A PHONETIC AID

for Students of English

Compiled by
JONAS SKARULIS

Vilnius
1998
UDK 802.0(075.8)
Sk-15

Mokymo priemonë rekomenduota spausdinti VPU anglø kalbos

didaktikos katedros posëdyje 1997 m. rugpjûèio 27 d., posëdþio
protokolas Nr. 1.

Recenzavo: VPU anglø filologijos katedros doc. dr. R. Jasudavièiûtë

A PHONETIC AID
for Students of English
Compiled by Jonas Skarulis
Vilnius, 1998. - 84 p.

Mokymo priemonë skiriama anglø kalbos specialybës pirmo kurso

studentams anglø kalbos ritmo ir intonacijos mokymuisi.

ISBN 9986-869-26-9 © J. Skarulis

 CONTENTS

PREFACE ................................................................................. 5

PART ONE
Stress and Rhythm .................................................................... 7
PART TWO
The Anatomy of English Intonation ..................................... 16
PART THREE
Intonation Patterns and Their Attitudinal Meanings ...... 24
The Low Fall Pattern ......................................................................... 24
The High Fall Pattern ........................................................................ 31
The Rise-Fall Pattern ........................................................................ 36
The Low Rise Pattern ........................................................................ 39
The High Rise Pattern ....................................................................... 46
The Fall-Rise Pattern ........................................................................ 49

PART FOUR
A Phonetic Reader ................................................................. 55
BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................. 83
 PREFACE

This teaching aid is designed for first year students majoring in

English. It may be used after the introductory course and in the second
term.
The teaching aid aims at acquainting the students with different
stress patterns and the main intonation patterns of English.
Part One contains twenty two exercises on rhythm and stress from
Living English Speech by W. S. Allen.
Part Two and Part Three are excerpts from Intonation of Colloquial
English by J. D. O’Connor and G. F. Arnold. Part Two acquaints the
students with the anatomy of English intonation, the constituent parts of
intonation patterns and the system of phonetic notation which is widely
used in teaching and learning practice. Part Three deals with six intonation
patterns (each of which is based on one of the six main nuclear tones)
and their attitudinal meanings. Each description of an intonation pattern
and its meanings is followed by a recorded exercise which should be
regarded as a lab assignment. The student is given an opportunity to master
the intonation patterns individually by going through the drills in each
exercise.
Part Four is a Phonetic Reader. All the texts included in the Reader
are recorded by native speakers of English. They illustrate genuine English
usage of intonation and represent normative English pronunciation. The
texts can be used for reading practice, for listening comprehension, for
role playing. Besides students will have an opportunity to enrich their
active and passive vocabulary. The shorter poetry pieces should be learnt
by heart. They give good practice in rhythm, stress and intonation and
help consolidate the required pronunciation skills.

5
 Part One
STRESS AND RHYTHM

The following exercises are based on common patterns of stressed

and unstressed syllables. In accordance with the key pattern at the head
of the exercise, the teacher reads the first phrase and the students (or a
group of students) repeats it at least three times in succession. The teacher
immediately reads the second phrase and the student (or group) repeats
it three times. The whole exercise should be performed in a regular
unbroken rhythm as far as possible. In the key patterns a large X indicates
a fully stressed syllable and a small x an unstressed or only partially stressed
one.
The patterns are arranged in such a way that they become increasingly
complex as the exercises proceed. Thus the key pattern in Exercise 13
xXxxxXxxx (I wanted you to write about it) is much more complex than
the pattern XxX (try again) in Exercise 2. It is obvious that the skills of
stress and rhythm cannot be dealt with in one or two lessons: the student
requires practice of this kind in every lesson.

& Exercise 1.
KEY PATTERN: XX
come here / look out / where to? / inside / no more / speak up / sit down /
say “yes” / try hard / wash up / break down / ask John / go slow / not
now / where from? / which one? / hold tight / in time / no use / please
do / no, thanks / yes, please / no good / all right / run fast / work hard /
who’s that / that’s true / just then / write soon / read this.

7
& Exercise 2.
KEY PATTERN: XxX
try again / not enough / look inside / show me yours / do it now / not so
fast / lend the hand / cut the bread / make the tea / run away / go to sleep /
have a drink / break it up / what is that? / what’s it for? / practice hard /
sing a song / write it down / draw a line / that’s a lie / take it home /
having lunch / who are you? / where’s he from? / hurry up / move along /
light the fire / cold as ice / change your shoes / where’s your hat / time
for bed / here’s some tea / half an hour / long ago / can’t be done / quite
unknown / just in front / ill in bed.

& Exercise 3.
KEY PATTERN: xXx
I think so / I thought so / I’d like to / to please them / a handful / a pity /
of course not / I’d love to / he couldn’t / as well as / for ever / they may
be / to try it / at breakfast / the paper / she had to / it’s early / she’s ready /
with pleasure / I’m sorry / just listen / but why not / I’ve read it / a lot of /
without me / in day time / the answer / I’d rather / it’s broken / in winter.

& Exercise 4.
KEY PATTERN: xXxx
I’d like you to / to practice it / a bucketful / it’s possible / we oughtn’t to /
he wanted it / he wants us to / to borrow it / a little one / a pocketful / a
lot of it / they’ve finished it / I’ve heard of it / it used to be / they must
have been / get rid of it / we asked them to / he lent me one / he’s used to
it / let’s give her some / be nice to her / a friend of mine / it’s beautiful /
she polished them / she came with us / we spoke to them / I studied it /
there isn’t one / I’ve paid for it / a pair of them.

& Exercise 5.
KEY PATTERN: XxxX
writing it now / send him away / reading aloud / terribly slow / give him
a book / what is the time? / sing us a song / running away / top of the
class / hardly enough / throw it away / send me a card / give me a ring /

8
 playing a game / meet me tonight / where have they gone? / where have
you been? / what have you done? / what is it for? / show me the way /
pouring with rain / gone for a walk / come for a swim / heavy as lead /
killed in the war / give him some food / time and again / no-one is in /
cutting the grass / chopping some wood / leave it alone / not before tea /
ready for lunch / when you have time / not before then / wait till I
come / falling asleep / what can you see? / just for a while / what did
you do? / get into bed / leave it behind / do it again / write it in ink /
see you tonight / lots to be done / now we’re alone / out of the way /
switch off the light.

& Exercise 6.
KEY PATTERN: xXxxx
I’ve eaten them all / a beautiful one / I think it will be / I promised him
it / to satisfy them / I thought it had been / a tablespoonful / interrogate
them/ he wanted us to / a penny or two / in spite of it all / he ought to
have had / a long time ago / an exercise book / I’ve written to them / we
know what it is / to polish it with / the middle of it / a quarter of them /
I gave it to her / it’s necessary / a party-member / we had to do it / the
railway station.

& Exercise 7.
KEY PATTERN: xXxX
I want to know / to do it well / another time / it’s quite all right / she
tied it up / a piece of string / he had to go / it’s very good / it’s hard to
say / but hurry up / she took it off / they put them on / she’s most
upset / another day / they mustn’t know / he locked the door / it’s
much too big / a waste of time / they’ve gone away / it’s all for you /
he wants to learn / I’d love to help / a glass of wine / across the road /
it’s not for sale.

& Exercise 8.
KEY PATTERN: xXxxX
I wanted to know / I think that he might / I’ll finish it now / a spoonful
of salt / she asked me to go / I think he has gone / we wanted to see /
 a walk in the park / a plateful of soup / he told me he would / the best
in the class / I’ll see to it now / it’s warmer indoors / he left it outside
/ it used to be mine / a hole in your sock / he borrowed a pound / he
can’t pay it back/ she’s gone to the shops / I’ve finished my lunch / an
excellent meal / in spite of the rain / the house is for sale / it isn’t
allowed / you promised to write / she wasn’t gone long / it started to
rain / he drank it all up / the engine won’t start / I’m sorry I came /
I’m glad you have come.

& Exercise 9.
KEY PATTERN: XxxxX
finishing today / doing it alone / carry it away / put it on the floor /
clean it with a brush / tell me all you know / follow my advice /
mind how you behave / try to do it now / half of them have left /
send them out to play / just in time to see / up above in clouds /
sitting all alone / waiting for the train / hoping that he’ll come /
ask him what he wants / have another cake/ what about a drink? /
bring along your friend / come and have a meal / how is Uncle
George? / hang it up to dry / put it on the shelf / don’t be such a
fool.

& Exercise 10.

KEY PATTERN: xXxxxX
I think it will be fine / I wanted you to know / to finish with it
now / a bucketful of ice / there isn’t any need / you ought to go to
bed / the hospital was bombed / he waited half an hour / you only
have to try / I never have a cold / it doesn’t make much sense / the
middle of the road / impossible to say / we thanked him very much
/ I didn’t know the way / I’ll show it to her then / we promise to be
good / I’ll try to be in time / it’s difficult to learn / he doesn’t go
to school / I’ve heard of it before / they’ve cleared it all away / he’s
eaten all the cream / you’re wanted on the phone/ I’ll see him in a
week / I haven’t any ink / it’s absolutely true / so don’t forget to
write / the children are in bed.

10
& Exercise 11.
KEY PATTERN: xXxXx
I think he wants to / I want to meet him / I like it better / another
spoonful/ I think he ought to / they want another / he’s playing football /
you mustn’t leave her / he left on Monday / she has to practice / I’m not
offended / perhaps they did it / without your hat on / I couldn’t help it /
we never noticed / you need a haircut / it doesn’t matter / I’ll have to
leave you / we’ll have a party / it’s time for supper / a great occasion / a
pretty picture / I don’t believe you / we leave tomorrow / she wrote a
letter / a glass of cider / another sandwich / suppose he saw me / a streak
of lighting / a clap of thunder / a piece of chocolate / a cup of cocoa /
she’s gone out shopping.

& Exercise 12.

KEY PATTERN: xXxxXxx
he started to talk to me / I think that he wants us to / she wanted
to write to him / they’ve practiced it perfectly / I’ll borrow another
one / it wasn’t appropriate / you’ll get it on Saturday / they’ve all
gone on holiday / it’s very unfortunate / perhaps you’ll have heard
of it / it’s not the right attitude / I asked for it specially / a letter
from Germany / I don’t want to frighten her / she wants a
thermometer / it’s not what I asked you for / they’ve bought a new
wireless set / a Beethoven symphony / we travelled by aeroplane /
he came on a bicycle / some carrots and cabbages / it’s just what I
thought it was / let’s open the other one / I’ll take it away again /
repeat it again for me / the soup isn’t hot enough / the price has
gone up again / he hasn’t yet paid for it.

& Exercise 13.

KEY PATTERN: xXxxxXxxx
I wanted you to write about it / they shouldn’t need their mackintoshes /
it’s not the one I borrowed from you / it’s interesting to read about it /
she doesn’t want to talk about him / remember what your teacher tells
you / you won’t forget to thank him for it / he needn’t be so rude about

11
 us / took it to a watch-repairer / the doctor didn’t see the patient / she
bought some new pyjamas for him / but where’s the glass you are drinking
out of ? / this isn’t quite the moment for it / perhaps you didn’t realise
it / I’d like it with some soda water / I think he did it beautifully / a
teaspoonful of salad dressing.

& Exercise 14.

KEY PATTERN: XxxxxX
show him to his room / throw it into the fire / walking along the road /
that’s to be left alone / ready to go away / standing behind the door / why
did you run away ? / tell her not to be late / sew it on to my coat / ask
them where they have been / show me what you have done / sing me
another song / what’s the name of the book ? / multiply it by three /
opposite the hotel / suffering from the cold / bury it in the ground /
polish it with a cloth / fill it up to the top / finish it if you can.

& Exercise 15.

KEY PATTERN: xXxXxX
I think he wants to go / it’s not the one I want / it isn’t quite the same /
I haven’t been before / I can’t believe it’s true / the train is very late /
he hasn’t got a chance / I’m sorry I forgot / there isn’t time to change /
I hope you understand / they played a game of bridge / the concert
starts at eight / he goes to work on foot / he travels home by train /
I’m sure my husband knows / afraid my wife is ill / she has to stay in
bed / the fire is nearly out / it’s all the same to me / excuse my being
late / I didn’t know the way / the roads are very dark / I couldn’t see
the house / perhaps you’d care to wait / I’ll see them both at once / it
doesn’t matter much / I can’t afford a car / he practised every day / a
spoonful every hour.

& Exercise 16.

KEY PATTERN: xXxxXxxX
I think that he wants us to go / it isn’t the same as before / I didn’t expect
to be asked / we shan’t be in time for the play / you’d best be as quick you

12
 can / it doesn’t much matter to me / I’ve written the letter in French /
she’s gone for a walk in the park / it’s time we were having our lunch /
I’ve taken my coat to be cleaned / the office is open at nine / this shop
doesn’t sell what I want / I’m looking for paper and string / this envelope
hasn’t a stamp / we don’t want to trouble you now / another affair for the
police / you shouldn’t have left it to her / she’ll never remember a thing /
she’s sure to forget what to do / perhaps you can ring her tonight / and
tell her to leave it alone / I wanted to meet her again / he practises once
in a while.

& Exercise 17.

KEY PATTERN: xXxxxXxxxX
I think it was an excellent affair / I wonder if he’ll ask me in advance / we
haven’t got an envelope to match / the office boy will show you where to
go / the factory is working day and night / the light should be in quite
another place / the bus is more convenient than the tram / the concert’s
being broadcast after six / we’ll switch it on as soon as we’ve had tea / I’d
like a lump of sugar in my tea / I shouldn’t be surprised if they forgot /
approximately ten of you can come / the others must wait here a little
while / we’ll fetch you in a car in half an hour / he wanted me to listen to
his song / we finished it the day before he came / a basketful of apples
from the shop.

& Exercise 18.

KEY PATTERN: xXxXxXx
I think he wants to go there / we ought to give an answer / he’s never
very punctual / she married Mary’s brother / I want a pound of sugar /
I’d like to have another / she’s cleaned the kitchen windows / my
husband wants his dinner / we had to go on business / I’ve got to do
some shopping / you ought to buy a wireless / I’ll show you where to
put it / you mustn’t waste a moment / you’re looking smart this morning /
in case you’re late for dinner / with no-one there to help her / it’s
time we went to dinner / a dance tomorrow evening / I didn’t want to
listen / he doesn’t speak much English / he studies every evening /
he always does his homework.

13
& Exercise 19.
KEY PATTERN: xXxxXxxXxx
I think that he wants us to take him there / I told him to wait in
the corridor / now what have I done with my handkerchief? /
remember to get me another one / it’s cheaper to go to the cinema /
I wonder if David has heard of it / the ambulance took him to
hospital / apply for a post as a lecturer / he played us a tune on the
gramophone / he looked for a stick to defend himself / I ought to
have sent her a Christmas card / whenever you can you must visit
us / September is best for a holiday / you must have it ready by
Saturday / we’ve hundreds of places to take you to / I wanted to
finish my library book / a terrible cold in the head again / that’s
nothing to do with argument / she promised to carry it carefully.

& Exercise 20.

KEY PATTERN: XxxxxxX
buy her a pretty new dress / honey and strawberry jam / when are
you going away? / what have you done with the ink / go to another
hotel / hurrying off to the train / working as hard as they can /
coming back home in a bus / take it away to be cleaned / that can
be seen at a glance / wearing a funny old hat / giving him a cigarette /
why have they left you alone? / where have you hidden the key? /
nearly as far as the bridge.

& Exercise 21.

KEY PATTERN: xXxXxXxX
I think he wants to go there too / you ought to know the way by now / he
did his best to save the child / the snow was falling thick and fast / I
know you didn’t mean to hurt / that’s not the way to fold a coat / I told
him not to go away / she looks a little pale to me / he has to go to work
at eight / I always like a cup of tea / it’s time the children went to bed /
they used to go to bed at six / a glass of beer is what I need / he left the
room without a word / he used to play it very well / I saw her standing all
alone / I can’t forget the things he said / they said they had to leave at
once / you’ll have to do it all again.

14
& Exercise 22.
KEY PATTERN: xXxxXxxXxxX... etc.
he says that he wants us to take it away / we ought to be grateful we
haven’t to pay / you know that we ought to discuss it today / a woman has
fallen and broken her leg / I never say no to a hot cup of tea / then turn
to the right at the end of the street / I shouldn’t have thought he could get
here in time / he tied up the parcel and took it away / the gramophone
record has broken in two / it won’t be the first time I’ve gone without
lunch / excuse my disturbing you when you’re so tired / the tram-stop is
just a bit father along / you couldn’t have come at a more inconvenient /
it’s not what I wanted to ask you about / a friend of mine’s married a girl
from abroad / the paper and ink have been put on your desk / I see he’s
forgotten to leave his address / we haven’t got time to arrange for it
now / an apple a day keeps the doctor away / the book you’ve just lent
me is better than many I’ve read.

15
 Part Two
THE ANATOMY OF
ENGLISH INTONATION

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF INTONATION

In all languages there are variations of pitch. When we talk about English
intonation we mean the pitch patterns of spoken English, the speech tunes or
melodies, the musical features of English.
Utterances which are different only in respect to intonation may differ
from each other in meaning.
English speakers are able to make a good deal of allowance for imperfect
sound-making, but they are much less able to make the same allowance for
mistakenly used tones.

THE ROLE OF INTONATION

The tune contributes considerably to the total meaning of an utterance.
Yet pitch patterns do not, in English, alter the basic meanings of words.
Whatever tune is used with the word Yes it remains the same affirmative. The
contribution that intonation makes is to express, in addition to and beyond the
bare words and grammatical constructions used, the speaker’s attitude to
the situation in which he is placed.

SENSE GROUPS
We neither think nor speak in single words; we express our thoughts in
closely-knit groups of words which contribute to the situations in which we
are placed at a given moment. Such groups of words are called s e n s e
g r o u p s. They are usually separated from each other by pauses, which are
marked by means of vertical bars.
16
E.g. Good morning. | How are you? |
I’m very well, | thank you. | And you? |
Fine. | The last time I saw you |you were just going to take your exams.|
Yes. | I failed, unfortunately.|
Oh, | bad luck.|

Sense groups consist of a single word or a number of words. In reading

aloud a piece of descriptive prose the sense groups will tend to be longer than
those found in impromptu conversation.

PROMINENCE AND ACCENT

The same words in the same order will not have the same value in
different situation.
Consider the sentence It was an unusually dark night. At the
beginning of a story the last three words would all be particularly
important. Suppose that the first words were drowned by some outside
noise and the last three heard clearly, “...unusually dark night”. Then
the listener would still get a picture of the story’s setting. But in the
reverse case there would be virtually no information at all. If the same
sentence were used in response to the question What sort of night
was it? there would be only two important words ­ unusually dark ­
and they could be used alone as a complete answer to the question. In
reply to the question Was it dark last night? the single word unusually
would in this sense be more important than all the other. This prominence
is achieved by means of accent.

THE TUNES OF SINGLE-SYLLABLE SENSE GROUPS

The term t u n e is used to denote the complete pitch treatment of a
sense group. Tunes, like sense groups, may be long or short, but we shall start
by dealing with the shortest possible tunes, those in sense groups consisting of
a single, monosyllabic word.
Below are six examples showing different tunes for the word Two
in different contexts. The changes of pitch are show graphically between
two horizontal lines representing the normal high and low limits of the
voice.

17
1. PETER: Would you like one packet, or two?
JOHN: Two. –

2. PETER: How many shoes in a pair?

JOHN: Two. Ž

3. PETER: Did you know Richard has two wives?

JOHN: Two. 

4. PETER: How many cigarettes have you got?

JOHN: Two. 

5. PETER: I’ve only got two pounds.

JOHN: Two? ‘

6. PETER: You’ve got one brother, haven’t you?

JOHN: Two. ’

The six tunes are:

Low fall: the voice falls during the word from a medium to a very low pitch.
High fall: the voice falls during the word from a high to a very low pitch.
Rise-fall: the voice first rises from a fairly low to a high pitch and then
quickly falls to a very low pitch.
Low rise: the voice rises during the word from a low to a medium pitch or a
little above.
High rise: the voice rises during the word from a medium to a high pitch.
Fall-rise: the voice first falls from a fairly high to a rather low pitch, and
then, still within the word, rises to a medium pitch.

THE TUNES OF LARGER SENSE GROUPS

CONTAINING ONE IMPORTANT WORD
Now suppose that John’s response was not Two but Twenty. This is still
a sense group of a single prominent word, but there are two syllables instead of

18
one. The first of these syllables is stressed, i. e. said with a greater effort than
the second, which is unstressed. The six tunes will now be as follows and here
we use large dots to represent the stressed syllable and smaller dots to represent
the unstressed syllable.

Low fall: Twenty. €

High fall: Twenty. 

Rise-f all: Twenty. ‚

or †

Low rise: Twenty. ƒ

High rise: Twenty? „

Fall-rise: Twenty. …

The similarities with the treatment of Two are obvious, but there are
some differences which must be noticed. In the two rising tunes the stressed
syllable is level in pitch and there is no upward glide as there is with Two,
but rather a jump from the pitch of the stressed to that of the unstressed
syllable, in other words the rise is not complete before the end of the sense
group. In the same way the Fall-rise is spread over the two syllables and not
completed on the first.

NUCLEUS AND TAIL

All tunes must end in one of the six ways described above. No matter
how long or how short the sense group is, no matter how many or how few
prominent words it contains, the pattern of its tune from the stressed syllable
of the last prominent word onwards will correspond to one or other of the six
general patterns.
The stressed syllable of the last prominent word is a landmark of the
highest importance, and it is on this syllable that the whole tune centres. This

19
syllable is called the n u c l e u s of the tune, and all syllables following the
nucleus are called the t a i l .
The rises and falls which take place on the nucleus or start from it are
known as n u c l e a r t o n e s, of which there are six. By definition there can
be no prominent word in the tail, but the examples show that the tail may
contain stressed words; stress alone therefore, after the nucleus, does not imply
accent. The last prominent word is accented, that is, made to stand out, not by
stress alone, but a combination of stress and pitch features.
In order to give a fairly complete picture of the intonation of the
examples, we have used a graphic of large and small dots. It is more convenient
in practice to use a shorter method of marking the intonation. This consists of
placing a single symbol immediately before the nucleus to indicate the nuclear
tone; this symbol tells us, by its position and its shape, which syllable is the
nucleus of the tune and which of the six main endings is to be used.
Low fall: Two. Twenty.
High fall: Two. Twenty.
Rise-fall: Two. Twenty.
Low rise: Two. Twenty.
High rise: ŽTwo. ŽTwenty.
Fall-rise: €Two. €Twenty.
Unstressed syllables in the tail have no separate symbol, but stressed
syllables are marked. The symbol [œ] is placed immediately before each stressed
syllable on, or beginning on, the lowest pitch level, and the symbol [•] before
any stressed syllable which is higher that the lowest pitch.

PRE-NUCLEAR PATTERNS
Up to now we have considered only sense groups with a single prominent
word right at the beginning of the group. Now we must consider sense groups
containing words before the nucleus. The pre-nuclear pattern is divided into
two parts, the h e a d and the p r e - h e a d. The head begins with the stressed
syllable of the first prominent word and ends with the syllable immediately
preceding the nucleus; the pre-head consists of any syllables before the stressed
syllable of the first prominent word.
In the example below, prominent words are underlined.

20
 I want to be absolutely sure about it.

Pre-head Head Nucleus Tail

HEADS
The are three different types of head, the l o w h e a d, the s t e p p i n g
h e a d and the s l i d i n g h e a d.

The Low Head

In the usual form of the low head, all the syllables contained in it are
said on the same, rather low pitch. Before a low falling nucleus this pitch is a
little higher than the pitch of any tail.
E.g. Don’t be impatient, then. ‰ Š Š – Š ‰
Before the low-rising nucleus the low head must be at the same pitch as
the beginning of the rise.
E.g. No-one’s going to hurt you. ‰ Š Š Š Š ‰ ‹
Before the high-falling nucleus, the low head most often starts on a low
pitch but rises gradually, syllable by syllable, to end just before the starting
pitch of the nucleus.
E.g. How did you manage to do that? Œ  Ž
The low head is symbolised by placing the mark [] before the stressed
syllable of each prominent word. The examples above thus reads as follows:
Don’t be so impatient, then.
No-one’s going to hurt you.
How did you manage to do that?

The Stepping Head

In the stepping head, the stressed syllable of the first important word is
on a high, level pitch; that of the second important word is a step lower; that of
the third a step lower still, and so on until the nucleus is reached. Unstressed
syllables are said on the same pitch as the previous accented syllable.

21
 E.g. Why did you tell me you couldn’t come? “ ” • –
The stepping head is symbolised by placing the symbol [ž] immediately
before each accented syllable. Any syllable which is stressed but not accented
has the symbol [•] placed before it.
E.g. žWhy did you žtell me you žcouldn’t come?
žAre you •coming žback a•gain on Sunday?
žCome and žsee me tomorrow.

The Sliding Head

This is similar to the stepping head, as will be seen from the following
example:
Everyone’s bound to see it sometime. — ˜ ™ š
The pattern of the accented syllables is exactly that found in the
stepping head, the first high, the second lower, and so on, but the unaccented
syllables are treated differently: instead of being said on the same pitch as
the previous accented syllable they from a descending sequence, the first
lower than the accented syllable, the second lower still and so on. If the
structure of the sense group is such that there are no unaccented syllables
between successive accented ones, than the accented syllables themselves may
perform the downward slide, each successive slide beginning a step lower
than the preceding one.
E.g. You can’t just leave it. Š œ  – Š
To symbolise the sliding head the mark [ ] is placed immediately
before each accented syllable. The examples quoted above are fully marked as
follows:
E. g.  Everyone’s  bound to  see it €sometime.
You  can’t  just leave it.

PRE-HEADS
The pre-head of a tune consists of the unaccented syllables before the
first accented one, whether the latter is the nucleus or the beginning of the
head. There are two types of pre-head, the l o w p r e - h e a d and the h i g h
p r e - h e a d.

22
 The Low Pre-head
All the syllables in the low pre-head are said on the same rather
low pitch.
E.g. It was an unusually dark night. Š Š Š ŠŸ  
The pitch is not so low as that of a final fall, but it must never be higher
than the starting pitch of the first accented syllable.

The High Pre-head

In the high pre-head all the syllables are said on the same relatively
high pitch.
E.g. But you can’t do that. ¤ ‰ Š 
The high pre-head is very much less common than the low pre-
head.
The symbol [œ] is used to denote the high pre-head and it is placed
before the first word of the sense group. All syllables following this symbol
and preceding the next tone mark are taken to belong to the high pre-
head.
E.g. œBut you can’t do that.

TUNES AND TONE GROUPS

A simple tune may have a low pre-head, a high pre-head or no
pre-head at all; it may have one of the three different kinds of head or no
head at all but it will have one of the six nuclear tones (with or without
the appropriate tail).
As it is meaning which is a really important factor, we can usefully
group together any tunes which mean substantially the same. These groups
of tunes all conveying the same attitude on the part of the speaker are
called T o n e G r o u p s. Thus the tunes belonging to the same tone
group can be regarded as the variants of the same intonation pattern. They
have the same nuclear tone and express the same attitudinal meaning(s).
They differ in pre-nuclear patterns and in the presence or absence of the
tail.

23
 Part Three
INTONATION PATTERNS AND
THEIR ATTITUDINAL MEAN-
INGS

THE LOW FALL PATTERN

AND ITS ATTITUDINAL MEANINGS

Tone Group 1
All statements associated with tone groups containing falling nuclear
tone sound definite and complete in the sense that the speaker wishes them
to be regarded as separate items of interest. In addition Tone Group 1 is
characteristically used to convey a cool, calm, phlegmatic, reserved,
dispassionate, detached, dull possibly grim or surly attitude on the part of
the speaker.
E.g. What’s your name? Johnson.
Occupation? I’m a shop asœsistant.
This tone group is often used to denote the final item in a list, the other
items having rising tones.
E.g. You can have tea or |coffee or milk.
With special questions the tone is detached and reserved, they sound
rather flat and unsympathetic, quite often even hostile, and are consequently
less commonly heard than such questions with other tone groups.
With general questions Tone group 1 is used
(I) To put the question forward as a suggestion or a subject for discussion

24
rather than a request for immediate information. Again the general attitude is
detached, phlegmatic, reserved.
E.g. The knife’s too blunt. Is this œone any œbetter?
I’ve got so many things to do. Can I œhelp at œall.
When the fall is on the special finite verb the speaker is querying an
assumption on the part of the listener.
E.g. If we can afford, we’ll go there. But can we afœford it?
What is in appearance a negative question of this kind may in effect be
an exclamation.
E.g. Look at this gorgeous material. Isn’t it œlovely!

(II) In a series of short questions where there is only a small change in

the form of the question each time.
E.g. Is it red? Is it blue? Is it black?

(III) Perhaps the most important use of Tone Group 1 with disjunctive
questions is for question tags when they follow statements containing the low-
falling nuclear tone. In such cases the speaker expects his statement to be
confirmed by the listener.
E.g. What a žbeautiful day, isn’t it?
This type of phrases is also used as a comment upon a statement made
by someone else. When the Low Fall is used the comment is apt to convey a
total lack of interest, or else a mood is of hostility.
E.g. I’ve just come from Paris. Have you?
John borrowed your car today. Did he?

(IV) This tone group is used in alternative questions to mark the last of
alternatives.
E.g. žWould you like tea | or coffee?

Tone Group 1 is used for unemotional, calm, controlled, often cold

commands.
E.g. Don’t. Take it.
Interjections with Tone Group 1 sound calm, unsurprised, self-
possessed, reserved. They are generally only short phrases.
E.g. Good. Right. Good morning.
Notice in particular T h a n k y o u , and T h a n k s , to express
25
genuine though unexcited gratitude.

? PRACTICE. Listen to the following recorded stimuli (verbal contexts). Each

stimulus is followed by a response. Write down the responses. Supply stress-tone
notation for them. The nuclear tone in the responses is the Low Fall. Learn to
pronounce both the stimulus and the response.

Tune I. LOW FALL ONLY

Can you come tomorrow?
Whose book is this?
You must ask for them now.
He simply must go.
I’ll send it to him.
What do you advise me to do?
He’s just arrived.
Here’s your sweater.

Tune II. LOW FALL + TAIL

What’s your name?
Who’s running the music club this year?
Someone’s bound to have one.
He says he’s coming.
He’s forgotten to shut the gate.
What a very nice house.
I rather like Mary.
What shall I do with this rubbish?
Watch me juggle with these plates.
Would you like an apple?

Tune III. LOW PRE-HEAD + LOW FALL (+TAIL)

What’s your job?
Where did you go to school?
Someone’ll have to do it.
I’ve said I’ll meet you.
I’ve got so many things to do.

26
Thank you for your offer.
May I borrow this pen?
I can’t tell you now.
Did you lock the back door?
I’m afraid I’ve got a cold.

Tune IV. (LOW PRE-HEAD+) LOW HEAD +LOW FALL

(+TAIL)
What would you like for dinner?
What’s that tray made of?
Which road shall we take?
I’m afraid I’ve lost your pen.
I don’t feel like drinking beer.
I don’t know what to tell Jean.
Thank you so much.
It was very kind of you.
I’m very pleased with Sue.

Tone Group 2
Tone Group 2 is used to give a categoric, considered, weighty,
judicial, dispassionate character to statements. Such pronoucements are
more emphatic and more ponderous-sounding than with Tone Group 1.
E.g. Are you sure? žAbsožlutely certain.
What shall I do? I žsimply žcan’t imagine.
The dispassionateness often shades into withdrawal and impatience.
E.g. Why did he do it? I •haven’t the žslightest idea.
What shall I do? You must žmake up your own œmind.
On the other hand, this tone group adds weight to expressions of
enthusiasm as well as of disapproval and is very commonly used in such
sentences as:
It was žperfectly wonderful.
It was žsimply terrible.
Tone Group 2 makes special questions searching, serious, intense,
responsible and are often used to suggest impatience or irritability, though
not necessarily.
27
 E.g. žWhy not žcome and have dinner œwith us?
žWhy did you do such a œstupid œthing?
Extra emphasis can be given to these questions by making the special
finite prominent.
E.g. What žare you doing?
How žcould you be so stupid?
Tone Group 2 puts forward a general question as suggestion or as a
subject for discussion and makes it more insistent and more ponderous that
when said with Tone Group 1.
E.g. Well žcouldn’t we borrow some œmoney?
But žcan I believe you when you œsay œthat?
Questions with “W i l l y o u . . . ” are in reality imperatives when
said with Tone Group 2.
E.g. žWill you be quiet?
The negative form of general question is used to turn what seems to be
a question into an exclamation.
E.g. žIsn’t it wonderful!
žHaven’t they žmade a mess of it!
With alternative questions this tone group is used to show the final
alternative of two or more.
E.g. Would you •like coffee | or žwould you pre•fer tea?
Commands with Tone Group 2 are firm, serious, considered,
weighty, pressing, dispassionate. Often, though not always, they have a ring
of impatience.
E.g. žCome and •have dinner œwith us.
žTry the other œkey.
This tone group is particularly common with commands containing
the emphatic words d o or p l e a s e .
E.g. žDo stop tickling.
žPlease be quiet.
This tone group is very common with interjections and gives weight
and emphasis to them.
E.g. žOh good! žHow ridiculous!
Greetings with this tone group are very intense, particularly if the first
word is accented.
28
 E.g. Good morning.

? PRACTICE. Listen to the following recorded stimuli (verbal contexts). Each

stimulus is followed by a response. Write down the responses. Supply stress-tone
notation for them. Learn to pronounce both the stimulus and the response.

Tune I. STEPPING HEAD + LOW FALL (+TAIL)

Isn’t she very bright?
Is it easy?
I’m afraid I can’t do it.
What’s he saying?
It’ll be very exciting.
He’s two hours late again.
What do you think you are doing?
What do you want me to do?
Here I am at last.
Isn’t it mild today?

Tune II. LOW PRE-HEAD +STEPPING HEAD +LOW FALL (+TAIL)

Why did he run away?
Where’s that book of mine?
Will you help?
Oh for a bit of quiet.
It’s quite an interesting idea.
We’ve both got the same answer.
Do you remember our walk in Epping Forest?
We’ll be there in no time.
It’s not much of a risk.
How shall I make my peace?
Here’s the pen you lost.
I haven’t seen you for ages.

Tune III. HIGH PRE-HEAD + LOW FALL (+TAIL)

I’ll fetch you in the car.

29
You won’t do it that way.
What did you say the address was?
Well he says he needs it.
We can’t leave yet. It’s raining.
I don’t want your help.
He just shouted me down.
Hullo, Jack.

30
 THE HIGH FALL PATTERN AND
ITS ATTITUDINAL MEANINGS

Tone Group 3
Statements with this group are just as definite and complete as those
with Tone Group 1 and 2, but they lack the detachment and
dispassionateness of the latter, expressing rather a personal concern or
involvement in the situation; they sound more lively and interested,
sometimes surprised, always more airy and lighter in mood than with
Tone Groups 1 or 2. Because of this Tone Group 3 (and Tone Group 4)
are particularly common in conversation, where it is so often necessary
to show active interest in what is going on.
E.g. Have you met my brother? No, | I haven’t.

Special questions with this tone express a lively and interested

reaction to the situation.
E.g. I saw the Queen yesterday. Where?

When the interrogative word precedes the nucleus such questions

express a reaction to something very unexpected and, for that reason perhaps,
not immediately pleasing to the questioner.
E.g. Why did you do that? | It wasn’t necessary.

In comments (i.e. general questions), where the High Fall is on the

special finite, the reaction is one of mild surprise but acceptance of the
listener’s premises. It is more or less equivalent to a surprised repetition of
the listener’s statement.
E.g. I like it here. Do you? (I thought you’d hate it.)
She’s thirty-five. Is she? (I didn’t know that.)
With a dissenting word the question demands special scrutiny of an
assumed fact.
E.g. I’m glad the car’s all right But is it. (That’s the whole point.)
again.
Question tags have the High Fall on the special finite when the previous
statement has a High Fall in it, or when the preceding statement ends in a rise.
It expresses the speaker’s expectation of nothing but a confirmatory answer.

31
 E.g. It’s absolutely ridiculous, | isn’t it?
It’s žall right, | isn’t it?
When the nucleus follows the special finite, the question is offered as a
subject for discussion rather than a request for information.
E.g. Nobody seems anxious to do it. Can I have a œtry?
Commands with Tone Group 3 show more warmth than with the
previous tone groups, connoting a critical surprise that such an obvious
course should not have occurred to the listener.
E.g. Watch me jump off this wall. Don’t. (You’ll hurt yourself.)
Interjections with Tone Group 3 are more emotional, but also less
portentous, less weighty than those with Tone Group 2
E.g. Good morning, Jack. Good morning, œFred. (I didn’t
expect to see you here.)

? PRACTICE. Listen to the following recorded stimuli (verbal contexts). Each

stimulus is followed by a response. Write down the responses. Supply stress-tone
notation for them. The nuclear tone in the responses is the High Fall. Learn to
pronounce both the stimulus and the response.

Tune I. HIGH FALL (+TAIL)

Do you know Basil Fish?
Why didn’t you buy the picture?
I saw the Queen yesterday.
Let’s paint one of the walls pink.
You’re too late.
John’s generosity is amazing.
They can’t go after all.
May I borrow you pen?
I love salted almonds.
The paper’s too big for envelope.
Will you have a drink?
Have you taken over your new house?

Tune II. LOW PRE-HEAD + HIGH FALL (+TAIL )

What did you think of the show?
You can’t eat all that.
32
You must do it.
I know all about it.
They both passed the exam.
We’ll never be ready by Monday.
Pat’s being very obstinate.
May I your phone?
I owe you an apology.

Tune III. (LOW PRE-HEAD+) LOW HEAD + HIGH FALL

(+TAIL)
Peter came early.
Why didn’t you say you’d won?
I told him he was a fool.
I’m going to emigrate.
I doubt whether David will subscribe.
You’re not very good at it, are you?
He paid five thousand for that house.
I don’t want to go alone.
I’ve lost my invitation.
Look. It works.
You’re a bit grumpy today.

Tone Group 4
With statements this tone group retains the lightness, the airness and
the effect of personal participation, characteristic of the High Fall nuclear
tone.
E.g. What time is it? It’s žhalf •past twelve. I ždidn’t
žrealise how late it œwas.
It is very often used to express warmth, a desire not to appear cool to
the listener.
E.g. Can you come and see me? I’m ažfraid I can’t. I’ve žgot to
•catch a train.
Special questions with this tone convey a perfectly brisk and
business-like attitude and are a very common way of asking these questions.
33
 E.g. žWhat’s the time?
žWhen did you arrive?
General questions have very much the same effect as those with Tone
Group 3 except that the impatience or querulousness is absent. The speaker
puts forward his question for discussion, or as the key question in the discussion.
E.g. Shall we take Frank into our confidence? žDare we risk it?
Suggestions are made with this tone group.
E.g. žWould you pre•fer this œchair?
žCan I help you at œall?
Commands seem to suggest a course of action to the listener, without
the surprise of Tone Group 3 and without the calm demand for action of Tone
Group 2.
E.g. This tea’s too hot. žPut some •more milk in it.
With interjections Tone Group 4 expresses mild surprise without the
affront of Tone Group 3 and without the massive impact of Tone Group 2.
E.g. I must stay and do some work. How very noble of you.

? PRACTICE. Listen to the following recorded stimuli (verbal contexts). Write

down the responses. Supply stress-tone notation for them. The nuclear tone in
the responses is the High Fall. Learn to pronounce the stimulus and the response.

Tune I. (LOW PRE-HEAD+) STEPPING HEAD+HIGH FALL

(+TAIL)
What’s the time, please?
Here. Use my pen.
I’ve just seen that new musical.
Underneath the Arches.
What was that you said?
John says he has an alibi.
I can’t help being right, can I?
It’s not so bright now, is it?
I can’t think what to say.
What shall I do with this?
We’ll go there on Friday.
I was sorry to have to vote against you.

34
 Tune II. (LOW PRE-HEAD+) HIGH FALL(S)+HIGH FALL
(+TAIL)
What was the party like?
He said he knew nothing about it.
Oh I know he couldn’t help it.
I found your book in the greenhouse.
I bumped into Alice yesterday.
That’s not very convincing.
Have you heard about Alex?
Of course he’ll agree.
He’s an absolute swindler.
Here’s a cheque for you.

Tune III. HIGH PRE-HEAD + HIGH FALL (+TAIL)

Was it easy?
It’s no use asking Philip.
Well it looks like mine.
Shall I ask to tea?
Looking for me, Terry?

35
 THE RISE-FALL PATTERN
AND ITS ATTITUDINAL MEANINGS

Tone Group 5
This tone group implies all the definiteness, finality, etc. associated
with the other falling groups. It particularly shows that the speaker is greatly
impressed, perhaps awed.
E.g. Have you heard about Pat? Yes! (Isn’t it scandalous.)
This tone is often used in echoing an immediately prior remark, in
order to show how impressed the speaker is, whether favourably or not.
E.g. I got two hundred pounds for it. žTwo hundred.
The speaker often sounds complacent, self-satisfied, even smug.
E.g. Are you sure? Certain.
Tone Group 5 lends itself especially well to the expression of a
challenging or censorious attitude.
This tone group has an intensifying function very similar to the use of
the word even.
E.g. Do you weigh as much as More (=even more.)
twelve stone?
Tone Group 5 gives to special questions a note of challenge and
antagonism, which is often equivalent to the word but placed before the
question or the word though after it.
E.g. You could surely find some (But) where?
money somewhere.
I know it for a fact. How do you œknow (though)?
As with statements, there is often a disclaiming of responsibility for the
situation.
E.g. I’ve had this pain for days. žWhy don’t you do something
aœbout it?
Tone Group 5 with general questions is very often found with comments
of the type below, when it shows that the speaker accepts what has been
said and is impressed by it, either favourably or unfavourably.
E.g. He shot an elephant. Did he?

36
 Negative question forms used exclamatorily again show that the
speaker is vastly impressed, favourably or otherwise.
E.g. What do you think of my roses? Aren’t they œlovely!
This tone group is used with question tags when the preceding sense
group also has the Rise-Fall as its nuclear tone and the speaker wishes to
compel agreement.
E.g. It’s terrible, | isn’t it?
With fuller questions Tone Group 5 puts the matter forward for
discussion, with the same challenging, rather antagonistic note as with
special questions.
E.g. Can we afford to buy it? žCan we af•ford not to?
The main contribution of Tone Group 5 with commands is again a
matter of shrugging off responsibility, or refusing to be embroiled.
E.g. My doctor’s useless. žTry a different one.
When the speaker uses Tone Group 5 with interjections he sounds
impressed by something not entirely expected.
E.g. Sally’s just had triplets. žMy goodness.

? PRACTICE. Listen to the following recorded stimuli (verbal contexts). Each

stimulus is followed by a response. Write down the responses. Supply stress-tone
notation for them. The nuclear tone in the responses is the Rise-Fall. Learn to
pronounce both the stimulus and the response.

Tune I. RISE-FALL+TAIL
Can you see?
Is he as tall as his father?
I was very cross with him.
Surely one of these screws will fit.
I finished well before time.
I hate it, but what can I do?
Did you finish that job?

Tune II. RISE-FALL ONLY

Did you see any lions?

37
Is it cheaper by coach?
You pay for it.
Well borrow a ruler.
May I take this newspaper?
John’s got it now.

Tune III. LOW-HEAD+RISE-FALL (+TAIL)

Can you manage alone?
I thought you didn’t like spinach.
Why should you do the donkey work?
I’ll make it soon, I promise.
You ought to apologise.
Everything’s so dear.
Nobody seems at all keen.

Tune IV. (LOW PRE-HEAD+) STEPPING HEAD+RISE-FALL

(+TAIL)
Is he getting fatter?
Did you save time?
I don’t like the man.
Which one shall I choose?
Would Max have a game?
I’ve had this pain for days.
Can we afford to buy it?
Which one shall I buy?
It’s not much of a cut.
Thank you so much.

38
 THE LOW RISE PATTERN
AND ITS ATTITUDINAL MEANINGS

Tone Group 6
Statements with Tone Group 6 invite a further contribution to the
conversation from the listener.
E.g. Good morning, Mr Thompson. (Good morning.) It’s a nice
day.
Have you heard about Max? No.
Usually the speaker gives that impression that he is reserving judgment
until he has heard more from the listener.
E.g. Do you go to the theatre? Sometimes.
Going on from this guarded attitude, Tone Group 6 is often used to
express reproving criticism of the listener’s attitude or the general situation.
E.g. I shall have to sack him. You can’t do that. (He is too
useful.)
Very common is the use of this tone group in resentful contradictions.
E.g. You haven’t written that letter. (Yes,) | I have. | (I wrote it in
the morning.)
Notice that the implied criticism of the listener may be because he is
blaming himself too much, or praising the speaker too much, when the statement
sounds deprecatory.
E.g. I feel terrible about it. You’ve nothing to reproach
yourself •with. It wasn’t your
•fault.
This tone group is also used for continutive purposes, to show that
there is more to be said, as, for example, in enumerations.
E.g. One, | two, | three, | four, | five,
If the enumeration is completed the last item has a falling tone:
You can have coffee, | or tea, | or cocoa.
When with special questions the nucleus is in the interrogative word
the effect may be eigther of repeating the listener’s question or of asking for
information to be repeated. In both cases the questioner’s tone is wondering.

39
 E.g. The meeting’s at five. When? (I thought it was at six.)
With general questions disapproval or scepticism is almost invariably
expressed.
E.g. You mean to say you’re getting Is it so very surprising?
married?
Questions tags with Tone Group 6 leave the listener free to answer
either Yes or No, although it will be clear that the speaker inclines to one view
rather than the other.
E.g. It’s about ten o’clock, | isn’t it?
Notice that when the speaker says:
She’s a nice girl, | isn’t she?
he has certainly met the girl and formed an opinion about her niceness,
which he expects the listener to confirm; whereas when he says:
She’s a nice œgirl, | isn’t she?
he has probably not met the girl concerned and is genuinely concerned
to have the listener’s view.
The question tags will you?, won’t you?, would you? are used after
imperative forms in order to make it plain that the command is in fact a form
of invitation.
E.g. žCome and •sit down, | won’t you?
Direct question tags, i.e. those which are in the negative when the
preceding statement is in the negative, or in the affirmative when the statement
is in the affirmative, always bear Tone Group 6. Such utterances are used
to acknowledge something which has previously been stated, to refer back
to something already established and accepted by both parties.
E.g. What a lovely dress. You like it, | do you?
When used independently, as a comment in response to a statement,
the disapproving or sceptical tone is again in evidence.
E.g. I saw you on Wednesday. Did you? (I thought it was
Thursday.)
Tone Group 6 is not widely used with commands except those beginning
with Don’t, when the effect is exactly the same as with statements. It is commonly
with a few short commands, when they constitute a rather calm warning or
exhortation.

40
 E.g. I’m afraid I’ve broken it. Don’t worry about that.
Careful. Steady. Watch.
Some short interjections quite commonly have this tone group; seem to
imply reserved judgment and to require more explanation from the hearer.
E.g. It’s half past ten. Well. (We’re not in a hurry.)
Others imply calm, casual acknowledgement of a not unexpected matter.
E.g. The car’s here. Good. (We’re just about ready).

? PRACTICE. Listen to the following recorded stimuli (verbal contexts). Each

stimulus is followed by a response. Write down the responses. Supply stress-tone
notation for them. The nuclear tone in the responses is the Low Rise. Learn to
pronounce both stimulus and the response.
Tune I. LOW RISE ONLY
Did you catch the last train?
What does a haberdasher sell?
When’s the meeting due to take place?
The meeting’s at five.
But how you do it?
It’s half past ten.

Tune II. LOW RISE+TAIL

Do you ever go to the club?
Tony’s always late.
How old are you?
I thought she was pretty.
Your change, sir.

Tune III. LOW PRE-HEAD+LOW RISE (+TAIL)

Have you been there?
I wonder if they sell socks.
I went with Mr. Spang.
There’s someone to see you.
Oh good! Breakfast in bed!

41
I can’t find my key anywhere.
Thank you.
Is that really yours?

Tune IV. (LOW PRE-HEAD+) LOW HEAD + LOW RISE (+TAIL)

Let me get you some tea.
How much did you win?
What will they think of me?
I don’t agree.
Shut the door, for heavens sake.
Let’s use it now.
He says he’ll never speak to me again.
I don’t think I can dive from that height.
I’m sorry.
I’m terribly sorry.
I can’t help you.

Tone Group 7
Statements with this tone tend to sound soothing, reassuring. No criticism
is implied such as found with Tone Group 6, but there is a hint of great self-
confidence or self-reliance on the speaker.
E. g. Are you ready to go? I žshan’t be a moment.
In echoed statements, those which repeat more or less what has just
been said by the other persons, this group turns the statement into surprised
and disbelieving question.
E.g. He’s broken his leg. žBroken his leg?
The same attitude is present in other statements which are not obviously
echoes.
E.g. I won the first prize. And you ždidn’t tell us?
This group is frequently used with unfinished groups, i.e. when the
speaker is leading up to something more; it is regarded by the speaker as being
important only as a preparation for what follows. Compare
I žwent up to him | and žshook his hand.
I žwent up to him | and žshook his hand.

42
 In the first example there is only one episode with two phases, but in the
second there are separate episodes.
E.g. žWhen I arrived | there was žnobody at home.
I žopened the ždoor quietly | and žlooked in.
The effect of the group in these circumstances is to tensify expectancy
regarding what is to follow and it is perhaps most commonly used in narration.
By using Tone Group 7 with special questions the speaker seeks to
establish a bond with the listener, to show interest not only in receiving the
information asked for but also in the listener himself.
E.g. (Hullo, darling.) žWhat have you •got there?
Note that when the nucleus is the interrogative word, the effect of
repetition and the puzzlement of Tone Group 6 returns.
E.g. I saw him at Wembly. You žsaw him where?
In echoed questions this tone group shows disapproval of the question
being asked.
E.g. When are you going home? žWhen am I žgoing home?
(How dare you!)
This tone group is by far the most common way of asking general
questions. It should be regarded as the normal way, and any other groups
should be in the special circumstances outlined in the appropriate place.
E.g. žAre you •coming with us?
žDid you enžjoy the play •last •night?
Commands with Tone Group 7 have the soothing effect of statements.
The speaker sounds encouraging and perhaps calmly patronising. For
these reasons these commands are frequently used to children, but less
often to adults, who may find the “soothing” effect irritating.
E.g. žCome to Daddy. žBlow your nose, •dear. žDon’t worry.
This tone group is rather commonly used with a with a few
interjections. The effect is rather brighter than with Tone Group 6, not
so reserved, but still quite airy and casual and with the encouraging
effect mentioned above.
E.g. I’ll see you tomorrow. žRight you are.
It’s my exam tomorrow. žGood luck.
Greetings very frequently employ this tone group, when they sound
bright ant friendly. If the syllable before the nuclear syllable is stressed the

43
effect is rather ponderous, so most often it is unstressed though high in pitch,
a High Pre-Head being used.
E.g. œGood morning. œHullo, •there.
Leave-takings are almost invariably in this form since Tone Group 6
sounds too reserved. Tone Group 7, however, sounds bright and friendly.

? PRACTICE. Listen to the following recorded stimuli (verbal contexts). Each

stimulus is followed by a response. Write down the responses. Supply stress-tone
notation for them. The nuclear tone in the responses is the Low Rise. Learn to
pronounce both the stimulus and the response.

Tune I. (LOW PRE-HEAD+) STEPPING HEAD+LOW RISE

(+TAIL)
I have climbing ladders.
I must pay what I owe you.
Tell me, doctor. Is he badly hurt?
I’ve decided to reject his application.
I leave tomorrow morning.
Stevens is going to retire.
He’s sitting on the carver.
I’m going to do some shopping.
I’d love you to come.
I suppose I’ll have to.
They’ve sent us four.
What time will you call round?
I just can’t quite manage it.
I’m just going.
I really must be off.
I’ll back later.
You’ve got the wrong number.

Tune II. HIGH PRE-HEAD+LOW RISE (+TAIL)

Do hurry up.
But I may spill some.
Any time to spare on Sunday?

44
I said nothing of the kind.
He was treated by an osteopath.
When can I call for it?
We had a splendid game.
Why have you taken that one?
Whatever shall we do?
Goodbye for now.
I’m leaving now. Goodbye.
You’re an old fool.

45
 THE HIGH RISE PATTERN
AND ITS ATTITUDINAL MEANINGS

Tone Group 8
Complete statements with Tone Group 8 have the effect of questions.
E.g. You Žlike him? is equivalent to žDo you like him?
He’s ždefinitely Žgoing? is equivalent to žIs he ždefinitely going?
Very often this tone group is to elicit a repetition by the listener
or something he has said, as if the speaker were saying “D i d y o u s a y . . . ? ”
or “D i d y o u m e a n … ? ” . The difference between this and Tone Group
6 or Tone Group 7 is that there is no suggestion of disapproval or
puzzlement.
E.g. There were fourteen names on the list. ŽForty?
Tone Group 8 is also used to lead to a following group, when it sounds
rather more tentative than Tone Group 6 or 7 in similar circumstances.
E.g. I like the Žcolour, | the Žshape, | and the pattern.
You can žstay Žhere |or žcome with us.
When the nuclear tune is on the interrogative word, Tone Group 8 calls
for the repetition of information already given, as does Group 6, but the
wondering, puzzled flavour of Tone Group 6 is absent.
E.g. ŽWhat was his •name again? (I’ve forgotten.)
He’s žcoming for Žhow long?
When the nuclear tone is not on the interrogative word, the speaker is
often echoing listener’s question in order to get it clear in his mind before
giving an answer; again there is no criticism implied as there is with Tone
Group 7.
E.g. When’s he arriving? žWhen’s he arŽriving? (Is that
what you asked?)
Tone Group 8 is also used with straightforward special questions, i.e.
not echoes or requests for repetition, and such question sound rather like
those with Tone Group 7, but very much more tentative, as if avoid any
appearance of prying.
E.g. žWho were Žtalking to? (Anyone I know?)

46
 General questions with Tone Group 8 may be echoed questions (as
with special questions above) or not. The following are echoes.
E.g. Is it raining? žIs it Žraining, did you say?
Would you like one? žWould I Žlike one? (I’d love
one.)
Straightforward questions may, however, be asked with this tone group,
when they sound lighter, more casual than with Tone Group 6 or 7.
E.g. Put your mac on. žIs it Žraining?
This tone group is particularly common with short comments of the
type below, the effect being of a minimum response designed to keep the
conversation going.
E.g. I’ve just seen John. ŽHave you?
He said he was tired. ŽDid he?
Tone Group 8 is used with commands and interjections almost
exclusively to question a part or all of utterance of the listener and elucidate
meaning, with no particular critical intention.
E.g. Take it home. žTake it Žhome? (Is that what
you said?)
What a shame. žWhat a Žshame? (Why?)
The interjections Or and Really are often heard with this tone group,
when they are equivalent to the minimum comments, mentioned under General
Questions above.
E.g. I’ve just seen John. ŽOh?
He said he was tired. ŽReally?

? PRACTICE. Listen to the following recorded stimuli (verbal contexts). Each

stimulus is followed by a response. Write down the responses. Supply stress-tone
notation for them. The nuclear tone in the responses is the High Rise. Learn to
pronounce both the stimulus and the response.
Tune I. HIGH RISE (+TAIL)
It’s snowing.
I’ve just seen the Edwards girl.
Can I borrow some matches?
I’ve got to go to Leeds.

47
Who’s Archibald Simpson?
How did he find out?
Can you make me one?
Wasn’t it stupid!
What lovely cherries!
I like Barbara.
Telephone me, then.

Tune II. LOW PRE-HEAD+HIGH RISE (+TAIL)

Pass me the paper.
Has Michael arrived yet?
He really insulted me.
I’d like to hear one of your records.
It’s four hundred feet tall.
Would you like one?
My knife’s broken.
How do you like my song?
Take them away.
Fantastic!

Tune III. (LOW PRE-HEAD+) STEPPING HEAD +HIGH RISE

(+TAIL)
Why not ask Jenny?
It isn’t fair.
I’d like two dozen.
How many children has he?
Which would you recommend?
He speaks Hindustani.
I waited there two solid hours.
Won’t your be rather cross?
Could I talk you sometime?
Tell me the time, please.
Leave the key with Mr. Atkins.
The silly young fool.

48
 THE FALL-RISE PATTERN
AND ITS ATTITUDINAL MEANINGS

Tone Group 9
The simplest case is that of incomplete groups, where the Fall-Rise
draws particular attention to one element for the purpose of contrast, and at
the same time shows an intention to continue the utterance.
E.g. On €weekdays | I work, | but on €Saturdays | I don’t.
If the €weather’s œgood | it’s pleasant, | but if it €isn’t, | it’s
dreadful.
In complete groups this contrasting of one thing with another is used
for the purpose of selecting one aspect of the whole subject and deliberately
leaving the remainder unmentioned. This limiting of the speaker’s comment
implies a contrary opinion on what has not been mentioned.
E.g. Did you play cricket at I  did on €Saturday.
the week-end?
From the whole subject ­ the week-end ­ the speaker chooses
one part ­ Saturday and comments on that. He makes no mention of
the remainder ­ Sunday ­ and it is clear without any more being said
that he did not play cricket then. Quite often this contrary opinion is
actually stated, as, for example, in
I  did on €Saturday | but žnot on Sunday,
but this merely puts into words what the intonation has already
said. In the examples below possible extensions of the short answer are
added in brackets.
I didn’t know you drank coffee. I  do €sometimes, (but not very
often).
Is it going to keep fine? I €think œso, (but I’m not
certain).
This distinguishing of two conflicting factors within the immediate
situation is used widely in field of concession.
Two cases may be noticed:
1. The speaker makes an explicit concession on the part of the subject
but implies agreement on the remainder.

49
 2. The speaker explicitly requires a concession from the listener on
part of the subject but implies agreement on the remainder.
Consider this example: She has a lovely voice. This may occur in two
different types of context:
A. What a lovely voice. Yes, she has a  lovely €voice, (but
that’s about all that can be said for her).
This is the case mentioned in 1 above; the speaker concedes the listener’s
point about the voice whilst implying reservations on other matters.
B. I don’t think much of She has a  lovely €voice, (even if
her as an actress. her other talents are not remarkable).
This is the case mentioned in 2 above; the speaker asks the listener to
admit that the voice is good whilst leaving the way open for agreement on the
mediocrity of remainder. We might call the situation in 1 grudging admission,
and that in 2 reluctant or defensive dissent.
E.g. Grudging admission
I’d like it as soon as possible. You could  have it by €dinner time, |
(but no earlier.)
Can I take this one? You  can if you €like, | (but the other
one’s better.)

Reluctant or defensive dissent

I’d like it by tomorrow. I  doubt whether I can do it by €then,
|(but it won’t be much later.)
Everyone’s gone home.  Not €everyone. | (Most have, but
John’s still here.)
From this point it is only a short step to the expression of direct
contradictions and corrections.
E.g. It didn’t take you long. It €did. | (I took ages.)
Your birthday’s on the The €fifth.
fourth, isn’t it?
The result is often concerned, reproachful or hurt. Compare the following
reactions to the statement: I can do it on Monday.
1. You can’t; (I’ve just explained that you can’t.)
2. You can’t; (as you ought to know perfectly well.)
3. You €can’t; (and I’m sorry that you should think you can.)

50
 FURTHER EXAMPLES

Contradictions
John won’t be here today. I  think he €will.
You’re not trying. I most  certainly €am.

Corrections
That shouldn’t take long. It’ll take at  least a €week.
Did you say seventeen? €Seventy.
This concern or reproach is carried on into other utterances which
cannot be regarded as contradictions.
E.g. I’ve been sacked. You’re  not €serious!
I went to London today. I  wish you’d €told me.
This same attitude of concern or reproach is apparent in warnings.
E.g. You’ll €fall.
You’ll  miss your €train.
In apologies, where the concern might seem to be appropriate, this tone
group tends to suggest reservations on the part of the speaker.
E.g. I’m €sorry, | (but I’m afraid it’s impossible.)
I  beg your €pardon, | (but I’m afraid I must contradict you.)
€Sorry, by itself, is an apology, but rather a perfunctory one.
Tone Group 9 is often used in tentative suggestions , where the
speaker wants to help but not to commit himself too deeply to the course
suggested.
E.g. We need another player. You could  ask €John.
When can we meet? €Wednesday, œmight be a
possiœbility.
Tone Group 9 is heard as an intensified variant of Tone Group 6 in
certain questions.
E.g. It’s your turn. €Is it?
John liked it. €Did he?
In echoed questions the effect is of astonishment, as if the speaker can
hardly believe his ears.
E.g. Are you going to the wedding? Am €I œgoing? | (Well of course
I am.)

51
 Tone Group 9 is also used to make corrections to questions, as to
statements.
E.g. How will Henry get home?  How will €Jane get œhome?
(Henry’s is a simple journey.)
Commands with this tone have a warning note, but more urgency than
with Tone Group 6 or 7, since the reproach or concern mentioned in relation
to statements is also present here.
E.g. €Mind. | (There’s a step here.)
 Careful with that €glass. | (You’ll drop it.)
A few interjections of scorn take Tone Group 9.
E.g. Did you lend him any money?  Not €I.
As with other sentence types, corrections may also be made to
interjections by this means.
E.g. What a lovely swimsuit! What a  lovely €handkerchief.

? PRACTICE. Listen to the following recorded stimuli (verbal contexts). Each

stimulus is followed by a response. Write down the responses. Supply stress-tone
notation for them. The nuclear tone in the responses is the Fall-Rise. Learn to
pronounce both the stimulus and the response.

Tune I. FALL-RISE + TAIL OF ONE SYLLABLE

I thought they all took one.
Are things getting dearer?
I like oysters.
His name’s Harry.
How do you go to the office.
They swear they gave us eight pounds.
Sometimes that train stops at Amersham.
I’ll dump the suitcases here.
I’ve found a four leafed clover.

Tune II. FALL-RISE+TAIL OF MORE THAN ONE SYLLABLE

Have you finished?
It’s a good plan, isn’t it?
Could we borrow a typewriter?
52
What a dull book!
Aren’t these apples sour!
He’s an old fool.
Sorry I startled you.
It’s none of my business.
He speaks French and Italian fluently.
I feel as if could scream.
I hope I don’t break anything.

Tune III. FALL-RISE ONLY

You won’t tell him, will you?
Was it twins or triplets?
You weren’t there, were you?
My watch is terrible.
I don’t thinks I can do it.
Can I give a hand?

Tune IV. LOW PRE-HEAD + FALL-RISE (+TAIL)

Is it going to keep fine?
I say the scheme’s much too ambitious.
But you never lose your temper.
Nothing went at all right.
It didn’t take long.
I play golf rather well.
What can I do to mend matters?
We simply must convince him.
Must you go?
What do you people think of it?
So you think they’ll help us.
He came home last February.
May I hold it for a minute?

Tune V. (LOW PRE-HEAD+) SLIDING HEAD+FALL-RISE

(+TAIL)
D’you smoke?

53
What a nasty cold day!
Would he lend me his gramophone?
What a poky little house!
Can I take this one?
You will play, won’t you?
Can I borrow your penknife?
Let me know tomorrow.
You’re not trying.
We got here about midnight.
Alan’s forgotten his umbrella.
Oh dry up, you idiot!
One more game?
I’m thinking of having central heating.
Let me have them by tonight.
What’s worrying you, Peter?
What’s happened to your car?
What did you think of the lecture?
She’s an absolute failure.
I think it’s going to rain.
I’ll have this one. No, this.
I’m sorry.

54
 Part Four
A PHONETIC READER

TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

Once upon a time a Sheep and a Goat set out on a journey together.
“Maa,” said the Sheep. “Two heads are better than one.”
The Goat looked at the Sheep and said: “I’m not so sure about that.”
However, they went in walking side by side and at last the Sheep said:
“Let’s talk.”
“What about?” said the Goat.
“Maa,” said the Sheep, “let me think... er. Let’s talk about things
beginning with “W”.
So they went on talking about such things as work, and wool, and water,
and wives, and wolves. And at last they came to a wood.
“Do you think we should go through this wood?” said the Sheep.
“If we keep together,” said the Goat, “we can go where we like. But we
must keep our eyes open.”
“Four eyes are better than two,” said the Sheep.
“Perhaps you are right,” said the Goat, “even though two of them are
only sheep’s eyes.”
Well they went into the wood and between the two of them they saw a
Wolf before the Wolf saw them.
“Maa, now what shall we do?” said the Sheep.
“We must be ready to use our legs,” said the Goat.
“Eight legs are better than four,” said The Sheep.
The Goat looked very doubtful indeed. “Perhaps, perhaps,” he said at
last, “even though four of them are only sheep’s legs.”
55
 The Goat looked about him quickly. He saw two bushes close together.
“Ah, the very thing,” he said. “Now Sheep, you stand between these two bushes
facing that way and I’ll stand behind you, facing this other way. When Mr. Wolf
comes along, you talk to him and don’t forget to tell him that you have two
heads, four eyes and eight legs. You’ll do the talking in front, you see, and I’ll
do the back chat from behind. Ah, here he comes. You are ready?”
“Maa,” said the Sheep.
“Good day, Sheep,” said the Wolf. “I’m delighted to meet you.”
“You are very polite for a wolf,” said the Sheep.
“I’m always polite to my dinner. I always think it goes down better if
you have been polite to it. I was just wondering where I should find my dinner
and your four legs have brought it to me.”
Well the Sheep didn’t like all this talk about the Wolf’s dinner and said:
“You’re wrong. I have eight legs.”
At that the Goat began to shout: “Of course I have eight legs and only
four of them are sheep’s legs.”
“Who’s that?” asked the Wolf.
“That is my other head,” said the Sheep.
“Let me get at that Wolf,” shouted the Goat.
“There,” said the Sheep, “my two heads are quite different. This head
I’m talking with is very quiet and eats grass, but my other head is loud and
fierce and eats nothing but wolves.”
The Wolf began to feel frightened. “ Does your heard, your other head
really eat wolves?” he asked.
“Yes, but not more than one a day.”
“And it’s not enough,” shouted the Goat. “ I’m always hungry. I could
eat a hundred wolves.”
The Sheep turned her head: “You can have this one standing in front
here, but that is all you can have today.”
“No, no - no.” shouted the Wolf. Down went his tail and he ran for his
life. The Sheep ran after him and the Goat ran backwards after the Sheep
shouting: “Wolf for dinner, Wolf for dinner.”
But the Wolf never looked back. Helter-skelter he went to his den. Into
it he rushed and stopped there in the dark for days and days.
And then Sheep and Goat went quietly on their way talking about
things that began with “W”-things like w i n d s and w i n t e r and w i t c h e s .
“I said two heads were better than one,” said the Sheep.
And the Goat looked at her doubtfully and thought his own thoughts.

56
 BILLY BOBTAIL

Once upon a time there was a little boy and his name was Billy Bobtail.
One day he made up his mind to go and seek his fortune. So he put on his
thickest pair of shoes because he might have to walk a long way and his warmest
coat in case the weather got cold and his green cap. And all the other things he
wanted to take with him he put in a very big red handkerchief and tied them up
into a bundle and put a stick through the knot and lifted it up onto his right
shoulder and set off along the road.
“Good morning, Billy Bobtail.”
“Good morning, Pig.”
“Where are you going, Billy Bobtail?”
“I’m going to seek my fortune.”
“May I come with you, Billy Bobtail?”
“Yes, certainly.”
“Good morning, Billy Bobtail.”
“Good morning, Cow.”
“Where are you going, Billy Bobtail?”
“I’m going to seek my fortune.”
“May I come with you, Billy Bobtail?”
“Yes, certainly. Just walk along behind me.”
“Good morning, Billy Bobtail.”
“Good morning, Dog.”
“Where are you going, Billy Bobtail?”
“I’m going to seek my fortune.”
“May I come with you, Billy Bobtail?”
“Yes, certainly. Just walk along behind me.”
“Good morning, Billy Bobtail.”
“Good morning, Cat.”
“Where are you going, Billy Bobtail?”
“I’m going to seek my fortune.”
“May I come with you, Billy Bobtail?”
“Yes, certainly. Just walk along behind me.”
“Good morning, Billy Bobtail.”
“Good morning, Donkey.”
“Where are you going, Billy Bobtail?”
“I’m going to seek my fortune.”

57
 “May I come with you, Billy Bobtail?”
“Yes, certainly. Just walk along behind me.”
“Good morning, Billy Bobtail.”
“Good morning, Cock-a-doodle-doo.”
“Where are you going, Billy Bobtail?”
“I’m going to seek my fortune.”
“May I come with you, Billy Bobtail?”
“Yes, certainly. Just walk along behind me.”
Well Billy Bobtail met no more animals after the Cock. They walked
on all day till at last towards evening they came to a big thick wood. So they
stopped and looked into it.
“I don’t like the look of that wood.”
“Neither do I. Neither do I.”
“Never mind. If anything comes to hurt us, I can shout and throw
stones.”
“And I can grunt and squeal.”
“And I can bellow and toss with my horns.”
“I can bark and bite.”
“I can miaow and scratch.”
“I can bray and kick.”
“I can crow and flap my wings.”
“All right. Now we need not be afraid. Let’s go into the wood. Keep
close together.”
So Billy Bobtail and the animals started to walk through the dark
wood. Suddenly Billy Bobtail and the animals heard a most terrible noise. And
at once Billy Bobtail began to shout and throw stones, the Cow began to
bellow and toss her horns, the Donkey began to bray and kick, the Dog began
to bark and bite, the cat began to miaow and scratch, the Cock began to crow
and flap his wings and the pig began to grunt and squeal. They made a terrific
noise.
“Stop. Listen. I think it’s gone away. Let’s go on.”
So they went on through the wood but soon they heard the terrible noise
again.
“Stop. Stop. I think it’s gone away. Let’s go on.”
And this time the animal or whatever it was did really go away. And
Billy Bobtail and his friends went on walking till they came to a grassy place.
And right in the middle of this grassy place was the nicest little house you can
think of.

58
 “Perhaps there’s someone in the house. Keep very still and listen. I
can’t hear anything, can you?”
“No.”
“I wish I could see better. But it’s getting so dark.”
“I can see in the dark, Billy Bobtail, and no one can hear me when I
walk. Shall I go and look into the little house, Billy Bobtail, and come back
and tell you what I see?”
“Yes, please, Cat. Do go.”
So the Cat went off to look at the house and presently came back again.
“It’s a lovely empty little house, Billy Bobtail. I think we could spend
the night there quite safely.”
So Billy Bobtail and all the animals went into the little house.
“What a lovely little house. I shall sleep in this room.”
“I shall lie down at the door.”
“I shall sleep beside you.”
“I shall roost on the fence outside and wake you when the sun rises.”
“I shall lie down under this bush outside the door.”
“It’s such a fine night. I’ll go out and stay outside.”
“I think so too. I’ll go with you, Cow.”
“Well good night, animals.”
“Good night.”
And when the Cock crew, Billy Bobtail and all the other animals woke
up and had a really good look round the house now that it was light.
“Well I think this little house is my fortune. Shall we stay here, Cow?”
“Yes, and I can give milk and butter.”
“You can ride on my back to town to sell the butter.”
“There are plenty of acorns for me in the wood. I shall be very happy
living here.”
“I think this is a good place. There are plenty of rats and mice.”
“I’m going to catch a rabbit for dinner now.”
“And you’ll need me to wake you up in the morning, won’t you, Billy
Bobtail?”
“Yes, we shall. I’m glad I’ve found my fortune.”
So Billy Bobtail and the animals lived happily in the middle of the
wood ever after.

59
 THE LITTLE HOUSE

Once upon a time a man was driving a cart along the road. It was full of
great big brown round jars. Suddenly one of them fell out into the road. Bump.
And the man drove on, for he didn’t know he’d lost it. Presently Buzzer the Fly
flew by and asked herself: “I wonder whose little home is that. Who lives in
that little house? I’ll just fly in and find out.”
So she flew into the jar and as she found nobody in it she began to make
her home there. And soon after that Droner the Gnat flew by and asked:
“Whose little home is that? Who lives in that little house?”
“I Buzzer the Fly. And who are you?”
“Droner the Gnat.”
“Come then and live with me.”
So the two of them made their home together. Soon Nibbler the Mouse
came running by and asked: “Whose little home is that? Who lives in that little
house?”
“I Buzzer the Fly.”
“I Droner the Gnat. And who are you?”
“Nibbler the Mouse.”
“Come and live with us.”
So the three of them made a home together. Then Croaker the Frog
came hopping along and asked: “Whose little home is that? Who lives in that
little house?”
“I Buzzer the Fly.”
“I Droner the Gnat.”
“I Nibbler the Mouse. And who are you?”
“Croaker the Frog.”
“Come and live with us.”
So the four of them made a home together. After a time a little hare
came running by and asked: “Whose little home is that? Who lives in that little
house?”
“I Buzzer the Fly.”
“I Droner the Gnat.”
“I Nibbler the Mouse.”
“I Croaker the Frog. And who are you?”
“Bandy-legs the Hare.”
“Come and live with us.”

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 So the five of them made a home together. Then a fox came running
along and asked: “Whose little home is that? Who lives in that little house?”
“I Buzzer the Fly.”
“I Droner the Gnat.”
“I Nibbler the Mouse.”
“I Croaker the Frog.”
“I Bandy-legs the Hare. And who are you?”
“Renard the Fox.”
“Come and live with us.”
So the six of them made a home together.
Suddenly a wolf ran up: “Whose little home is that? Who lives in that
little house?”
“I Buzzer the Fly.”
“I Droner the Gnat.”
“I Nibbler the Mouse.”
“I Croaker the Frog.”
“I Bandy-legs the Hare.”
“I Renard the Fox. And who are you?”
“Prowler The Wolf.”
“Come and live with us.”
So the seven of them made a home together.
And then at last a bear came up and knocked: “Whose little home is
that? Who lives in that little house?”
“I Buzzer the Fly.”
“I Droner the Gnat.”
“I Nibbler the Mouse.”
“I Croaker the Frog.”
“I Bandy-legs the Hare.”
“I Renard the Fox.”
“Prowler The Wolf. And who are you?
“I’m the Crusher of you all.”
And the bear sat down on the little house and crushed it to smithereens.
And Buzzer and Droner and Nibbler and Croaker and Bandy-legs and Renard
and Prowler all ran away because they were so frightened and they couldn’t
live in the little house.
What a pity Old Crusher the Bear came along.

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 KITTEN SARAH

Mrs Tabbywhite and her kitten Sarah lived in little thatched cottage in
a corner of a big field. There was a wooden fence round the back garden to
keep out the rabbits who lived in the field beyond and who simply loved Mrs
Tabbywhite’s juicy green lettuces. Now Mrs Tabbywhite was worried, because
Sarah, her kitten, who should have been white all over would not wash herself.
She just said, “What’s the use of washing? I shall only get dirty all over again.”
One day, when Sarah was playing with a piece of straw in the vegetable
garden, she suddenly saw a brown rabbit scampering off though a hole in the
fence with one or Mrs Tabbywhite’s young lettuces in his mouth. Sarah rushed
across the garden but he’d gone. And then, just as she was going to run off and
tell her mother that impudent rabbit came back and said, “Very good lettuces.
That’s my third this morning. So long,” and he vanished again. Sarah raced
into the cottage, crying, ”Quick. There’s a funny brown rabbit stealing our
lettuces.”
“But how did he get in?”
“Through a hole in the fence. Quick. We must stop it up with a piece of
wood or he’ll be back for another.”
Mrs Tabbywhite hurried out into the garden and nailed a piece of wood
over the hole.
“How I hate these rabbits. They’re so rude. I am glad I am not a brown
rabbit.”
And the grubby little kitten tossed her head in the air and felt quite
proud of her dirty little self. Now when Mrs Tabbywhite heard Sarah say that
she looked thoughtful. “I believe I’ve thought of something to cure Sarah at
last,” she said to herself and she purred because she was so pleased.
That afternoon Mrs Tabbywhite went down alone to the village. She
called at the baker’s, the grocer’s the butcher’s and the fishmonger’s and she
said to each one of them, “When my dirty little kitten comes in tomorrow to
do the shopping, please say to her, “We don’t serve brown rabbits here.” Then
Mrs Tabbywhite went off home looking very pleased with herself.
Next day she asked Sarah to do the shopping for her. She gave her a
shopping basket and a list of these things to buy: a loaf of bread, a tin of
sardines, two lambchops and two pounds of fresh haddock and so off went
Sarah.
When she got to the village she looked at the shopping list and went first
to buy a loaf of bread.

62
 “Miaow... Good morning, Mr Baker, a loaf or bread, please.”
But the baker, instead of smiling at her and tickling her under the chin
as he usually did, looked very cross and shouted, ”We don’t serve brown rabbits
here. Out you go.”
“But I am not a brown rabbit. I am Sarah, Mrs Tabbywhite’s kitten.”
“Ha, ha, ha! That’s a good joke. You ­ a white kitten? Come on, outside
you go.”
Before she knew what was happening Sarah found herself in the street
again.
“What’s the matter with the baker? Never mind, I’ll go on to the grocer’s.”
“Miaow... Good morning Mr Grocer. a tin of sardines, please.”
The grocer took one look at her, picked her up by the scruff of her neck
and put her outside; then he poked his head out of the door and said, “We
don’t serve brown rabbits here and you are not getting any sardines from
me.” And he put his head in and slammed the door.
“The grocer doesn’t know me either. Fancy mistaking me for a brown
rabbit.” And Sarah put her tail in the air and set off again to buy the chops at
the butcher’s.
“Miaow... Good morning, Mr Butcher. Two lambchops, please.”
But the butcher said very sternly, “ We don’t serve brown rabbits here.”
“But I’m Sarah, the white kitten.”
“You a white kitten ? Well, if you are a white kitten I must be a sweep.
Be off now.”
So Sarah made her way sadly to the last shop of all.
“Miaow... Good morning, Mr Fishmonger. Two pounds of fresh
haddock, please.”
But the fishmonger only scowled at her and he said, “We don’t serve
brown rabbits here. And what do you think I’ve put that notice up for?”
Poor Sarah turned round and there hanging in the window was a big
notice which said, “No Brown Rabbits Served Here.” Well Sarah couldn’t go
on shopping any more. She turned and ran all the way hone with her empty
basket.
“Why, what’s the matter?” asked Mrs Tabbywhite when Sarah
came in.
“They all think I am a brown rabbit. Oh... Whatever shall I do?”
“Well, that’s very plain. People’ve mistaken you for a brown rabbit
because you are so dirty. Now if you were to wash yourself, no one could
possibly think you are anything but a white kitten.”

63
 So Sarah began to lick her fur, and Mrs Tabbywhite began licking her
too. She washed and washed Sarah’s head until it was as white as milk. But
Sarah didn’t see the twinkle in her mother’s eye and she didn’t hear Mrs
Tabbywhite laughing next day when she thanked the baker, the grocer, the
butcher and the fishmonger for helping her to cure Sarah. And Sarah never
forgot the day she was taken by everybody for a brown rabbit.
And after that she always washed herself twice a day, just in case it
happened again.

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

Thomas Rabbit was pottering round his garden looking at his vegetables.
He smacked his lips at the thought of the feasts he would have with Maria, his
wife, and with his little son, Tim. He bent down to have a closer look at his
lettuces. But - oh dear. What did he see?
“Ah, slugs again. Maria, Maria, the slugs are eating our lettuces now.”
Yes, there were the slugs - babies, mothers and grandmothers besides
enormous fat great grandmother slugs - all eating away at the juicy green leaves.
Maria Rabbit came running up the long passage from their underground
house wiping the soap suds from her paws.
“Oh, Thomas, you must set some traps - some slug traps and catch them
all.”
So the big rabbits twisted fine grasses, wove them into boxes rather like
mouse traps and put juicy radishes inside. Mr Rabbit put the traps down on the
ground all round the garden and especially of course near the lettuces. Did
those slugs walk into these traps? No, not one. They just laughed their slimy
laugh and went eating the juicy lettuces.
Poor Maria Rabbit. She hopped back slowly and sadly to the house
with Thomas dejectedly following her.
“Oh dear me. What shall we do? There will be no lettuce left when little
Tim comes home.”
“I know. I’ve got a good idea. I’ll shoot these vermins. I will - I’ll shoot
them. Where’s my pop gun? Oh, here it is. Get my bag of peas, Maria, while I
pull on my shooting boots.”
“Here are the peas, Thomas.”
“Thank you, Maria. Right. I’m off. Goodbye.”

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 “You are only going into the garden, aren’t you, Thomas?”
“Yes, but it’s dangerous work shooting slugs. So give me a kiss.”
“Goodbye, Thomas. Be careful.”
“I will. Goodbye, Maria, goodbye.”
Thomas crept very carefully up to a big fat lettuce and fired his little
gun. But did the slugs mind? No, not they. They laughed more then ever in
their slimy way. And they ate up all the peas and then turned about and went on
eating the lettuces.
Maria peered cautiously round the corner and whispered:
“Thomas, how are you getting on?”
“They didn’t mind the pop gun at all.”
“Oh dear. We shan’t have any lettuces left when little Tim comes home.”
Poor Thomas and Maria Rabbit. They hopped sadly down the long
passage into the kitchen of their house. And then Maria had an idea.
“I know we must frighten them away. We’ll play on squeaker grasses
and terrify those slugs.”
Thomas and Maria ran out into the meadow and picked long broad
grasses. They each held one grass tightly across their front teeth and blew hard.
And then they crept very close to the lettuces and stooped down low and blew
long squeaking noises on their squeaker grasses. The greedy slugs raised their
heads. They waved their fat bodies joyously and laughed their slimy laugh:
“Very sweet music at our feast. Very sweet music while we eat.” And then they
laughed again happily in their slimy way and went on eating lettuce leaves.
Poor Thomas and Maria crept away to a corner of the garden quite out
of breath and sat down. Every now and then a slug would stop eating and say:
“Very sweet music at our feast. Very sweet music while we eat.”
Thomas and Maria sat for a long time listening to the nibble - nibble of
the slugs eating the lettuce leaves.
“Oh, it isn’t any use, Maria. We shan’t have a single lettuce left when
little Tim comes home.”
“Thomas, shall we try to poison them?”
“That’s a very good idea, Maria.”
“Then let’s go to the kitchen at once and make a poison cake. it must
look and smell very nice and we’ll put a tiny bit of poison in at the very end.”
Maria made a very delicious cake with icing on top. But just before she
popped it in the oven she dropped in some dreadful poison from her poppy-
seed box. When it was baked, Thomas put it down on the ground close to the
lettuce bed. Then he and Maria hid so they could see what happened. Well, the

65
slugs began to smell the cake, then they swarmed round, laughed their slimy
laugh and said: “Jolly good cake, jolly good brown cake, jolly good sugary
brown cake.” and smacked their mouths and turned back to the lettuce bed
and went on eagerly eating the lettuce leaves.
“It’s no good. My poison cake hasn’t killed the slugs.”
“Let’s drown them.”
“Yes. We could fill our lily-leaf buckets with water and drown them that
way, couldn’t we?”
So the two rabbits carried water from the pond and poured it right over
the slugs. But the slugs just enjoyed the water.
“Nice cold drink. Nice cool shower. Nice cold bath.”
They drank the water and washed in the water and they even had a little
swim in the water. Then they laughed again in their slimy way and went back
hungrier than even to the lettuce bed.
“Oh, there won’t be even a nibble of lettuce left when our little Tim
comes home.”
Suddenly a voice called out and up rushed Tim hopping and skipping
and turning somersaults as he came towards his father and mother.
“Hullo, hullo. I’ve brought a friend to supper. Oh, but what’s the matter?
Why are your ears drooping with sorrow? What’s wrong?”
“The slugs are eating all the lettuce, Tim.”
“We tried to shoot them and to frighten them with squeaker grasses.”
“And to poison them and drown them but they just go on eating the
lettuces.”
“Oh, is that all? My friend Thrush has just been wondering if you’d have
meat for supper and I said we only had lettuces, didn’t I, Thrush?”
“Yes, Tim . I think I can help you, help you if you’ll allow me, sir, allow
me, sir. Just watch me.”
He hopped to the lettuce bed and began to work. He gobbled up the
slugs faster than you could count ­ baby slugs, mother slugs, grandmother and
great grandmother slugs before they had time to take to their slimy heels.
Maria and Thomas stood and watched in wonder at his hug appetite.
“Come and have supper with us whenever you like, Mr Thrush.”
“You’ll always be welcome, Mr Thrush.”
“Yes, indeed. And now let’s pick up our lettuces. Come on, Tim. All’s
well that ends well.”

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 THE LOSS OF THE “TITANIC”

The great ship, Titanic, sailed for New York from Southampton on
April 10th, 1912. She was carrying 1316 passengers and a crew of 891. Even
by modern standards, the 46,000 ton Titanic was a colossal ship. At that time,
however, she was not only the largest ship that had even been built, but was
regarded as unsinkable, for she had sixteen watertight compartments. Even if
two of these were flooded, she would still be able to float. The tragic sinking of
this great liner will always be remembered, for she went down on her first
voyage with heavy loss of life.
Four days after setting out, while the Titanic was sailing across the icy
waters of the North Atlantic, a huge iceberg was suddenly spotted by a look-
out. After the alarm had been given, the great ship turned sharply to avoid a
direct collision. The Titanic turned just in time, narrowly missing the immense
wall of ice which rose over 100 feet out of the water beside her. Suddenly, there
was a slight trembling sound from below, and the captain went down to see
what had happened. The noise had been so faint that no one thought that the
ship had been damaged. Below, the captain realised to his horror that the
Titanic was sinking rapidly, for five of her sixteen watertight compartments
had already been flooded. The order to abandon ship was given and hundreds
of people plunged into the icy water. As there were not enough life-boats for
everybody, 1500 lives were lost.

This is an interview with an author who has written a book about the Titanic.

AUTHOR: The Titanic was on her maiden voyage. She was just the most
luxurious ship that had ever been built.
INTERVIEWER: More like a floating first-class than a ship, wasn’t she?
AUTHOR: Yes, exactly.
INTERVIEWER: When she went down, she was carrying some of the richest
people in Europe and America, wasn’t she?
AUTHOR: Yes, uh, huh ... people ... like John Jacob Astor and ... uh ...
Benjamin Guggenheim.
INTERVIEWER: How many lives were actually lost?
AUTHOR: About ... 1,500 people.

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INTERVIEWER: Including the millionaires?
AUTHOR: Oh yes. They went down with the ship, too.
INTERVIEWER: Now ... how could such a disaster happen? What caused it?
AUTHOR: Well ... perhaps I’d better describe the whole thing ... you see ...
erm ... on the 14th April, 1912 ... just before midnight in fact,
the Titanic was ... well... almost in the middle of the Atlantic ...
and she was going very fast, too ... a dangerous thing to do ...
INTERVIEWER: Why?
AUTHOR: Icebergs ... because of icebergs ... there are lots of them in that
particular part of the Atlantic at that time of year. There was
also a slight mist and ...
INTERVIEWER: Only a slight mist ... not a thick one?
AUTHOR: Yes, but it was getting thicker ... and it was very dark that night.
Suddenly an iceberg was seen almost directly in front of the
ship. As I said, she was going very fast. She was trying to turn
when she struck the iceberg.
INTERVIEWER: There was another ship that was passing nearby, wasn’t there?
AUTHOR: Yes, the SS Californian.
INTERVIEWER: Why didn’t the Californian try to help the Titanic ... try to take
some passengers off?
AUTHOR: Ah, that’s the big mystery.
INTERVIEWER: I mean, didn’t the Californian see that the Titanic was in trouble?
AUTHOR: Well, as I said ... there’s a mystery here. You see, among other
thing, eight white rockets were fired from the Titanic.
INTERVIEWER: An SOS signal.
AUTHOR: Yes, exactly ... Now an officer and another sailor on the
Californian saw the rockets. They thought, so it seems, at least,
that perhaps someone was having a party on board the Titanic
and were just firing the rockets in fun. Anyway, they did wake
the captain ... he was sleeping in his cabin at the time ...
INTERVIEWER: And what happened then?
AUTHOR: Nothing.
INTERVIEWER: Nothing?
AUTHOR: Nothing. It seems he was too sleepy to understand.
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INTERVIEWER: And so the Californian just went on ... just went on ...
AUTHOR: Just went on sailing away, in another direction ...
INTERVIEWER: But what about the life-boats? Why didn’t the passengers use
the life-boats on the Titanic ?
AUTHOR: Some did, but there weren’t enough life-boats ... you see,
everybody said the Titanic couldn’t be sunk ... so it seems
nobody thought the life-boats would ever be necessary.
INTERVIEWER: And so ... 1,500 people were drowned.
AUTHOR: Yes ... with a dance band playing, by the way.
INTERVIEWER: A dance band was playing music?
AUTHOR: Yes, when the Titanic finally went down, a dance band was still
playing music up on the deck ... until the last few seconds ... you
see, they were trying to keep the passengers calm.

A DOUBLE LIFE

For the five last years Colin Harrison has been leading a life which was
described in court yesterday as “a hellish nightmare of his own making.”
Harrison, who is 34, met his first wife, Eileen, eight years ago. They soon had
two children and Harrison seemed to settle down in a Bristol suburb to a
“solid, respectable life as a devoted husband and father.” His only apparent
problem was his job as a long-distance lorry driver. This took him away for
almost half of every month on long drives up to the northeast of England,
particularly around Newcastle area.
However, as the court learned, after three years of marriage, Harrison
met another woman and fell in love with her. She was a pretty young widow,
Mrs Claudia Paisley, whose husband had died in a tragic motor car accident
two years earlier. Harrison married her as well, and began to lead a double
life.
The first was in his home in Bristol, and the second was in the village of
Ormley, near Newcastle, with his second wife. Neither of the two women
knew of each other’s existence. Harrison had two more children in his first
marriage, the last of which, a boy, was born nine month ago. His second wife,
Claudia, bore him a daughter around the same time. She already had two

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children from her earlier marriage.
In order to support his families, Harrison had to work almost every
hour of the day and night. In addition to his main job he took on a number of
part-time jobs in both Bristol and Ormley. It became so bad that several months
ago he suffered a complete physical and mental collapse. One of his doctors,
to whom Harrison confessed everything, advised him to give himself up and
then try to make a completely fresh start in life. Harrison took the advise.
Yesterday, after pleading guily to bigamy, he was given a two-year jail sentence,
suspended for four years. The court heard that his first wife is now seeking a
divorce.

THE PRIZE (1)

I grew up in a small town in the West of England. I cannot tell you very
much about my father. He was a journalist and was hardly ever at home and
then when I was eleven, went to fight in the First World War. But he must have
been a pleasant man, with an enormous sense of humour, and my mother must
have loved him enormously. I can remember hearing them laughing a lot
when I was in bed. I remember the years of the war very well. I had just started
going to grammar school when it began. All the teachers were very old. The
young ones were in the army. We were often hungry, particularly towards the
end of the war, but our old teachers never seemed to notice. We had to translate
meaningless verses from the Latin and Greek classics. I remember doing
translation from Homer. The teachers seemed closer to the Trojan War than to
the one going in France a few hundred miles away. It seemed stupid to me,
even then. My father was killed in Belgium, at Passchendale, in 1918.
Passchendale, as you perhaps know was one of the worst and bloodiest battles
of the whole horrible war. A lot of soldiers on both sides drowned in the mud
and rain, or died of illness. But we still had to translate Greek and Latin at
school. I have hated those languages and the idea of war ever since. My mother
died in 1919, a year after the war ended. She died in the great influenza epidemic
that killed so many people all over Europe in that year. I was raised by a
religious aunt. She went to church every morning, always talked how God
loved us all. She never seemed to show me any love herself, and I never showed
her any.

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 THE PRIZE (2)

By the time the Second Word War began, I had already travelled
abroad a great deal. I had studied for two years at a German university and
later had worked as a journalist in the Far East, particularly in Japan. I had
made a great many friends in those places. Suddenly, many of them became
“the enemy.” It was as if a black curtain had been drawn between them and
me.
One night in 1994, around Christmas time, I was with an anti -
aircraft crew near the mouth of the Thames. I was writing a newspaper article
about our air defences. Further up the river a town was being bombed. We
could see the flames. Even the bombs could be heard. They sounded like
huge kettle drums that were being tuned for a concert. Then we were warned
that some of the bombers were coming our way. Shortly afterwards we heard
their engines. Two powerful searchlights criss-crossed on one of them just
above us. Our guns began firing. They were so loud in my ears that I felt as
though I were actually inside one of those drums. Suddenly I saw a flicker of
flame inside the aircraft. It looked almost as if someone had lit a match up
there. The flame suddenly spread. The anti-aircraft began to cheer. I almost
did so myself. It was rather like watching a film. Nothing seemed real. The
bomber looked like a fly in a spider’s net.
But then I realised that the men up in that bomber were human beings.
They had flesh that could burn, voices that could scream and bodies that
could be smashed and broken. I suddenly wondered if some of them were
the brothers or sons of friends of mine, or even my friends themselves. It is
not easy to hate people whose names you know, whose language you speak
and with whom you have laughed and drunk. They had been dropping bombs
on us a moment ago. But they could hardly have known just what they were
doing. Later, other friends of mine in different bombers would die in the
same way over Germany and Japan. They would kill innocent people just as
the men up in that blazing bomber had done. It was as though we were all
puppets in a mad play. So much was wasted. So much life was lost that could
never be replaced. And so I did not could not cheer as I watched that bomber
crash. There were no parachutes. All the bomber crew must have died.

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 THE PRIZE (3)

I live in fear of boredom. That is, I live in fear of boring others. Formal
speeches can so easily bore, particularly if they are long. Mine will be very
short and I hope simple.
In my novels I have always tried to use simple language to describe
some of the reality I have seen. For many years I was a journalist and I happened
to see at first hand many of the terrible events that have dominated our century.
And in the novels I tried to convey something of the experience simple people
had of those events. I keep saying “simple”. There is of course nothing simple
about being an innocent civilian terrified out of your wits as bombers fly above
trying to kill you and destroy your home. There is nothing simple about being
a solder equally terrified that you will be killed in a battle. It is not simple to go
years without work or proper food. It is not simple to starve.
But I have still tried to use simple words because I know how much
easier it is to lie with more complicated ones. As George Orwell pointed out,
if I say something like “ My government has determined on the undertaking of
a low-risk operation in order to pacify several areas of disorder in a remote
part of an undeveloped and hostile country” it sounds much better that saying
“ We are going to kill some of the villagers and other peasants. They probably
can’t defend themselves anyway. This will teach them not to cause us any
trouble.”
Using simple language is not the same as making things more simple
than they really are. Reality is never simple. But it is better to try to describe it
fully and simply. Perhaps that way we can get at the truth. But we should never
be satisfied that we “know the truth”. Another writer ­ a German his name
was Lessing ­ pointed out that it was not the possession of the truth that made
us truly human. We might become arrogant, proud and lazy if we thought we
really knew the truth. What makes us human, then, is not the truth but the
sincere and honest search for it, and the knowledge that we never really know
the complete and whole truth about anything. Only fanatics think they can do
that. All I have tried in my books is to get at the truth behind some of the things
I have seen, and to describe it as fully and as simply as I can. And always I have
known that truth itself is a terribly complex and many-sided thing. And now I
wish only to express my deep gratitude for the great honour you have shown
me in the form of this prize. Those are simple but I assure you deeply-felt
words. Thank you.

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 Christina Rossetti
WHAT IS PINK? A ROSE IS PINK

What is pink? A rose is pink

By the fountain’s brink.
What is red? A poppy’s red
In its barley bed.
What is blue? The sky is blue
Where the clouds float thro’.
What is white? A swan is white
Sailing in the light.
What is yellow? A pear is yellow,
Rich and ripe and mellow.
What is green? The grass is green
With small flowers between.
What is violet? Clouds are violet
In the summer twilight.
What is orange? Why, an orange,
Just an orange!

Robert Louis Stevenson

THE WIND

I saw you toss the kites on high,

And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies’ skirts across the grass ­

O wind, a-blowing all day long,

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

I saw the different things you did,

But always you yourself you hid.
I felt you push, I heard you call,
I could not see yourself at all ­

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 O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!

O you that are so strong and cold,

O blower, are you young or old?
Are you a beast of field and tree,
Or just a stronger child than me?

O wind, a-blowing all day long,

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

Lewis Carroll
THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER

The sun was shining on the sea,

Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright ­
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,

Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done ­
“It’s very rude of him,” she said,
“To come and spoil the fun.”

The sea was wet as wet could be,

The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead ­
There were no birds to fly.

74
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand:
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
“If this were only cleared away,”
They said, “it would be grand!

“If seven maids with seven mops

Swept it for half a year,
Do you suppose,” the Walrus said,
“That they could get it clear?”
“I doubt it,” said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.

“O Oysters, come and walk with us!”

The Walrus did beseech.
“A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each.”

The eldest Oyster looked at him,

But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head ­
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.

But young Oysters hurried up,

All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat ­
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn’t any feet.

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 Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more ­
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter

Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.

“The time has come,” the Walrus said,

“To talk of many things:
Of shoes ­ and ships ­ and sealing-wax ­
Of cabbages ­ and kings ­
And why the sea is boiling hot ­
And whether pigs have wings.”

“But wait a bit,” the Oysters cried,

“Before we have a chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!”
“No hurry!” said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.

“A loaf of bread,” the Walrus said,

“Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed ­
Now, if you’re ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed.”

76
“But not on us!” the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
“After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!”
“The night is fine,” the Walrus said.
Do you admire the view?”

“It was so kind of you to come”

And you are very nice!”
The Carpenter said nothing but
“Cut us another slice.
I wish you were not quite so deaf ­
I’ve had to ask you twice!”

“It seems a shame”, the Walrus said,

“To play them such a trick.
After we’ve brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!”
The Carpenter said nothing but
“The butter’s spread too thick!”

“I weep for you, ” the Walrus said:

“I deeply sympathise.”
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

“O Oysters,” said the Carpenter,

“You’ve had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again!”
But answer came there none ­
And this was scarcely odd, because
They’d eaten every one.

77
 Lewis Carroll
JABBERWOCKY

‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Betware the Jubjub bird and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand:

Long time the manxome foe he sought ­
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock!

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did grye and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

78
 William Shakespeare
SONNET 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

SONNET 130

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;

Coral is far more red than her lip’s red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

I have seen roses damask’d, red and white,

But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.

I love to hear her speak, ­ yet well I know

That music hath a far more pleasing sound:

79
 I grant I never saw a goddess go, ­
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.

And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare

As any she belied with false compare.

MARK ANTONY’S SPEECH

from “Julius Caesar” by W. Shakespeare
Act III, Scene II

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told Caesar was ambitious.
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer’d it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest, ­
For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men, ­
Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral.
He was my friend faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?

80
 Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you, then to mourn for him?
O judgement! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

JAQUES’ SPEECH
from “As You Like It” by W. Shakespeare
Act II, Scene VII

All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
And then the wining school-boy, with his satchel,
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin’d
With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;

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 And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends his strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

82
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allen, W. S. Living English Speech. London, 1958.

Alexander, L. G. Developing Skills. Longman, 1995.

O’Connor, J. D. and Arnold, G. F. Intonation of Colloquial English.

London, 1961.

O’Neill, R. Interaction.

O’Neill, R. Kernel Lessons Plus. Longman, 1972.

Aprijaskytë R., Paþûsis L. Anglø kalbos tarties mokymo vadovas.

Kaunas, 1983.

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ISBN 9986-869-26-9

A PHONETIC AID
For Students of English

Compiled by Jonas Skarulis

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