Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Front vowels with: the fully front /i:, e, / and the front-retracted /i/
Central vowels /, :, /
Back vowels with: the back advanced / u, a:/ and the fully back / :, u, u:/.
The monophthong is a vowel in the production of which the organs of speech do not
change their position throughout the whole duration of a vowel.
The diphthong is a monophonemic combination of two vowel elements with gliding
articulation.
[ei]
[]
[]
[au]
[u]
[e]
[i]
[ai]
5.Word stress.
6. Vowel reduction
7. Assimilation
head consists of the syllables beginning with the first stressed syllable up to the
last stressed syllable
tail the unstressed and half-stressed syllables that follow the nucleus
Low pre-head
-
unstressed or partially stressed syllables are pronounced lower than the first stressed
syllable of the head. It may occur before any head.
High pre-head
-
17-20
Name of a Scale
Brief
Functions and
Meanings
Examples
Characteristic
Scales
The Gradually
Descending
Stepping Scale
The Up-broken
Descending
Scale
3.The
Down-broken
Descending
Scale
The Descending
Stepping Scale is
formed by series of
stressed and
unstressed
syllables which
descend in steps.
All the unstressed
syllables are
pronounced on the
same pitch level as
the preceding
stressed ones.
The Descending
Stepping Scale is used
with all English tones,
its a basic scale.
In combination with
the Low Rise and the
Low Fall tone it may
sound serious,
reserved, strict and
official.
In combination with
the High or Mid Fall
tone this scale usually
sounds amiable,
likeable, vivid and
polite.
The Up-broken
This scale is used in
Descending Scale
emotional speech to
is formed by
avoid the monotony of
pronouncing one of the Descending
the stressed
Stepping Scale.
syllables on a
Its used to express
higher pitch than
admiration, wonder,
the preceding one, surprise, friendliness,
after that the
sometimes some
down-stepping
unpleasant emotions
pitch movement is such as irritation,
resumed. This pitch anger.
rise within the
scale is called a
Special Rise
The Down-broken
This scale is used
Descending Scale
seldom in English
is formed by
speech.
pronouncing one of It indicates a number
the stressed
of attitudes ranging
syllables on a
from friendly to cool
lower pitch than
and hostile manners.
the preceding one.
It is the so-called
Drop that is
pitches very low.
After the Drop the
pitch rises up to
the beginning of
'Judy 'Brown is a
very 'nice `girl!
(= admiration,
friendliness)
I 'want to 'read
another book!
(= irritation,
anger)
He may 'certainly
get the hell `out
of here! (= anger,
hostility, detached
attitude)
(: ,
,
!)
The Descending
Sliding Scale
5.The
Descending
Scandent Scale
The Descending
Scandent Scale is
formed by
descending series
of stressed
syllables
pronounced with
pitch rises, while
each unstressed
syllable is
pronounced a little
higher than the
preceding one.
What fine
`weather we are
having today!
(= eagerness,
friendliness,
happiness)
She will have to
manage by
her self.
(= indifference,
hostility and
irritation)
_____________
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 1st intonation group) and tag questions (the
2nd intonation group with the condition that the speaker is uncertain).
Examples: Isnt he nice? Do you take cream in your coffee? Was that in April or `May? They
wont `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: Im 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 speakers interest in the
situation and in the listeners response:
e.g.: Ill 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. 29
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. Ill `do it | if you dont ,mind.
24. Intonation patterns with Low fall and their attitudinal meaning.
Lowering the pitch into the lower part of the normal speaking range and using the low fall
as the final tone in the sentence may indicate, depending on the situation, such feelings as
disappointment, sadness, hopelessness, sympathy, sincerity, responsibility, fear, threat.
When strong emotions are expressed, the low fall may be emphatic.
The low fall begins much lower than the falling tone, and the speaker usually pronounces
the words less loudly, in a soft voice, and sometimes even close to whisper.
The unemphatic low fall may be used at the end of the sentence in a group of words added
as an afterthought after the final fall, or in the author's words at the end of the sentence (if
they are important). For example: I think I saw your cell phone in the \kitchen, on the
\windowsill. "\Stop it!" a woman's voice behind them said \angrily.
If the speaker wants to mark the end of his whole utterance (after he has been speaking for
some time), the whole final sentence may be pronounced on a lower level with low-falling
intonation and with the low fall at the end.
25. Intonation patterns with High Fall and their attitudinal meaning.
The high falling is used to show interest, it gives our speech an emotional coloring,
which is determined by the situation and the context. All the communicative types of
sentences, pronounced with high fall sound final, categoric, airy and brisk ( ,
). They convey personal concern or involvement. In special questions they sometimes
sound very insistent and business-like.
1) Statement. I can`t afford it.
2) Imperative. Stop making stupid mistakes!
3) Exclamation. Nice to see you!
4) General question. Haven`t you got a book?
5) Special question. Why do you think so?
26. Intonation patterns with Fall-Rise and their attitudinal meaning.
This tone is considered to be one of the emphatic () tones and is used
to show the speaker's concession (), objection (), distrust
(), regret (), warning (), apology () and
surprise. The sentences with the Fall-Rise sound grudgingly (), admitting
(, ) and dissenting (). Questions with this tone sound
insistent, pleading ( ), plaintive (). Imperatives are urgently warning
( ).
1) Statement. Excuse me.
2) Imperative. Try it again!
3) Exclamation. Good news! (very rarely used)
4) General question. Was it really awful?
5) Special question. Why not?
27. Intonation patterns with Low Rise and their attitudinal meaning.
The following communicative types of sentences are pronounced with the Low Rise:
1) Statements. Statements pronounced with the Low Rise sound soothing
(), reassuring (), sometimes surprised and disbelieving,
with lack of confidence. I`ve made so many mistakes at the dictation.
2) Imperatives. Imperatives, used with the Low Rise are soothing (),
reassuring (), encouraging () and calmly warning (
). Meet me at the railway station tomorrow.
3) Exclamations. The Low Rise makes the exclamations friendly, airy () and
sometimes casual (). Two heads better than one!
4) General Questions. When we use the Low Rise in this type of questions they show
that the speaker is interested in something and sometimes disapproves ( )
something. Do you really think that you are right?
5) Special Questions. Special questions, pronounced with this tone sound wondering,
sometimes puzzled (), cold, businesslike, challenging ( ), friendly,
sympathetically () interested. Why do you choose this job?
28.
Rise - Fall
The rising-falling tone is used to show that a speaker is greatly interested in something.
Statements, pronounced with the Rise-Fall are more categoric and definite ().
We use this tone when we want to express our great surprise, shock and distrust
(). The sentences with the Rise-Fall sound impressed, awed ([od], ),
Statements
Questions
Command (imperatives)
Intonation in questions.
Alternative question
Alternative questions indicate choice between two equal parts. They are usually
represented by two intonation groups. The most usual way of alternative questions is to use
the Low Rise in the first intonation group and the Low Fall in the second one. Can you give
me a pen or a pencil?
The final Low Fall in this type of question shows that the choice should two items
expressed. That may be a choice of three or more alternatives. In this case the intonation
groups, preceding the final one are pronounced with the Low Rise as may be treated as
items of enumeration. The final intonation group has the Low Fall. Would you like milk, tea
or coffee?
Note: alternative questions should be mixed up with general questions, which are
pronounced with a rising tone at the end. Have your a son or a daughter? (Have you
children?)
General question
1) General questions are most common with the low rising tone, preceded by the Falling
Head or the High (Medium) Level Head. With this tone they sound interested: Has he ever
been in London?
2) When general questions are said with the Low Fall they are mentioned a serious
suggestion or a subject for urgent discussion: Haven't you noticed the mistake?
3) In short questions like Did you?, Has she? the Low Fall is used: I went to the
theatre last night. -Did you?
Disjunctive (Tag) Questions
Disjunctive questions consist of at least two intonation groups: a statement and a tag
question. The choice of tones in disjunctive questions depends on the speaker's thoughts
and of the first sense-group: LF-LR, LR-LF, LF-LF, LR-LR, FR-LR.
1) The most common for a disjunctive question is the Low Fall in the first intonation
group (a statement) and the Low Rise in the tag question: It`s a good work, isn't it? The
Low Rise of the tag question implies a positiveness and doubt. The speaker inclines to one
view rather than the other and the listener's agreement with that view. But the speaker
would not be very surprised if he chooses other variant.
2) The Low Fall in the second intonation group shows that the speaker requires
agreement from the listener: He is a doctor, isn't he? But in conversation these tags lost
their functions, because they are pronounced very quickly: Lovely day, isn`t it.
3) In some cases the first intonation group can be pronounced with the Low Rise or the
Fell-Rise. When the first intonation group ends with the Low Rise the Low Fall in the second
intonation group appeals for confirmation or support. The Low Fall is often used in talking to
a child.
The second Low Rise may exactly echo the first in the statement. The first intonation
group with the Low Rise sounds protesting, calling the listener to change his opinion, while
the rise in the tag question manifests uncertainty: They will come, won't they?
Special question
1) The low falling tone in special questions makes them serious, intense () and
urgent (). Special questions, pronounced with this tine, often sound flat
(), unsympathetic (, ) and detached (). What
are you looking for?
2) Special questions, pronounced with this tone sound wondering, sometimes puzzled
(), cold, businesslike, challenging ( ), friendly, sympathetically
() interested. Why do you choose this job?
3) The high falling is used to show interest, all the communicative types of sentences,
pronounced with high fall sound final, categoric, airy and brisk ( , ). In
special questions they sometimes sound very insistent and business-like. Why do you think
so?
4) Fall-Rise is considered to be one of the emphatic () tones and is used
to show the speaker's concession (), objection (), distrust
(), regret (), warning (), apology () and
surprise. The sentences with the Fall-Rise sound grudgingly (), admitting
(, ) and dissenting (). Questions with this tone sound
insistent, pleading ( ), plaintive (). Why not?
5) The Fall + the Rise. The fall happens on the word, which is especially stressed or
made more prominent () by the speaker. The rise comes as an apposition
() of the main idea (thought) of the speaker. Who is absent in the class today?
6) The rising-falling tone is used to show that a speaker is greatly interested in
something. We use this tone when we want to express our great surprise, shock and
distrust (). The sentences with the Rise-Fall sound impressed, awed ([od],
), self-satisfied, sometimes challenging ( ). Who is there?
7) The high rising tone is used in questions which require the interrogative
() intonation. It is used to show the speaker's surprise. The High Rise is
often used when we want to ask again or want somebody to repeat something. It's some
kind of our reaction on somebody's utterance or statement. The sentence pronounced with
this tone sound echoing () or repeating the speaker's message in statements or
questions, calling for repetition of the information already given, trying to elicit a repetition
( ). He lived in Moscow. - Where does he live?
Intonation in imperatives and will you.
1) Commands with the Low Fall are very powerful, intense, serious and strong. The
speaker things that his words need someone. Try the other key.
2) Commands with the High Fall suggest some action, don`t give an order. The speaker
does not worrying whether he will be listened or not. Put some more milk in it.
3) Short commands pronounced with the Low Fall and sound calm, controlled, often
cold. Stop it.
4) Requests with the Low Rise sound soothing, encouraging. Come and stay with us.
5) Requests with the Fall-Rise sound pleading. Don`t forget to re`mind `me.
Question tags, mostly will you? or won't you? are often combined with imperatives
forming the following tone sequences: LF-LR, LR-LF, LF-LF, LR-LR, FR-LR.
1) Often such imperative sentence consis of two intonation groups and has the Low Fall
in the imperative itself and the Low Rise in the question tag: Sit down, won't you? The
positive tag question with the low rising tone serves to soften the imperative. The negative
tag question with the low rising tone sounds pressing. In both cases the imperative itself is
in the positive form.
2) Another possible case to use low falling tones in both intonation groups: Stand still,
will you? Sounds like: Stand still, please. This expresses considerable exasperation
( ) to the speaker.
3) Combination of Low Rise + Low Fall or Fall-Rise + Low Fall: Stop making noise, will
you? Don't leave your things there, will you! If the first part is positive the tag may be both
positive and negative, but with negative imperatives only a positive tag is possible.
Imperatives pronounced less brisk than with Low Fall + Low Fall and more pleading,
especially because of the Fall-Rise.
4) In the combination of Low Rise + Low Rise in imperative sentences the tag question
seems to be like an afterthought ( ): Pass me the salt, will you?
Note: The combination of Low Fall + Low Fall or the Low Rise + Low Fall with the positive
imperative is used to underline meaning of it: Stand still, will you!
Intonation in statements
Statements will normally be pronounced with falling intonation on the stressed syllable of the last "important"
word in the "information unit" (sentence, phrase, clause ...) For example, in a sentence such as "John bought a new
car this morning", in which "car" is the last important word, the fall takes place on this word. Stressed syllables
occurring before the stressed syllable of the last "important" word may be pronounced at a high or low level,
according to factors such as the degree of interest the speaker wishes to express. Words occurring after it are
pronounced (still in the case of statements) at a uniformly low level.
Unstressed syllables preceding the first stressed syllables of the sentence (information unit would be more precise,
but in most of the examples here the information unit will be a sentence, for the sake of simplicity) are pronounced
on a low level. For example the word "the" in:
The next train is at five.
30.
Analysis of English utterances into intonation-groups shows that they are co-extensive with a stretch of speech of
various grammatical nature: an independent sentence, a principal or a subordinate clause, two or even more
clauses, a group of words or even one word. Co-extensiveness with a sentence is typical of only a small portion of
speech material (about 17 %, according to experimental data). An intonation-group corresponding to a grammatical
sentence is marked by specific characteristics of tone, stress and duration, serving to express semantic
completeness and independence the relevant features of an utterance. An intonation-group of this kind is defined
as a simple tune.
Most grammatical sentences are prosodically expressed by a combination of intonation-groups. These
combinations have a specific function of a double nature: on the one hand, they present information in the form of
relatively separate semantic items, and on the other hand, they make up a communicative whole (entity) out of
these separate parts. Utterances which are composed of more than one intonation-group form a combined tune.
Some sentences lend themselves to be subdivided more readily than others. Long sentences, most naturally, break
up into smaller parts in spoken language. Their division is based both on physiological convenience (an intonationgroup is normally a breath-group) and on the complexity of information being conveyed, e.g.:
After a long boring wait | I eventually boarded my plane.
Of the two factors - physiological convenience and complexity of information - semantic reasons are overriding in
importance. Through intonation division the speaker can make several items stand out as more or less independent
parcels of information in a short utterance, too, increasing thereby the general prominence of the utterance,
Nobody | could deny it.
Another major characteristic involved is the syntactic structure of an utterance. The number of intonation-groups in
utterances of the same length may often vary precisely because of the peculiarities of their syntactic structure,
which may either presuppose prosodic division as an obligatory feature or, vice versa, 'forbid' it, or else (as a third
and most frequently occurring variant) allow of two options: with or without an intonation boundary between the
constituents of a sentence.
Prosodic division is typically optional in expanded simple sentences with adverbial modifiers of different kinds,
complex sentences with object, relative or attributive clauses and some others. The grouping of words within a
message into longer or shorter sections and the placement of an intonation boundary in such cases is largely a
matter of the speaker's semantic interpretation of an utterance, as well as his communicative intention. As a result
the same written sentence read aloud by different people may have a different number of intonation-groups. E.g.:
Many working mothers do not have time to cook. Many working mothers | do not have time to cook.
She has learned to keep quiet about her personal relationships. She has learned to keep quiet | about her personal
relationships.
Often the number of intonation-groups is the same, but the location of their boundaries varies. E.g.:
Los Angeles | is well known | for both the high level of its air pollution | and the efforts made to control it.
Los Angeles is well known | for both the high level of its air pollution | and the efforts | made to control it.
An intonation boundary is obligatory, or, at any rate, highly probable in complex sentences with subordinate
clauses of condition, cause, time (in pre-position to the principal clause), concession, result, comparison
(particularly, when there is an adverbial modifier of manner in the principal clause) and some others. E.g.:
Since you refuse to help, | I must do it alone.
In spite of the rain and bitter cold | they all came in time.
Strictly speaking, there is no rule forbidding a pause in any place within an utterance (cf. the so-called hesitation
pauses), but from the point of view of syntactical predictability certain positions in an utterance display a very
small probability of a break. Thus, e.g. the subject of a sentence expressed by a personal pronoun is but seldom
separated from the predicate; a preposed attribute is usually closely linked to the noun, etc.
The choice of a number of intonation-groups in an utterance also depends on the type and form of speech. In a
dictation, for instance, an utterance is divided up into smaller sections than in any other kind of reading, and
spontaneous speech is characterized by uneven length of intonation-groups, and their boundaries are less
predictable from the syntactic structure than in reading aloud.
The sequence of tones in sentences consisting of two or more coordinated clauses depends
on the degree of their semantic unity. The nuclear tone of the final intonation group (clause) is determined
by the communicative type of the utterance (statement, question, imperative). The choice of the tone on a
non-final intonation group is determined by the degree of its semantic importance and completeness (its
role for the meaning of the whole utterance) and the character of its semantic relations with the preceding
and the following intonation groups which may be defined in terms of contrast, emphasis, continuation,
afterthought.
a) Low Rise: indicates that the utterance is not finished and a continuation is going to follow. It is used in an
initial part of a CdS when the adjacent clauses are symmetrical in their grammatical structure and parallel in
meaning.
b) Fall-Rise: used with the aim of emphasising the prominent word of the intonation group or contrasting it
to another idea in the same context. Such intonation groups sound complete and are closely connected in meaning
with the continuation.
c) Low/High Fall: due to the final, complete, categoric character of the Falling tone a non-final intonation
group with this nuclear tone sounds relatively complete and independent. Pronounced with the falling nuclear tone
initial clauses of CdS sound like independent utterances, since their grammatical structure is also complete.
Sentences containing the principal clause and one or more subordinate clauses. The latter
may follow the principal clause, precede it or break the main clause into two parts. If the subordinate clause
in post-position and the principal clause present a single semantic whole they do not form separate
intonation groups. The choice of the final terminal tone is determined by the communicative type of the
sentence. If the principal clause implies continuation, or each of the clauses is semantically independent,
they arrange separate intonation groups pronounced with the Falling, Rising and Falling-Rising tones. Long
subordinate clauses may fall into a number of intonation groups.
Subordinate clauses preceding the principal clause form separate intonation groups, as a rule. The terminal
tone of the first intonation group is determined by its semantic value (Low Rise, Fall-Rise, High/Low Fall).
As a rule both clauses of the compound sentence are pronounced with the falling tone. It explains
their sense of completeness.
Doctor `Sandfords `house is `not large | but it is comfortable.||
To show a better sense connection between two independent sentences the first clause is
pronounced with the rising tone:
Doctor `Sandfords `house is `not large | but it is comfortable||
Complex sentence. We pronounce the subordinate clause of a complex sentence with rising
intonation and the main (or independent) clause with rising-falling intonation. E.g., When I came in, she greeted
me warmly. When I come back, I'll bring you a present
Alternatively, our voice can go slightly upwards on the tonic syllable of the first tone group(s) of a
compound sentence or a complex sentence, in order to suggest that what is connected with what has just been said.
The final tone group is pronounced using rising-falling intonation. E.g., You say it's easy, but you won't try it. He
drank, he stole; he was soon despised.
When the clauses are separated by a long pause, indicated in writing by colon (:) or a semicolon (;),
we use rising-falling intonation in both clauses. E.g., I'll tell you the truth: it can't be done. They shouldn't go there
alone; it's dangerous.
Emphatic stress increases the effort of expression. It may strengthen the stressed word making it more
prominent. Emphatic stress manifests itself mainly on the High Fall or the Rise-Fall of the nuclear syllable.
Emphatic stress is a powerful expressive means. It is the highest degree of logical and emotional prominence of
words in a phrase.
articles and particles. Strong (or Full) forms are used when the word is said in isolation or is
being emphasized. WEAK forms are normal in connected speech. Strong forms improperly
used in common speech sound unnatural and over formalised, making it difficult for the
listener to identify the points of focus.
Weak forms are sometimes represented in writing, e.g. bacon n eggs, cup o coffee. In
many cases, we need to take note of context. For example, THERE as an adverb of place
(Look over THERE) is always strong; but at the beginning of an existential sentence it is
always weak (THEREs no place like home). Also, different forms may appear before vowels
and before consonants:
Compare I must go /ms/ and I must eat /mst/ or for tea /f/ and for Ann /fr/.
Function words fall into two groups according to their pronunciation in an unstressed
position. The first group includes those words that are never used in their strong form in an
unstressed position in an utterance. The strong form of such words is used only when the
word is said in isolation or with emphasis. The second group includes auxiliary and modal
verbs and prepositions which are reduced when unstressed at the beginning or in the
middle of an utterance but retain their strong form when unstressed at the end of an
utterance.
Stress creates the rhythmic structure of an utterance, but rhythm, in its turn, can influence
utterance stress. For example, there is a general tendency to place the nuclear stress in a
content word in utterance final position, and this is an important feature of the rhythmic
organization of English speech. Consider the following:
1) Im `going. 2) I'm going to `London. 3) I'm going to London for a `holiday.
But when a content word is separated from the end of the utterance by some function
words, there is a high probability for the last of them (or the penultimate one) to acquire
some degree of prominence and thus maintain rhythm. For example:
His `friends might be .with him. Or His friends might be `with him.
The most important word may sometimes be placed in the middle or even at the beginning
of an utterance. In such case the notional words occurring in the post-nuclear part (the tail)
will have, as a rule, some kind of prominence and the last of them often becomes a second
nucleus bearing a Low Fall or a Low Rise,
e.g.: |This is the `other bedroom. Or Weve got a non-`smoking rule in the rooms we
\share. Or
We can take her to the `sports centre on ,Sunday.
1)
Informational - in press reporting, educational descriptive texts. May be represented
in monologues, dialogues, polylogues. Phonostylistic characteristics: Loudness normal or
increased; pauses are rather long; rhythm is stable, properly organized; falling tones on the
semantic centres, falling-rsisng or rising in the initial intonation groups
2)
Academic (scientific)- style of lectures (conferences, seminars). It is determined by
the purpose of communication as the speaker*s aim is to attract the listener*s attention, to
establish close contacts with the audience and to direct the public attention to the message
carried in the contents of the text. Phonostylistic characteristics: Loudness increased;
pauses are rather long; rhythm is properly organized; high proportion of compound terminal
tones (high fall + low rise, fall rise, rise-fall-rise), a great number of high categoric falls
3)
Publicistic (oratorial)- 1.this term serves for many kinds of oratorial activities
(especially this style uses in political speeches). Phonostylistic characteristics: Loudness
enormously increased; pauses are definitely long between the passages; rhythm is properly
organized; tones mostly emphatic, especially emotionally underlined semantic centres, in
non-final intonational groups falling-rising tones are frequent 2. The aim of the speaker is
to persuade & influence the audience. Speech of this kind is always prepared. There are
great contrasts of pitch, loudness, tempo & timbre. As one of the aims of the speaker is to
entertain his listeners he must combine publicistic style with declamatory, informational,
and conversational. Speakers have the right to increase their loudness greatly, to break the
limits of their voice range, they may whisper, they can make prolongued pauses. . The
intonation adequate for political speeches is characterized by Law Pre-Head + Stepping
(Falling) Head. The heads are often broken due to extensive use of accidental rises to make
an utterance more emphatic. The nuclear tone of final intonation groups is generally the
Law Fall; the High Fall is much less common.
4)
Declamatory (artistic)- this is the style of declamation. This is a highly emotional and
expressive intonational style, that is why it needs special training. Attitudinal, volitional and
intellectual functions of intonation are of primary importance here and serve to appeal to
the mind, will and feelings of the listener. This style can be heard on the stage, on the
screen, in a TV studio, thus we see that it is always a written form of the language read
aloud or recited. Phonostylistic characteristics: Loudness varied according to the size of the
audience and to the emotional setting; pauses are long especially between the passages,
prolonged emphatic pauses are used to underline the emphasis; rhythm is properly
organized; common use of categoric low and high falls in final and initial intination groups
and on semantic centres . In the pre-nuclear part, the Law Pre-Head may be combined with
the Stepping Head, the Broken Stepping Head. The nuclear tone in final intonation groups is
generally the Law Fall or, less frequently, the High Fall.
5)
Conversational (familiar) - this kind of English is a means for everyday
communication, heard in natural conversational interaction between speakers. This style
occurs mainly in informal external and internal relationships in speech of relatives, friends,
well - acquainted people and so on. So this is spontaneous, colloquial, informal, everyday
speech. This style is very frequent because a lot of English speaking people use it in their
everyday speech. Pauses are frequent mmm, hm, brr, kh as well as laughs, giggles,
noises. The intonation groups are rather short, tone groups are often broken, the tempo
varies greatly. Though the natural speed is very high, pauses make our speech slower.
36.Informational style
Intonational styles:
Informational style- is the most neutral among styles, which we employ in educational descriptive
narratives, press reporting and broadcasting. In these texts loudness normal. The rate of speech does
not vary greatly, the tempo is marked as moderato, rhythm is organized properly, pauses are not
prolongued. Timbre-characteristics of such speech are not emotional because the speaker tries to be
objective. Sense-groups are not complicated in their structure. Terminal tones are rather categoric
Informational - in press reporting, educational descriptive texts. May be represented in
monologues, dialogues, polylogues. Phonostylistic characteristics: Loudness normal or
increased; pauses are rather long; rhythm is stable, properly organized; falling tones on the
semantic centres, falling-rsisng or rising in the initial intonation groups.
Informational (formal) style is characterised by the predominant use of intellectual
intonation patterns. The characteristic feature of informational style is the use of Law PreHead + Falling Head + Law Fall (Law Rise), normal or slow speed of utterance and regular
rhythm. It occurs in formal discourse where the task set by the sender of the message is to
communicate information without giving it any emotional or volitional evaluation. This
intonation style is used, for instance, by radio and television announcers when reading
weather forecasts, news, etc. or in various official situations. It is considered to be
stylistically neutral.
In informational (formal) style intonation never contrasts with lexical and grammatical
meanings conveyed by words and constructions. Pausation is semantically predictable, that
is, an intonation group here always consists of words joined together by sense. Besides, it is
important to note that intonation groups tend to be short, duration of pauses varies from
medium to long. Short pauses are rather rare.
Academic style is often described by phonostylists as both intellectual and volitional. It is determined by the
purpose of the communication as the speaker's aim is to attract the listener's attention, to establish close contacts
with the audience and to direct the public attention to the message carried in the contents of the text. It is frequently
manifested in academic and educational lectures, scientific discussions, at the conferences, seminars and in classes.
As the users of the style are interested in the involvement of the audience into the talk, this intonational style tends
to be concerned and rather emotional. The "ideal model" of the scientific style talk would be an academic
informational lecture read aloud or relied heavily upon the set of notes with the attempts on the part of lecturers to
get their meaning across clearly. The balance between formality is obtained in favour of the former. Academic
Style Suggested Spheres of Communication Specific characteristics of the academic style which display features
not shared by others include:
1. A scientific (academic) text read aloud in public in front of a fairly-sized audience conveys both intellectual and
volitional information, so the attitudinal and emphatic functions of intonation are of primary importance here.
2. A lecturer always sounds self-assured, authoritative, instructive and edifying, because any scientific style talk
should be well prepared and is often even rehearsed by a trained lecturer.
3. A scientific style talk presenter sounds much louder than an informational style reader as any public oration is
produced face to face with a fairly-sized audience. Instances of diminished loudness are observed only in bringing
out phrases expressing forgetfulness, uncertainty, word-searching.
4. The prosodic features of the academic style reading are rather varied as intonation correlates the lecturer's
attempts to get his meaning across clearly and to obtain the balance between formality and informality. This variety
is created by:
a) The alternation of pauses, types of heads, pitch levels and terminal tones.
b) The ample use of variations and contrasts of the tempo to help the listener to differentiate between the more and
less important parts of the overall flow of speech. The speaker normally slows down when he introduces rules,
terms, scientific laws, etc. This makes them stand out.
5. The rhythmical organization of a scientific text is properly balanced by the alternation of all prosodic features
which gives the acoustic impression of "rhythmicality".
6. High falling and falling-rising terminal tones are widely used as a means of both logical and contrastive
emphasis
Strict rhyt
The term "publicistic" serves for many kinds of oratorial activities, that is why this intonational style is often called
"oratorial. There is a great deal of overlap between academic, publicistic and declamatory style when the basic aim
of the speaker is to extend persuasive and emotional influence on the listeners and, of course, volitional and desiderative information is predominant in the texts. But in publicistic speeches it is achieved not only through
argumentation as in the academic style or imagery as in the declamatory style, but through all sorts of direct
oratorial performances. These performances are designed to entertain the public thus accomplishing the purpose of
imposing the speaker's ideas on listeners. So publicistic style is commonly called by phonostylists oratorial,
volitional and desiderative. Its manifestation can be heard in political, judicial, oratorial speeches, in sermons,
parliamentary debates, at congresses, meetings, press conferences and so on. The invariant of phonostylistic
characteristics of Publicistic oratorial speeches is given in table 31. Public oratorial speeches are so removed from
everyday informational narratives and so vividly marked on the grammatical, lexical and prosodic levels that are
immediately recognized by listeners and labelled as oratorial skills and exercises. As there is a very strong concern
on the part of the speaker about the effects achieved by his speech on the listener, the former uses all kinds of
oratorial performances which on the prosodic level are characterized by the incomparable variations and contrasts
within the systems of pitch loudness, tempo and timbre accompanied by kinesic components. These prosodic
contrasts, very expressive facial mimics and gestures identify certain oral texts as belonging to publicistic intonational style. It is undoubtedly clear that volitional .and emotional function of intonation is predominant in this
register against the background of other functions.
As any publicistic speech is fully prepared and even rehearsed, it usually goes smoothly and with ease, without
hesitation devices. It is marked by its dignified slowness, careful articulation and impressive resonance on the most
important communicative centres and properly rhythmically organized. A certain amount of style variations is a
must when we perform within publicistic discourse. Publicistic speakers are usually very enthusiastic about what
they say and how they say, so they may go to extremes by enormously increasing the loudness and alternate it with
whisper or by pronouncing very long breath groups and suddenly interrupt the phonation by using the rhetorical
silence. These and other prosodic contrasts produce great effects and captivate the attention and interest of the
listener. The greatest single stylistic characteristic of publicistic speeches is the large amount of parallelisms on any
level, prosodic features including. All the above-mentioned general characteristics serve to produce a complex
vocal effect called "oration", designed to make the listeners respond to the publicistic speech-maker.
Loudness varies according to the type of emotion rendered and the listeners
Terminal tones contain a lot of categoric low and high falls in final and initial intonational groups
This intonational style is also called by some as "artistic, acquired or stage. Attitudinal, volitional and intellectual
functions of intonation are of primary importance here and serve to appeal to the mind, will and feelings of the
listener. Most commonly it is performed through all sorts of image-bearing devices which require rehearsing and
professional skills. This intonational style can be heard on the stage, on the screen, in a TV studio or in a classroom
during verse speaking and prose readings and recitations. It is always a written form of the language read aloud or
recited. Acting is a two-way conversation, players respond very directly and promptly to the "feedback" they get
from the audience; the "feedback" in their case being almost certainly communal, collective, non-verbal language.
Methods of achieving, stimulating and maintaining this "conversation" with their audience must inevitably be the
mainspring of the actors' "training". To feel, to know, even to express the contents of their drama is a wasted and
futile activity if it is not conveyed to other participants the audience. Distancing, posture, gesture, facial
expression and timing all these facets of actors art are as important as the delivery of words themselves. It is
common knowledge that prose, which describes an action or a series of actions to tell a story, is called narrative.
The prose is descriptive when scenes, objects, people, or even a person's feelings are described in such a way that
we can imagine them vividly. In good descriptive writing an author builds up a picture in words in much the same
way as an artist paints a landscape or a portrait. The prosodic organization of the declamatory reading depends on
the type of the literary text descriptive, narrative, dialogue; on the character of the described events, schemes and
objects (humorous, tragic, romantic, dreamy, imaginative and so on) and of course on the skills of the reader. But it
is always clearly marked and distinguished by its expressiveness, personal involvement on the part of the author,
by the emphasis, by the entire range of prosodic and paralinguistic effects and it is all felt through the skilful
reading .The phonological opposition of the informational and declamatory reading shows that both readings differ
totally in any aspect, but primarily in the voice timbre in the declamatory reading the emotional colouring of the
voice is very rich, varied according to the degree of emphasis. On the prosodic level the markers of the
declamatory style reading are:
1. Slow tempo, caused by the lento rate of utterances and prolonged pauses, especially at the passage boundaries.
2. Stable rhythmicality.
3. The use of the falling terminal tones in initial intonation groups, the increase of their range with the emphasis.
American English intonation differs from British English intonation mainly in unemphatic, or emotionally neutral
speech. Preterminal pitch contour in Britain is gradually descending stepping, in USA it. is mid-level or mid-wavylevel. American English intonation produces an impression of level or monotonous melody.
The monotony of USA intonation is explained by the following factors: 1) pitch characteristics, 2) narrow range of
the utterance, 3) slow tempo