FUNCTIONS OF

INTONATION
 There are six major functions of intonation

1. The organization of information

2. The realization of communicative functions
3. The expression of attitude
4. Syntactic structure
5. Textual structure
6. The identification of speech styles
 1.The organization of information

It involves decisions about

the division of the information into manageable pieces
and their staging: TONALITY
what should be made prominent in any piece of
information; the information structure: TONICITY
the grading of the pieces of information into major and
minor: TONE
 So, in every discourse, the speaker must
make three decisions:

The division and staging of information-

TONALITY
the structure of new and given information
within each unit-TONICITY
The grading of one piece of information
against another-TONE
This function of intonation
answers the question:

‘What is being said?’

2. The realization of communicative
functions

It presents the speaker’s purpose in saying

something. It answers the question:
‘Why is it being said?’
The speaker may distinguish between telling
or asking, ordering or pleading, greeting or
thanking.
What does the fall suggest?
The ‘fall’ suggests certainty, knowing, so it
denotes ‘speaker- dominance’
What does the rise suggest?
The ‘rise’ suggests uncertainty, ‘querying’, so
it denotes ‘speaker-deference’
Example: Shut the window
Shut the window
Thus, intonation can distinguish between statements
and queries, orders and requests, exclamations and
questions.

This function of intonation is basic since whenever

we say something we have a purpose in doing so.
 3. The expression of attitude

This function answers the question:

‘How is it being said?’
The effect of attitude may be found in the extent of a fall or
rise and in the variations of pitch in the head and pre-head:
-a wide falling tone denotes surprise, intensity, something
unexpected
-a narrow falling tone denotes mildness(gentleness),
something expected.
Intonation however is not the only means available to
the speaker to convey attitudes.
 -there’s a wider range of vocal effects and
paralinguistic features (voice qualities, vocal effects,
tempo and loudness)
 -there are gestures of the face, hands and body,
distance and proximity, eye contact or the lack of it
 -the choice of words (ex. angry words like stupid ,
affectionate words, swear words)
4. Syntactic structure
It relates intonation to the syntax of clauses.
Compare these two sentences:
/She washed and  brushed her hair/
/She washed/and brushed her hair/

/My brother who lives in York…/

/My  brother/ who lives in York…/
Intonation has a grammatical role in
disambiguating parallel wordings
of different syntactic structures.
 5. Textual structure

It concerns longer stuctures than single units of intonation

and individual pieces of information.
How do separate units of intonation form the text of
discourse?
-the topic of the message binds the information together
-the grammatical systems of reference and conjunctions
-intonation
Think of newsreading: How do you know when one
item of news has finished and a new one begins?
A new item starts at fairly high pitch and it
continues relatively high. When the item comes to
and end, the pitch level of the final intonation unit is
relatively low and there is often a slowing down of
pace in the final few words. A noticeable pause
signals the end of that item.
This pattern of high start, gradual descent and low
finish is typical of newsreading.
 6. The identification of speech styles
(genres)
 Different language events people engage in :
-informal conversations
-interviews
-debates
-interrogations
-air-to-ground communication by pilots
-newsreading
-prayer
-storytelling
-poetry reading
In conclusion:

What is being said (information)

Why is it being said (communicative
functions)
How is it being said (attitudes)
Which is being said (grammar; differentiation
between syntactic choices)
Tones and communicative
functions
Why is the tone system used in
English?
 For the indication of information status
(major/minor – complete or incomplete)

 For the indication of communicative

functions
 But what do we mean by
“communicative functions”?

The purpose for a given utterance

intended by the speaker
Why is it being said?
Generally speaking we can say that…

 Statemets, wh-questions, commands,

interjections, question tags usually
(with a fall)
 Yes/no questions and question tag
(with a rise)
 Generally speaking, falls dominate in both
frequency and function

 This dominance is manifest in the tone

system in communicative functions, too.
 Let’s see the following examples

Silence in ˋcourt.

(A command realized by an imperative clause)

All library books must be reˋturned by Friday.

(A command realized by a declarative sentence.)

There is no one-to-one correspondence

between clause type and

communicative function.
 Another important consideration…

Stirˋwell.
Have a nice ˏtime.
(Same clause type. The first is a command, an
instruction; the second a wish)
Tones realize the communicative function
rather than clause types
What is the fall associated with?
The speaker’s knowing something, telling
something, expressing his/her own feelings. The
speaker’s knowledge, authority and feelings
dominate

What is the rise associated with?

The speaker not knowing and therefore
having to ask.
 All the communicative functions can be grouped
into three kinds:

1.Relating to knowledge in respect to information

2. In relation to authority in respect of influencing

other people’s action (suasion)

3. In relation to social interaction

1. FUNCTIONS RELATED TO THE KNOWLEDGE
IN RESPECT TO INFORMATION

A fall indicates the speaker’s dominance (knowledge) and a rise

the deference to the presumed superior knowledge of the
addressee.

Example:
-He’s finished my ˋbook,/ ˋhasn’t he? (the speaker is pretty sure
of the fact)
- He’s finished my ˋbook,/ ˏhasn’t he? (the speaker is not sure)
The following functions take a fall

 Statements
 Explanations
 Agreement / Disagreement
 Acknowledgment
 Descriptions
 Suppositions (expressions of doubt)
 Deductions
 Denials
 Affirmations
-I’ve broken this ˋfingernail.
(statement)

-So you’ve done your homework. I certainly ˋhave.

(agreement)

-I doubt if he would ˋcome.

(doubt)
The following functions take a
rise…
 Enquiries (usually in the form of a Yes/No question)
 Appeals
 Requests
 Concessions
 Contradictions
 Challenges (sometimes in the form of an echo question)
Some examples…
-Are you going aˏway for Christmas?
(Enquiry -Yes / No question)
-Turn the ˏradio off.
(request)
-I ˏmight be able to play.
(concession: it’s a kind of deference to somebody else’s
propositon)
-A: ‘Let’s go to the beach’
B: Go to the beach on a day like ,this
(challenge)
-ˏWhat did you say you’re going to do? (echo question)
 2. COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTIONS RELATED TO INSTANCES
IN WHICH THE SPEAKER INFLUENCES PEOPLE’S ACTIONS.
SUASION

A fall indicates dominance in the realm of

suasion; a fall indicates the speaker’s
authority.
A rise indicates deference to the other person’s
authority or decision.
 FALL RISE
 prohibitions  pleas
 commands  requests
 demands  suggestions
 advice  invitations
 recommendations  offers
 promises  warnings
 threats  appeals
Let’s see some examples…

Don’t talk with your ˋmouth full. (prohibition)

Don’t talk with your ˏmouth full. (plea)
You should take a little ˋbreak. (advice)
You could take a little ˏbreak. (suggestion)
Don’t you ˋdare tell lies. (threat)
We promise a quick reˋply. (promises)
Look where you’re ˏgoing. (warnings)
How about a cup of ˋcoffee (recommendation)
How about a cup of ˏcoffee (invitation)
If the verbs suggest, invite, request, plead are used
they are accompanied with a FALL

Examples:
I suggest a cup of `coffee
I would like to invite you for `dinner
We request the pleasure of your `company
I’m `pleading with you
 3. SOCIAL EXCHANGES AND THE
COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTION

These kinds of communication are simply

intended to establish and maintain
relationships between people.
Some examples
FALL RISE
 Toasts and  Good wishes:
congratulations: Ex: Do your ˏbest.
Ex: To the bride and the  Apologies:
ˋgroom.
We won’t let that happenˏagain.
Well ˋdone.
 Sympathy: Ex: It’s a great
 Praise and approval. ˏshame
Ex: It’s a ˋlovely thought.  Regret: Ex: I’m ever so ˏsorry
 Welcomes
Ex: Come on ˋin.
However, some of these functions can take either a fall
or a rise

Fairwells
Good ˏbye
See you this ˋevening. (if the parting is regarded as
temporary)
Greetings
Good ˏmorning.
Good ˋmorning
Thanking
ˏThank you ˋThank you
• A request for attention takes the fall-rise and also there
is requirement of some service.
Ex ˇcuse me
ˇWaiter
• Vocatives:
ˇJohn (a request for attention)
`John (a summon, the speaker’s feelings or sense of
authority dominate)
ˏJohn (‘Are you there?’)
• Introductions
ˏJohn/ I would like you to meet my `father-in-law.
Miss ˏJones /this is Mr ˋEvans.
 TO SUM UP
•A FALL indicates the speaker’s dominance in
knowing and telling something, in telling someone
what to do and in expressing their own feelings
•A RISE indicates the speaker’s deference to the
addressee’s knowledge, their right to decide, and
their feelings.
 There’s no special tone for each separate
communicative function: the resources of
intonation are simply not sufficient for so many
different functions.
Let’s practise
Here are the links you need to the recordings. Each extract has been recorded
separately. The scrip is on the following slide.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gUBPZYLaUqSSj2680xPsTMUBZVr3O4-K/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16FNRVU5aQKijD7POXiVwSzUQKkjJo2c9/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DZBp544zUrE8fyIcJsba_ZbbQqiFX_Dq/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x8-U6Wbwz-KY48_tfGkiExIbKtU8orNV/view?usp=sharing
Listen to the recordings and identify what communicative function is at work. Mark the
tonic syllable and tone

A: Bye Darling. Have a good trip to New York

B: Thanks. I’ll ring you as soon as I arrive at the hotel.

A: Hello. Come and sit down. What seems to be the matter?

B: Well, I haven’t felt very well for a few days.

A: I hear you’re getting married soon. Congratulations!

B: That’s right. Can you come to the wedding?

A: I feel nervous. I have an exam today.

B: Good luck! Do your best!

A: I don’t feel very well. I think I’m getting the flu.

B: Why don’t you go home to bed?
 I doubt if he would come
I wouldn’t have thought so
I can’t imagine he would
 It’s possible
I might be able to play
 A- You forgot about our anniversary!
B- Oh no I didn’t
 A- ‘Los Pumas’ will win the next championship.
B- It’s possible ( rising tone- concession)
 You ought to try this new coffee (recommendation- fall)
 Would you like to try this new coffee? (invitation. Rising)
 I promise I’ll phone as soon as I arrive (promise- fall)
 Say that again and I’ll hit you (threat- rise)
 Can I help you in any way? (offer- rise)
 Let’s watch this clip from friends and try to
find examples of some of the communicative
functions we have seen so far
 Friends, family
 We are gathered here to celebrate……
 Shall I go on?
 He said Rachel, right?
 Do you think I should go up there?
 I think we’d better start again
 Ross, repeat after me
 The rings?
 Emily, place this ring on Ross’ finger as a symbol of you bond everlasting
 …..declare you husband and wife
BIBLIOGRAPHY

 TENCH, Paul. The Intonation Systems of English.