Complex General Questions

In most cases these questions are pronounced as a simple tune (one intonation-group) and take the same nuclear tones as simple General questions. But if the sentence is long or if the tempo of speech is slow, a complex General question forms a combined tune where each of the intonation-groups is normally pronounced with a Rising nuclear tone (Mid-High, Mid, Low):

e.g.:

—'Do you know where Mrs. Green works?

—Do you 'think it's 'too damp to 'sit on the grass?

Special Questions

The most common intonation pattern of Special questions is a Falling tone (High, Mid or Low) with a normal or high prehead and a high or stepping head (if any). Special questions pronounced with this intonation pattern are used in all kinds of situations and are regarded as normal, or neutral. In normal Special questions the first full static stress is usually placed on the interrogative word and the nuclear stress is placed on some other word coming later in the utterance:

e.g.: Patient: I'm afraid I'm seriously ill, doctor.

Doctor: 'What has been troubling you?

The interrogative word of a Special question may become the nucleus of the tune while the remaining part of the utterance forms the tail. This kind of structure is used when the speaker wants to draw the listener's attention to a particular detail or when he hasn't been satisfied with what he has been told and insists on a more exact answer. Such Special questions may be called Specifying or Insistent:

e.g.:

—There's somebody's bag in the car.

—Whose bag?

Special questions pronounced with a low Rising nuclear tone preceded by a high-pitched prenuclear part (stepping or high level head or high prehead, if there is no head) convey the speaker's interest and his warm attitude to the listener:

e.g.: 'What's the matter with you?

'What's been troubling you?

This is a friendly way of making inquiries or, in other words, these are friendly Special questions. They are commonly used in a series of questions, especially addressed to children:

e.g.:

—'What's your name, little boy?

—Bobby.

—And your mother's name?

Ex. 1 Read the following General and Special questions with different intonation. Explain your intonation.

1 Do you have time to go in for sports? 2 Does this bus go to Trafalgar Square? 3 Do you live in Warsaw? 4 Do you think it's too damp to sit on the grass? 5 Well, what's the news, Mr. White? 6 And how do you like these gloves? 7 Why couldn't he play? 8 Where can we get a record player? 9 Why don't you write to the secretary? 10 When do you like your tea? 11 Do you want to go there? 12 Would you like to play? 13 Have you got a better suggestion?

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
General Questions	\|	Ex.2 Add a neutral General question to the given utterances. Express a light, matter-of-fact attitude to the subject-matter.

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