The Falling Tone Pattern

The Falling tone contours all sound definite and complete, yet each of them has a clearly distinct range of meanings.

1 High (Stepping) Head + Mid Wider (or Low Narrow) Fall Contour

The meaning of the contour:

In statements: neutral, weighty, serious.

E.g.: He ‘promised to be ‘back by Monday.

In Wh-questions: neutral, weighty, serious.

E.g.: What would you like to drink?

In Yes/No and tag questions: seeking or expecting confirmation.

E.g.: Did you ‘see the van?

You ‵like it, don’t you?

In imperatives, exclamations: serious, weighty, strong.

E.g.: ‘How beautiful. ‘Take it back.

You shouldn’t tell her.

2 High (Stepping) Head + High Wide Fall Contour

The meaning of the contour:

In statements: assertive, insistent, expressing personal concern, surprise, excitement, irritation, protest.

E.g.: I didn’t ‵hear that. He couldn’t have ‵told her!

In Wh-questions: businesslike, insistent, concerned, brisk.

E.g.: ’Why do you ‘keep in‵sisting? Who on ‘earth was `that?

In Yes/No questions: the same as said for Contour 1, but in a more insistent way.

In imperatives: brisk, businesslike, insistent, urgent.

E.g.: ‘Come as ‘soon as you ‵can!

In exclamations: light, airy.

E.g.: How ‘wonderful your `voice is!

3 Low Head + Low Narrow Fall Contour

The contour sounds calm, reserved, phlegmatic.

E.g.: I’d rather you stayed where you are.

Speech Exercises

Ex. 1 Practise saying times. Follow the model:

What does 15.15. mean? – ‘Quarter past three.

17.53 – seven minutes to six; 19.35 – twenty-five to eight; 13.03 – three minutes past one; 22.45 – quarter to eleven; 14.11 – eleven minutes past two; 18.55 – five to seven; 23.47 – thirteen minutes to midnight; 16.12 – twelve minutes past four; 21.40 – twenty to ten.

Now you say what these mean: 11.11; 23.45; 23.15; 23. 48; 2. 30; 4. 41; 4.40. 7.15;

5.05; 17.10; 8.13; 9.35; 18.10; 18.07; 18.38.

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
Ex. 5 Use Low Rise in non-final parts of utterances.	\|	Ex. 2 Decide where the speakers would use High Wide Fall in these conversations, then practise reading them out with a partner.

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