Oral: Intonation – SS2 English Lesson Note (Second Term)

Intonation is the rise and fall of the voice, called pitch, when we speak. The pitch changes with the meaning the speaker intends. The two basic patterns are the falling tune and the rising tune. The two can be combined in long sentences.

Behavioural objectives

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

• explain what intonation is;
• list the sentence types that take a falling tune;
• list the sentence types that take a rising tune;
• say how the last item in a list is spoken;
• identify the rise and fall pattern and the fall and rise pattern in long sentences.

What is intonation?

Intonation and stress are very important in spoken English. The meaning of an utterance is affected by stress and by variations in the pitch of the voice.

When one speaks, the voice or pitch changes. It becomes high or low depending on the meaning the speaker intends.

What are the sentence intonation patterns?

Falling tune

The falling tune is usually used in declarative sentences (statements), commands, wh-questions and exclamations.

Statements

• Joy works hard in school.
• Emeka has given the book to her.

Commands

• Keep the books on my table.
• Stand under the tree.

Wh-questions

• Why are you very late?
• Who gave you the information?

Exclamations

• What a good result!
• How pretty she is!

Rising tune

The rising tune is used in polar questions, utterances showing indifference and lists of items.

Polar questions

Polar questions are questions which demand only “yes” or “no” as an answer. For example:

• Is the wine sweet?
• Will Monday be good for it?
• Did you eat last night?

Utterances showing indifference

• You can do what you want.
• I think that’s right.

Listing items

• One, two, three and four.
• We need some rice, beans, fish and meat.

In enumeration, the final item in the list is usually said in a falling tune.

How are the falling and rising tunes combined?

The falling and rising intonation patterns are the two basic pitch patterns. The two pitch movements can be combined in long sentences.

Rise and fall pattern

• While the boys were working, the girls were playing.
• When the rain comes, I’ll plant my seed yams.

Fall and rise pattern

• The students are happy, aren’t they?
• You can do it, can’t you?

Evaluation

1. What is intonation?
2. Name four types of sentence that take a falling tune.
3. Say whether each sentence takes a falling or a rising tune: “Is the wine sweet?”, “What a good result!”, “Who gave you the information?”
4. How is the final item in a list usually said?
5. Give one example of a sentence with a rise and fall pattern and one with a fall and rise pattern.

Assignment

Write two examples each of a command, a wh-question, a polar question and a list of items. State whether each one takes a falling or a rising tune.