SS № 7-8 Intonation structure of the English language.

2 hours
Pragma-professional problem tasks (case-tasks)
1.Define the main approaches to the study of intonation.
Falling intonation
Falling intonation describes how the voice falls on the final stressed syllable of a
phrase or a group of words. A falling intonation is very common in wh-questions.
Where’s the nearest p↘ost-office?
What time does the film f↘inish?
We also use falling intonation when we say something definite, or when we want
to be very clear about something:
I think we are completely l↘ost.
OK, here’s the magaz↘ine you wanted.
Rising intonation
Rising intonation describes how the voice rises at the end of a sentence. Rising
intonation is common in yes-no questions:
I hear the Health Centre is expanding. So, is that the new d↗octor?
Are you th↗irsty?

Fall-rise intonation
Fall-rise intonation describes how the voice falls and then rises. We use fall-rise
intonation at the end of statements when we want to say that we are not sure, or
when we may have more to add:
I do↘n’t support any football team at the m↘om↗ent. (but I may change my mind
in future).
It rained every day in the firs↘t w↗eek. (but things improved after that).
We use fall-rise intonation with questions, especially when we request information
or invite somebody to do or to have something. The intonation pattern makes the
questions sound more polite:
Is this your cam↘er↗a?
Would you like another co↘ff↗ee?

You can talk about these types of instances and show the difference between them
and improve pronunciation.
2. Observe the regular alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables
according to the stress tone marks.
The alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables leads to the influence of
rhythm on verbal stress and sentence stress.

There are as many rhythmic groups in a semantic group as there are stressed
syllables. Rhythmic groups can be of two types:

An enclitic is a rhythmic group in which an unstressed syllable clings to the

preceding stressed syllable.

proclitic is a rhythmic group in which an unstressed syllable clings to the next

stressed syllable.

To develop a good English-language speech rhythm, you should arrange the

sentences:

1) on intonation groups;

2) on rhythmic groups;

3) associate words starting with a vowel with previous words;

4) weaken unstressed words and syllables;

5) make sure that stressed syllables occur regularly within the intonation group.

3. Dwell on stylistic use of intonation.

Intonation plays a central role in stylistic differentiation of oral texts. Stylistically
explicable deviations from intonational norms reveal conventional patterns
differing from language to language. Adult speakers are both transmitters and
receivers of the same range of phonostylistic effects carried by intonation. The
intonation system of a language provides a consistently recognizable invariant
basis of these effects from person to person.

One of the objectives of phonostylistics is the study of intonational

functional styles. An intonational style can be defined as a system of
interrelated intonational means which is used in a certain social sphere and
serves a definite aim in communication. The problem of intonational styles
classification can hardly be regarded as settled as yet. In this book we
distinguish the following five style categories:

(1) informational (formal) style;

(2) scientific (academic) style;

(3) declamatory style;

(4) publicistic style;

(5) familiar (conversational) style.

The situational context and the speaker's purpose determine the choice of an
intonational style. The primary situational determinant is the kind of
relationship existing between the participants in a communicative
transaction.

Intonational styles distinction is based on the assumption that there are three
types of information present in communication:

(a) intellectual information,

(b) emotional and attitudinal (modal) information,

(c) volitional and desiderative information.

Consequently, there are three types of intonation patterns used in oral

communication:

(a) intonation patterns used for intellectual purposes,

(b) intonation patterns used for emotional and attitudinal purposes,

(c) intonation patterns used for volitional and desiderative purposes.