3. The intonation of non-final parts of utterances

An utterance —the minimal independent unit of communica­tion — is realized in oral speech either as one intonation-group, or as a combination of intonation-groups. In the first case the utter­ance hasa simple tune, while in the second it has a combined tune. According to their position in a combined tune intonation- groups are divided into final and non-final.

Non-fmal intonation-groups are normally formed by initial clauses of compound and complex sentences, adverbial and subject groups within a clause, parenthetical words, direct address and re­porting phrases.

Non-final intonation-groups of any syntactic structure can be pronounced with various nuclear tones, yet there are more typical and less typical intonation patterns for each kind of syntactic struc- l ure. Thus, a non-final group formed by a clause of a compound sen­tence is, obviously, more likely to be pronounced with a falling nu­clear tone the basic meaning of which is completeness and defi- niteness, than, e. g., an intonation-group based on an adverbial phrase, since the former is more independent both structurally and semantically. On the whole, the choice of the nuclear tone in a non-final group reflects the degree of semantic weight and inde­pendence that the speaker attaches to this part of the utterance .

When a Low Rise is used, it indicates for the hearer that the utterance is notfinished and there is a continuation without which the information is incomplete. An important feature of this intonation pattern isthe high pitch of the prenu clear part (the High or the Stepping Head).

e. g.:Mr. ¹ Priestley's ,daughter ^ 'studies at a 'business \college.

This pattern is typically pronounced in grammatically incom­plete parts of utterances, such as

1. adverbial phrases'.

A 'few -days a,go ^ we 'went to a 'fast-'food ^restaurant.

2. enumeration'.

On the ground _;floor ^ there is a ,kitchen, | a gantry, | a /din­ing-room, I a 'cosy ^vsitting-room | and my 'husband's * study.

3. initial subordinate clauses:

When 'Betty 'studied at /College ji she had a 'lot of'friends.

4. principal clauses that are incomplete in meaning without a continuation, e.g. clauses formed by the author's words in reported speech:

__ .My 'younger 'sister ,says ^ that she 'can't "stand 'loud music.

A Rising tone can also be used in an initial part of a compound sentence, especially when the adjacent clauses are symmetrical in their grammatical structure and meaning (in this case a Low Rise is often replaced by a Mid-High Rise):

There is a plate in 'front of 'John | and there's a 'plate in 'front of 'Mary.

A Falling nuclear tone, due to its categoric and definite character, adds greater semantic weight to a non-final group in com­parison with the Low Rising pattern.

Compare, e.g.: I 'live near the ,bus-stop I and the 'metro .station.

1 'live near the 'bus-stop ^ which is 'very convenient.

It must be noted that the Falling tone in non-final groups often has the so-called "not-low ending ", when the ending level of the fall doesn't reach the bottom of the voice range:

V

This variant of a Fall lacks the effect of semantic completeness and is therefore most typical of semantically important but structurally, i.e. grammatically, incomplete parts of sentences.

Falling tones used in structurally independent non-final intona- lion-groups usually end on a low pitch, at the bottom of the voice range:

Compare, e.g.: Once or 'twice a 'week I we 'go to the ^pictures.

N.

The 'train 'leaves at .nine 1 so we have 'little "time 'left.

Al..- \

A Falling - Rising nuclear tone (Divided or Undi­vided) is perhaps the most widely used pattern of non-final groups in English. It has a complex semantic effect, since it conveys two kinds of meaning: 1) special semantic importance or emphasis — due lo the falling component of the tone, 2) semantic incompleteness and close links with the continuation — due to the rising component of the lone. Such a semantic relationship is most typical of cases when the non-final group is contrasted either to what follows in the same ut­terance or to what precedes it in the earlier context:

In 'front of the ,house we have a 'small 'garden. At the 'back of the /house ^ there's a 'much 'larger igarden. When the context does not imply the meaning of contrast, or special emphasis, the function of the falling-rising tone is to express reference to the preceding idea, the importance of which is not diminished by it being repeated.

My 'daughter's name is _NSusan.' Susan | is the 'eldest,child in >: the ,family.

The prenuclear part of a Falling-Rising tune often takes the pattern of a Sliding Head:

We^went to the ^pictures 'last,night, | and 'saw a 'very .inter­esting .film.