Sequence of Tones. Complex Sentences

If an adverbial clause precedes the principal one and makes a separate intonation-group, it is usually pronounced with the Low Rise or Mid-Level as it implies continuation.

e. g. If you want to have a > rest, | go to the country. If you want to have a rest, go to the country.

In case the complex sentence begins with the principal clause and contains more than one intonation-group both the clauses are usually pronounced with the low-falling nuclear tone.

e. g. Go to the country | if you want to have a rest.

If the principal clause implies continuation and makes a separate intonation-group it is pronounced with the low-rising or falling-rising nuclear tone.

e. g. I'll tell him at once | you want to see him.

Logical Stress

If the nucleus is shifted from the last notional word to some other word of the intonation-group the sentence stress is called logical.

Intonation of Parentheses

Parentheses express the speaker's attitude towards the utter­ance.

Parentheses at the Beginning of the Sentence

When the speaker doesn't attach any importance to the parenthetical words at all they do not form a separate intona­tion-group and are often unstressed and are pronounced very quickly.

e. g. -> Well, I do.

If the speaker attaches more importance to parentheses, they form an intonation-group. In this case they are stressed and are pronounced with any nuclear tone: Low Fall, Low Rise, Mid-Lev­el or Fall-Rise.

e. g. _vWell, I _vdo.

To tell you the truth, I don't 'want to go there.

Parentheses at the End or in the Middle of the Sentence

In the middle or at the end of the sentence parenthetical words and phrases are generally pronounced as the unstressed or half stressed tail of the preceding intonation-group.

Intonation Pattern VII

(LOW PRE-HEAD +) FALLING HEAD + FALL RISE

This intonation pattern is used in statements, commands and other communicative types of sentences to express the same attitudes as Intonation pattern VI. Stressed syllables of the head sometimes glide down.

e.g. I didn’t know you drank coffee. – I do sometimes.

Intonation of Direct Address

Direct address at the beginning of the sentence is stressed. It is pronounced with the low-falling nuclear tone in formal serious speech and with the falling-rising tone to attract the listener’s attention or in a friendly conversation.

e.g. Children, listen to me.

Mary, come here.

Direct address in the middle or at the end of the sentence is ordinarily pronounced as the unstressed or half-stressed tail of the preceding intonation-group.

e.g. That’s all right, darling.

Good morning, Mrs. Wood.

Intonation of the Author's Words The Author's Words Following Direct Speech

The author's words which follow the direct speech are usual­ly pronounced as an unstressed or half-stressed tail of the pre­ceding intonation-group.

e, g. "I'm not ready," he said.

"Is this for me?" he asked with surprise.

If the tail gets longer, it may form a separate intonation-group. In this case it is stressed and is pronounced with the same nuclear tone as the preceding intonation-group but on a lower pitch level.

e. g. "I'm sorry," | again repeated the landlord.

If the author's words form two or more intonation-groups, the first of them doesn't form a separate intonation-group. The second and the third are always stressed and pronounced each on a lower pitch level. The nuclear tone of the final intonation-group is usually that of the sentences in the direct speech, The non-final intonation-groups may be pronounced either with the low-rising tone or with the low-falling tone according to their semantic importance.

e. g. "What a pity!" was all I said | when he broke a glass.