The Grammar Of Intonation

Some terms

Tonality = division of speech into tone groups Tonicity = location of stress (tonic, nucleus) in a tone group (last stressed word/sylla le in tone group) Tone = different pitch levels at tonic/nucleus! Intonation carries meaning ( elieve the tone of voice efore the words")

I thought she was a married!

Is she married##

Other languages achieve this in different ways so this use of intonation has to e learned! $ortunately there are rules (grammar)

Tonality

% tone group must e meaningful!

I have constructed my life around this principle

&'ercise( )ivide this sentence into meaningful tone groups (*+hun, this sentence*")! -ossi le answers(

I have constructed . my life . around this principle I have . constructed my life . around this principle / I have . constructed my . life around this principle

Impossi le answer

Tonality (0)

$unction of adver s distinguished y tonality

1ichard can*t e'plain . clearly (sentence adver ) 1ichard can*t e'plain clearly (manner adver )

)efining/2on3defining clauses

4at . who wears a hat . didn*t do 4ovem er 4at who wears a hat . didn*t do 4ovem er

Transitive/Intransitive

5aurie wo,e . and dressed his son 5aurie wo,e and dressed his son

Tonicity

+ontrast

I didn*t ,now his first wife was )%2ish I didn*t ,now his $I1ST wife was )anish!

This sentence can have 6 meanings ecause it can have tonics/nuclei

2ew/Old information

Old (given) information is not stressed! Tonic moves

%,( 7hy don*t you use your STI+8# 1i( I can*t $I2) my stic,!

Tone

&ach nuclear tone occurs with particular syntactic constructions

$alling tones for( wh3:uestions and statement 1ising tones for( continuity, yes/no :uestions

Implications for teaching

2eed to teach intonation with grammar/discourse

;ow do you pronounce a :uestion# ;ow do you pronounce a *relative clause*# ;ow do you pronounce an *adver *#

<+hun, this te't= has more than one answer! 1eading aloud for comprehension (chec,ing and ac:uiring) 5istening only for stressed words >se 4urphys for pronunciation practice" Gap fills/transformations then sentence stress

Teaching ideas

I'M not going I*m 2OT going I*m not GOING

I refuse to go I*m not going, I*m staying 4ay e Richard is

Teaching ideas (0)

<1ichard is going to Stratford tomorrow afternoon to uy himself a pair of red, leather trousers=

Teaching ideas (0)

<1ichard is going to Stratford tomorrow afternoon to uy himself a pair of red leather trousers=

Is 1ay going to Stratford# Is 1ichard going to ?rent +ross# Is 1ichard going away from Stratford# Is 1ichard coming from Stratford# Is 1ichard going to sell his mother a pair of red, leather trousers# Is 1ichard going to uy himself three pairs# Is 1ichard going to uy himself a pair of lue suede shoes#

Teaching ideas 0