Speech Work: Intonation – JSS2 English Lesson Note (Second Term)

Intonation is the rise and fall of the voice in speech, also called variation in pitch.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain what intonation is and why it matters in speech;
2. name the two basic intonation patterns and mark them with arrows;
3. identify the falling tune in statements, WH-questions and commands, and the rising tune in yes/no questions;
4. use prepositions such as for, since, from, to and at in sentences;
5. explain words associated with law and justice using a dictionary;
6. write a report on an accident, with an introduction, a body and a conclusion.

Lesson 1: Speech work, intonation

Sub-topic: Identification of intonation patterns in statements, questions and commands.

What is intonation?

Intonation is the rise and fall of the voice in speech (the variation in pitch).

• Pitch: how high or low the voice sounds.
• Attitude: intonation shows the speaker’s mood to the listener, such as doubt, anger, impatience, politeness or impoliteness.
• Meaning: it affects how a message is understood.
• Interest: changes in pitch make speech pleasant to hear.
• Without it: speech with no change in pitch is boring and hard to understand.

What are the patterns of intonation?

There are two basic patterns of intonation, also called tunes: the falling tune and the rising tune.

• Falling tune: the voice goes down at the end of the sentence. It is marked with the arrow ↘.
• Rising tune: the voice goes up at the end of the sentence. It is marked with the arrow ↗.

How do we identify intonation patterns?

1. Say the sentence aloud in a natural way.
2. Listen to the voice on the last important word.
3. Decide if the voice goes down or up.
4. Mark the sentence with ↘ or ↗.

Statements (falling tune)

1. The students are working hard (↘)
2. Bola will be here anytime (↘)
3. The people in the shop stole the car (↘)

WH-questions (falling tune)

WH-questions begin with words such as why, whose, how, what, where and when.

1. Why did you come here? (↘)
2. Whose book is this? (↘)
3. How did you get here? (↘)

Commands or orders (falling tune)

1. Get out of here! (↘)
2. Open the door at once! (↘)
3. Don’t touch the girl! (↘)
4. Be careful! (↘)

Yes/no questions (rising tune)

Yes/no questions can be answered with “yes” or “no”.

1. Are you coming? (↗)
2. Is this your book? (↗)
3. Did Bola eat the food? (↗)

Lesson 2: Grammar, making sentences with prepositions

What is a preposition?

A preposition is a word that shows how a noun or pronoun relates to another word in a sentence.

• Examples of prepositions: during, towards, without, near, on, except, off, from, among, for, at, in, about, with, throughout, beyond, by, through, under, after, to, between, against, into, within, and others.

Sentences with prepositions:

1. Bola prefers a black biro to a blue one.
2. She was delayed by the traffic.
3. A cat is under the table.
4. The bird flew through the window.
5. He wrote a letter to his father.

What are the uses of some prepositions?

Practice: can you find the prepositions?

Underline the preposition in each of the following sentences:

1. The dog ran after the mouse.
2. He walked into the room after midnight.
3. I kept the bag under the bed.
4. Friday comes before Saturday.
5. I bought two loaves of bread.
6. The girl was beaten by the boy.
7. The man across the dusty road
8. Come with me to the station.
9. Please wait for me.
10. Switch on the light in the room.

Reference: Progressive English, pages 103 and 104, for a fuller coverage of grammar.

Lesson 3: Vocabulary development

What are the words associated with law and justice?

Words associated with law and justice are the terms used in courts and legal matters.

Practice: how do we check word meanings?

1. Find the word in your dictionary.
2. Read the meaning that fits law and justice.
3. Write the word in a sentence of your own.

Lesson 4: Composition, writing a report

What is a report?

A report is a written account of an event, told in the order in which it happened.

• Introduction: the time and date, and where the event took place.
• Body: the discussion, that is, what happened in the course of the accident.
• Conclusion: your feeling at the end of the scene.

Sample report: An accident I witnessed

I was on my way to school on a good morning, when I witnessed a horrible and heartbreaking accident at Shagamu Road along Oke-Odo, in the Alimosho area.

A little boy ran into the road in front of a lorry. If he had gone on running, he would not have been in danger, but he trod on an old piece of wood that someone had dropped and fell.

At once, Kunle stopped dreaming of food and struggled to avoid hitting the child. His right foot pressed hard on the brake. His arms turned the steering wheel swiftly to the right. The lorry crashed into the wall of a house. At that spot, something hit the boy’s head, and there were bruises everywhere with blood gushing out speedily. I held on to my head and pitied the poor little boy.

Practice: write your own report

Write a story of not less than 200 words on the accident you witnessed. Follow the introduction, body and conclusion guidelines above.

Lesson 5: Literature in English

What do we study in the recommended text?

In the recommended text, we study the themes and the characterisation.

• Themes: the main ideas or messages the writer wants to pass on.
• Characterisation: how the writer presents the characters and shows what they are like.

Evaluation

1. What is intonation?
2. Name the two basic patterns of intonation.
3. Which arrow shows the falling tune?
4. What can intonation tell a listener about a speaker?
5. Say “Whose book is this?” aloud and name the tune you used.

Assignment

New Oxford (2) for junior secondary schools, page 103. Read the passage “A conversation between Garba and Lawrence” aloud, varying your intonation (Exercise K).