English intonation

Intonation is defined as a speech melody, closely connected with sentence stress and express meaning and different emotions. Each sense group has its own intonation pattern and can be considered as the smallest unit of intonation.

A full-sized intonation group contains 3 or more stressed syllables forming the scale of the sense group. The scale is the tonal expression of all semantically important words making up the sense group.

When all the significant words in a sense group are equally important, they usually have equal sentence stresses. This kind of scale usually starts with higher pitch and then descends gradually until the final stressed word is reached (descending scale).

The first stressed syllable at a sense group concludes the scale and serves as a terminal tone of a sense group.

Sometimes it can be followed by several unstressed syllables, called tail.

· We distinguish3 types of terminal tones: the falling terminal tone is cathegoric by its character. Expresses completeness, determination, finality. Types of sentences: categorical statements (I think he is right); special questions (Which way did you go?); smth or suggestions which should be done (Let`s go home);

· the rising terminal tone expresses incompleteness, insurance, indefiniteness, non-finality. Types of sentences: non-categorical statements, expressing uncertainty, doubt (I don’t quite mean that); general questions (Do you think it would be useful?); requests, advices, offers, polite suggestions (Let me know when you get there); repeated questions (Why hasn’t he come in time↑?)

the labial terminal tone is more indefinite and non-categorical in character than the rising tone. Rarely used in colloquial speech. It’s used in sentences uttered when the speaker pronounces some thought with indifference or when he speaks to himself (It doesn’t matter. The twilight is safe and cloudy).

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