Ex. 1 Read out the phrases reproducing the indicated variants of the Rising tone.

Sometimes. No. Yes. ′Really? Of course. Never mind. You’re welcome. Right. Fair enough. ′When is he flying? Can I help you? For a week already. ′Where? Will Friday do? And to follow? ′What did you say?

 

Ex. 2 Read the same rising tunes in conversational contexts. State which of the tunes sound interrogative; which convey the speaker’s casual attitude; which convey a warm and sympathetic reaction.

1 A: Have you heard the latest? – B: No. 2 A: Where is he staying? – B: ′Where? 3 A: Do you ever go to the movies? – B:,Sometimes.  4 A: I’ll find out if she’s at home. – B:,Right.  5 A: That was Arthur Miller. – B: ′What did you say?  6 A: Thank you, dear. – B: You’re,welcome.  7 A: I’d like a steak please. – B: And to follow?  8 A: It costs $20 – Fair enough. 9 A: I’m looking for my wallet. – B: Can I help you?  10 ‘When are you ‘coming to,see us?  11 How’s your,daughter?  12 When did you get back from,holiday?

 

Ex. 3 Read out the rhymes paying attention to the use of the Rising tone in lists and unfinished parts of utterances:

a) ‚Elizabeth, ‚Lispeth, ‘Betsy and ‚Bess –

They all went to`gether to seek a bird’s nest;

They `found a bird’s nest with ‘five eggs in;

They ‘all took ‚one and ‘left four `in.

 

b) ‘Go to ‘bed,first – a ‘golden purse;

  ‘Go to bed,second – a ‘golden pheasant;

  ‘ Go to bed,third – a ‘golden bird.

 

c) ‘Solomon,Grundy / ‘born on `Monday/ ‘Christened on,Tuesday/ ‘Married on `Wednesday/ Took ill on,Thursday/ ‘Worse on `Friday/ ‘Died on,Saturday/ ‘Buried on `Sunday/ And that was the ‘end of ‘Solomon Grundy.

 

Ex. 4 Read out the sentences with the Rise in unfinished parts of utterances:

1 This is a,pen and ‘that is a `pencil.  2 This is a bird and that is a child.  3 This coach is fast and that coach is slow.  4 This woman is weaving and that woman is sewing.  5 This is a black kettle and that is a yellow kettle.  6 He did it in June, and we did it August.  7 Chris had cherry pie and James had cherry cake.

Make up more sentences using the same model. Prompts: France-Spain; basketball-badminton; kitchen-bedroom; rose-daisy; teacher of Italian – teacher of Arabic; a Chinese student – a Vietnamese student; bad guy – good guy; old hat – new hat; sound advice – silly advice.

 

Ex.5 Read the following lists (LWR):

a) One, two, three, four, ….         twelve.

b) One hundred, two hundred, three hundred, … … … ten hundred.

c) Sunday, Monday, …….       Saturday.

d) List six colours/ six capitals/ six countries/ six animals/ six months/ six pieces of furniture/ six male names/ six female names/ six famous people.

 

The Falling Tone

 

The Falling tone does not depend structurally on the presence or absence of the tail as the Rising tone does. The downward movement of the voice is realized on the stressed syllable, while the syllables of the tail (if any) form a level sequence on the pitch to which the nucleus has fallen.

 

Examples:

        

`No.            Certainly.                     Go a`way, Janet.

________  ______________     _______________        

 

________   ______________          _______________

Forms of the Falling tone

 

According to the width of the fall and its position in relation to the speaker’s voice range four relevant variants of the fall are distinguished.

1 The Mid Wide Fall (m). This is the most common variety. It starts in the mid-high pitch zone and ends at the bottom of the voice range, e.g:

I saw him.                         I’ll report you to the headmaster.

__________                    _______________________

 

__________                    _______________________

 

2 The High Wide Fall (m). The voice falls from the high pitch zone and ends in the mid-low zone.

 Examples:

I `did it!            `Good!              What gorgeous `flowers! _________     __________         _________________        

 

________      __________         _________________

 

3 The Low Narrow Fall (m). The voice goes down from the mid-low pitch level and ends at the bottom of the voice range.

E.g.: Nobody. It’s out of the question.

__________     ______________________

 

__________      ______________________

 

4 The High Narrow Fall (m). The voice falls from the high pitch zone and ends in the mid-high zone.

E.g.: `Sue! `Certainly!

 _________        ______________

 

 _________        ______________

 

4.2.2 Functions of the Falling tone

 

A Falling tone is by far the most commonly used tone of all. It signals a sense of finality, completion, assertiveness, and so on. A speaker, by choosing a falling tone, also indicates to the addressee that that is all he has to say, and offers a chance to the addressee to comment on, agree or disagree with it. This tone does not solicit a response from the addressee. The falling pitch change is associated with finality and completeness, decisiveness, assertiveness, but each of its four common varieties has clearly distinct range of meanings.

 

1 The Mid Wide Fall (MWF) is the most neutral variety. Examples: I left him some money. What’s the ‘reason of that? Mike is pre paring for the final test.

 

2 The High Wide Fall (HWF) sounds complete, final, and insistent. It can express

- personal involvement, concern. E.g.: A: What do you think of Nick? – B: He’s a real bore. He talks about himself ‘‘all the `time!

- strong agreement, e.g.: It was fan`tastic!

- disagreement, protest, e.g.: A: You didn’t listen. – B: I `did.

- word/idea contrast, e.g.: A: I can’t stand Jane. - B: But you were so `pleased with her!

 

3 The High Narrow Fall (HNF) has the least degree of finality of all the falling tones. It sounds light and airy and is typically used in direct address and short comments expressing agreement, etc; e.g.: `Helen, | ‘come  here. `Nice.

Very often the HNF is used to give extra prominence to words other than the nucleus, e.g.: The `giant| had ‘grown rich ….

 

4 The Low Narrow Fall (LNF) gives a detached, unemotional statement of fact. It often sounds cool, phlegmatic, and reserved, e.g.: A: Will you give him a ring? – B: Yes. A: Why didn’t you inter`fere? – B: I was a way.

 

Speech Exercises