1) What is a syllable?

A syllable is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds.

2)      What is prominence?
A prominence occur when we speak and we give more emphasis to some parts of a
sentence, statement, word than others.
3)      What is an utterance? Is it the same as a sentence?
An utterance is the smallest unit of speech.  Utterance can be defined as a part
of speech between pauses and silence. This usually applies to spoken language
and not for written language.  An utterance can be a single word, a group of
words, a clause or even a complete sentence.
No, it isn’t. A sentence is a group of words that conveys a complete meaning
or thought. A sentence at least contains a subject and verb that highlights that a
sentence conveys a complete meaning because it is a combination of words.
4)      What is accent?
A higher-pitched or stronger articulation of a particular syllable of a word or
phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to emphasize it.
5)      What is stress?
The emphasis placed on a syllable of a word.
6)      What is intonation?
Intonation is about how we say things, rather than what we say. It is a term used to
refer to the distinctive use of different patterns of pitch that carry meaningful
information. Intonation can be describe as the movements or variations in pitch to
which we attach familiar labels describing levels and tones.
7)      What is attitudinal intonation?
Intonation enables us to express emotions and attitudes as we speak, and this
adds a special kind of “meaning” to spoken language. This is often called the
attitudinal function of intonation.
Allow us to express emotions: finality, confidence, interest, surprise, doubt, joy,
pain, irony, etc.
8)      What is accentual intonation?
Intonation helps to produce the effect of prominence on syllables that need to
be perceived as stressed, and in particular the placing of tonic stress on a
particular syllable marks out the word to which it belongs as the most
important in the tone-unit. In this case, intonation works to focus attention on a
particular lexical item or syllable. This has been called the accentual function
of intonation.
When it is said that intonation has accentual function, it implies that the placement
of stress is somewhat determined by intonation 
9)      What is grammar intonation?
The listener is better able to recognise the grammar and syntactic structure of
what is being said by using the information contained in the intonation; for
example, such things as the placement of boundaries between phrases, clauses
or sentences, the difference between questions and statements, and the use of
grammatical subordination may be indicated. This has been called the
grammatical function of intonation.
The listener is better able to recognize the grammar and syntax structure of what
is being said by using the information contained in the intonation. The placement
of boundaries between phrases, clauses and sentences. The difference between
 questions and statements.
10)   What is discourse intonation?
Looking at the act of speaking in a broader way, we can see that intonation can
signal to the listener what is to be taken as “new” information and what is
already “given”, can suggest when the speaker is indicating some sort of
contrast or link with material in another tone-unit and, in conversation, can
convey to the listener what kind of response is expected. Such functions are
examples of intonation’s discourse function.
Intonation can signal to the listener what is to be taken as “new” information and
what is already “given”. It can indicate when the speaker is indicating some sort of
contrast or link with material in another tone unit. In conversation it can convey to
the listener what kind of response is being expected from him.
11)   What is a tone unit?
TONE UNIT is a group of words forming a distinctive unit in an utterance,
containing a nucleus and optionally one or more other syllables before and after
the nucleus. Tone unit is a division of natural speech which corresponds to the
speaker’s organization of what is said into units of information. Each tone unit has a
single pitch movement. There is no direct relationship between the tone unit and any
grammatical or discourse unit.
Transcription: Tone unit boundaries are indicated by the use of two parallel lines: //
12)   What is a prominent syllable?
A prominent syllable is always an accented syllable of a word, but an accented
syllable is not always a prominent syllable. So, any accented syllable could become
prominent if the speaker chooses to highlight the word containing it. Prominent
syllable is the tone unit will have, as a minimum requirement, one prominent syllable.
It may have two, but very rarely more. The distribution of prominence is relative to
the communicative value of the word (sometimes the syllable) at that point in the
developing discourse. Thus, by assigning prominent syllable to it, the speaker marks it
as significant. Prominent syllables are written in small capital letters.
13)   What is an onset?
Sounds attached to the beginning of the nucleus are called the onset: onsets
might consist of one or more sound segments. Onset is the first prominent syllable
of a tone unit, e.g. “TURN” in // TURN slightly toWARDS me //
14)   What is a tonic syllable?
TONIC SYLLABLE: The tonic syllable is the minimum element, the defining
characteristic, of the tone unit. It is the place where the major movement begins, and
marks the focal point of the message. If there is only one prominent syllable in a tone
unit, it is also tonic. If there are more, the last one is tonic. Tonic syllables are written
in small capital letters and underlined. // TURN slightly toWARDS me //
15)   What is a tone?
TONES: The pitch movement that begins at a tonic syllable is called a tone. There are
two broad classes of tone: those which finally fall (proclaiming), and those which
finally rise (referring). This binary system represents the main meaning contrast, each
of the tones having a particular communicative value. An arrow indicating the
direction of the pitch movement which begins at the next tonic syllable is placed at the
beginning of the tone unit. // TURN slightly toWARDS me //

16)   What are the falling tones used for?

FALLING TONE (the most common pattern in English):

＊ COMPLETE, DEFINITE STATEMENT
 It is the most common intonation pattern in English.
＊ WH- QUESTIONS
The voice often falls in questions beginning with “When, Where, Why, etc.”
＊ QUESTION TAGS … FALLING
The speaker is certain of what he/she says. He /she expects the other person to
agree with him/her. The voice falls on the question tag. It’s not a real question.
＊ CORRECTING
The voice falls on the correct word to emphasize
The voice falls and rises on the correct information, then falls on the correct
information to emphasize it.
＊ YES/ NO SHORT ANSWERS
The voice often falls on ‘Yes’, which should be a complete answer, and also on
‘it was’ which is also a complete, definite answer. The speaker often goes on to
give a more detailed answer, also with a fall.
＊ EXLAMATIONS
e.g. How kind of you!
＊ COMMANDS
e.g. Open your book.
＊ THANKS & APOLOGIES
e.g. Thank you. / Sorry to interrupt you.

17)   What are the fall-rise tones used for?

FALL & RISE TONE (It usually falls and rises within one word):
＊ HESITATION / RELUCTANCE / UNCERTAINTY / DOUBT
The speaker is not certain of the answer or they are reluctant to reply (as
opposed to a falling tone used when there is no hesitation)
e.g. That could be a good choice, sure…
＊ POLITENESS / SUGGESTIONS
e.g. Yes, we could go to the cinema…
＊ HOPES & WISHES
e.g. Well, I hope he gets better soon.