Intonation is also very important to English. The pitch of the speaker’s voice alerts listeners to the particular message being conveyed. But modifying the pitch of the voice to rise, fall, or do both, the speaker stresses certain words and meanings. When modifying the pitch, the speaker often lengthens the amount of time each word is pronounced.
Changing pitch for emphasis
At the beginning of a conversation, the last content word in each sentence is usually the focus of meaning. Therefore, the primary stress in these sentences usually falls on the last content word. The sound of the speaker`s voice rises on the focus word and then falls. If the sentence is a question, the sound of the speaker`s voice rises but does not fall at the end of the sentence.
Ex. Is that a deer? No, it is a big dog.
However, the focus of a sentence can change. Thus, one sentence can have more than one intonation pattern. By noticing the word the speaker emphasizes, the listener can guess what will come next.
Ex. It is not a small dog. It is a big dog.
🎧Listen to the first sentence and underline the focus word. Then choose the sentence most likely to come next.
1. It is a bad idea to wait until the night before a test to begin studying.
a. Tests are some of the hardest parts of school.
b. It is also not wise to wait until the last minute to do homework.
2. Teenagers should have certain restrictions on their driver’s licenses.
a. Children should not be allowed to smoke until they reach adulthood.
b. However, those over 18 do not need any driving restrictions.
3. Are you sure you do not want to have lunch with me?
a. No, lunch is not until one o’clock.
b. No, I am eating lunch with another friend.
4. That is a really large piece of cake.
a. Actually, I made the cake for somebody else.
b. It is way too much for me to eat.
Read the two sentences. Try to figure out how the second sentence relates to the first. Underline the focus word in the first sentence according to this context.
The recreational center will offer a new-defense course. It will teach young people how to protect themselves.
Butterflies are usually active during the day. Moths are more active at night.
I prefer not to have homework over the weekends. However, I do not mind having a little bit of homework then.
Everyone wants to buy a beautiful house. For this reason, houses that are ugly do not sell very well.
The fifth-grader was a very messy worker. Her partner was very organized.
The woman bought a new bag at the mall downtown. It had just opened a couple of weeks before.
🎧 Listen and repeat the sentences. Ensure your voice is rising on the stressed syllables and dropping afterwards.
When there is a series of words with the conjunctions and or or, the intonation rises on all members of the series except the last. The last member has a rising-falling intonation.
Ex. We went to the park, / (↗) the beach, / (↗) and the mountains. (↘)
You can do it Monday / (↗) or Tuesday. (↘)
After the comma used between a sentence and an additional phrase, the intonation rises.
Ex. It is three blocks from here, / (↗) near the supermarket. (↘)
As for me, / (↗) I will have the soup and salad. (↘)
Divide the sentences into thought groups by using slashes (/) and mark the intonation of each group with arrows (↗ or ↘).
The man’s chores included walking the dog, doing the laundry, cleaning the bathroom, and washing the car.
Recycling campaigns have been very successful in our city, partially due to the friendly publicity from local newspapers.
I was not certain whether the text should be placed at the top of the page or in the middle.
Young people often experience pressure from outside influences to conform to certain trends, particularly when they get into high school.
He could have told his mother that he had spent the evening studying, but it would have been the truth.
The man was not sure whether to pick the striped tie, the green tie, or the purple tie.
🎧 Listen and repeat the sentences.