2 topic

Basic Types of Tone-Sequences in English

Explanation

When analysed for the nuclear tones in each of the component-parts, combined tunes may be described as sequences of tones, or tone-sequences.

The most general observation concerning this subject is that tone-sequences in English display relatively free combinability of nuclear tones. Even the simplest tone-sequences, i.e. di-s eque n c es, demonstrate a fairly wide range of possibilities.

Low Rise | High/Mid Fall

If I remember correctly, | she's living somewhere in Kent.

To make matters ,worse | the weather was \terrible.

High/Mid Fall | High/Mid/Low Fall

We know the en'vironment is threatened | but we over'look it.

There's no great hurry | so you can take your time over it.

Fall-Rise | High/Mid Fall

*First and foremost | we should 'concentrate on public transport.

Unfortunately | I'won't be able to attend the club meeting.

Pall-Rise D | Mid/Low Fall

He wasn't an interviewer | he was being interviewed.

Before you even book your holiday | make sure that your passport is valid.

'All the senior staff | are on the ground floor.

High/Mid Fall | Low Rise

We'll ibe there at about six | if the baby-sitter doesn't let us down.

You should come on Friday afternoon | if you ,want to catch Tom in.

High/Mid Fall | Fall-Rise

You remember that friend of his, | the guy who came from Liverpool.

I'm planning to go there immediately | if nothing pre, vents.

I'm rather busy I just at present.

Fall-Rise | Fall-Rise

'More buses should be added during peak times | if they want to make the ibus service more efficient.

Recycling products is often cheaper | than 'making Ynew ones.

Fall-Rise | Low Rise

Tuesday is his day in YLondon, | as ,usual.

We are ex'pected to 'finish it toYnight, I not to,morrow.

Obviously, in longer sequences the number of possible combinations of nuclear tones is considerably increased.

However free the use of nuclear tones in the adjacent intonation-groups may seem, there are certain underlying tendencies in their choice. First of all, there is some evidence that the choice of a nuclear tone in an intonation-group is to a considerable degree determined by the immediately preceding nuclear tone. In other words, there is a high probability of tonal reduplication, which means that if there is a fall (or, let us say, a rise or a fall-rise) in the preceding group, there is a tendency to use the same or a similar kind of nuclear tone in the following one.

The purpose of such a repetition of tones in adjacent groups seems to consist in keeping the same attitude throughout an utterance as a means of linking its parts more closely together. The use of varying nuclear tones in adjacent groups, on the other hand, serves to indicate a change in the speaker's attitude.

In di-sequences, or in the last pair of groups in a longer sequence, the tendency towards similarity of nuclear tones is much weaker. The difference between the nuclear tones of the final and non-final intonation-groups and the use of different types of nuclear tones in final and non-final intonation-groups is much more typical which can be explained by their specific roles in the organization of an utterance - the nuclear tone of the final group marks the communicative type of an utterance, while the choice of the nuclear tone in the non-final group is determined by the degree of the semantic independence and completeness of the latter.