or said on a rising tune. The rising tune sounds more polite, casual, or friendly; the falling tune sounds more formal, serious, or used to attach importance to the

36、utterance. &Sarah, youve forgotten to introduce Sheila. Carol, weve bought a friend with us. John, where are you? Someones at the door, %Carol. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.Intonation (語調(diào)) The Intonation of Exclamations, Apologies, Greetings and Leave-takings 1. Use the falling tune for exclamations. Dear me! What a good idea! 2. Use the falling-rising tune for apologies. &Sorry. &Excuse me. 3. Use the rising tune (casual) or the falling tune (more formal) for greetings. Good morning. Good morning. 4. Use