The structure of the intonation groups

The stressed and unstressed syllables within a tune form several component parts according to their position and function in the tune: the prehead, the head, the nucleus, the tail.

Pre-head – Head – Nucleus – Tail

(Pr) – (H) – (N)    – (T)

The pre-head:

Unstressed syllables before the head.

The head:

The section from the first fully stressed syllable (called the onset syllable) up to –– but not including the nucleus.

The nucleus:

The syllable which gets the strongest stress, associated with significant pitch movement (kinetic stress). This stress is called the nuclear, or tonic stress, and is almost always found in a notional word in utterance final position. 

The tail:

Whatever syllables follow the nucleus, they continue with the pitch pattern of the nucleus.

The number of the component parts in a tune may vary. The only indispensable element of a tune is the nucleus. The other components may or may not be present in a tune. This depends on the length of the utterance, the phonetic structure of the words (monosyllabic or polysyllabic) and the number of prominent words in it. For example:

 

Table 1 - The structure of the intonation group

Prehead	Head	Nucleus	Tail
We have	‘met ‘Tommy at the	‵sea-	side.
	‘Joshua’s twenty-	‵two.
Here’s your		,mo-	ney, Miss Black.

Ex. 1 Compare the semantic prominence of the syllables bearing high, mid and low static tones.

1 I think you are being very silly. 2 Sometimes we’d get our clothes wet | and the nurse would get very cross. 3 Take your car with you, | if you’ve got one | choose a good ho tel | and you are sure to spend a thoroughly en joyable time. 4 Let me see, | half past e leven. 5 You can walk up and down the front, | listen to the band on the pier | and do more or less anything you like.

 

Ex. 2 Indicate the semantic centre in the following utterances by a kinetic tone.

1 When you get the key | go to my room | and look in the cupboard | and in there | you’ll find a round tin | with another key in it.

2 You come out at the car park | and turn right | and after you’ve got a little way | you’ll come to the roundabout.

 

Ex. 3 Extend the following tunes pronouncing the phrases given in brackets a) as the head, b) as the prehead, c) as the tail.

a) Model: It’s wonderful. (I think) - I think its wonderful.

1 It’s very important for you. (I believe)

2 He’ll be greatly surprised at it. (I expect)

3 It was amazing. (They say)

4 They are coming next week. (I hear)

5 It’s been impossible so far. (I am told)

6 He’s seen us. (I wonder if)

b) Model: They’ll go to the British Museum. (I think) – I think they’ll go to the British Museum.

1 Influenza is a catching disease. (I wonder if)

2 You’ll soon get used to getting up early. (I hope)

3 Smoking can damage one’s health. (They say)

4 The furniture will cost a lot of money. (I’m afraid)

c) Model: The guests at the dinner were a galaxy of film stars. (I hear) - The guests at the dinner were a galaxy of film stars I hear.

1 Peter used to ware a moustache and a beard. (I hear)

2 Hotels are too expensive for us. (I’m afraid)

3 The group will have a guided tour of the Gallery. (She says)

Unit 4 Basic Nuclear Tones of English

The Rising Tone

 

The Rising type of pitch change in English has two structural varieties:

1) the rise of the voice takes place on the stressed syllable; 

2) the rise is carried by the unstressed syllables following the stressed one while the latter is pronounced on a steady pitch. The first variant occurs when the nuclear syllable is the last syllable of an intonation group, i.e. when there is no tail; the second is found in intonation groups having a tail,

e.g.: Yes ____  I know it. ___________ Beautiful.  __________

 

         ____            ___________                      __________

 

For practical purposes four relevant variants of a nuclear rise should be distinguished in English. 

4.1.1 Forms of the Rising Tone:

1 The Mid Wide Rise (m). The voice rises from a mid to a high pitch level, e.g.                   

Is it o k?              Did you take my papers, Wendy?

__________       _________________________

 

__________       _________________________

 

2 The High Narrow Rise (m). The voice rises from a mid high to the top of the voice range, for example: ΄Jack?                   ΄Pardon?

                                 __________         _____________

         

                                __________          _____________

 

3 The Low Wide Rise (m). The voice rises from a low to a mid high pitch level, for example:,June,| Ju ly, |,August….

                ___________________

  

                ___________________

 

4 The Low Narrow Rise (m). The voice rises from the bottom and ends in the mid low zone, as in (preceded by low head)

                         

 I don’t,mind.        Nobody’s,happy.

 ___________       _____________

 

 ___________       _____________

4.4.2 Functions of the Rising tone:

 

1 The Mid Wide Rise (MWR) is typically used in genuine Yes/No questions where the speaker does not know the answer; in alternative (the 1^st intonation group) and tag questions (the 2^nd intonation group with the condition that the speaker is uncertain).

Examples: Isn’t he nice? Do you take cream in your coffee? Was that in April or `May? They won’t `come, will they?

 

2 The High Narrow Rise (HNR) is used when the speaker is asking for repetition or clarification, or indicating disbelief.

For example: 1) A: I’m taking up Taxidermy this autumn. - B: Taking up   ′what? (clarification). 2) A: She passed her driving test. – B: She ′passed?

 

3 The Low Wide Rise (LWR) is

- commonly pronounced in unfinished parts of utterances indicating that a continuation is going to follow (for example, in adverbial or subordinate clause followed by a main clause).

E.g.: When I passed my last e,xam | I was very `happy. If you,see him, | give my `message. He ‘joined the army | and spent all his time in `Aldershot;

- can be used in independent utterances with an effect of the speaker’s interest in the situation and in the listener’s response:

e.g.: I’ll be back by,lunch-time; Where did you,put it?

- used in enumerations (lists), showing incompleteness. If the list is closed, the falling tone is used on the final item.

For example: I got ‘calls from,Jason,,Mary,,Neil, and ‵Joe.

 

4 The Low Narrow Rise (LNR) is associated with non-assertiveness and lack of interest. It is used in various remarks, afterthoughts, etc.

E.g.: Of,course. I’ll `do it | if you don’t,mind.

 

Speech Exercises