Speech Work: Intonation JSS2 English Studies Lesson Note

TOPIC: INTONATION

SUB – TOPIC: Identification of intonation patterns in statements, questions, and commands.

Introduction: Intonation is a feature of speech that affects the understanding of a message. This is the rise and fall of the voice in speech (or the variation in pitch). 

Intonation conveys the attitude or mood of the speaker to the listener (audience) he is speaking to. For instance, whether the speaker is doubtful, angry, impatient, polite, or impolite is a sign through the intonation pattern he uses. The change in the pitch level (how high or low the voice is) makes speech interesting. 

If there is no change in the level of pitch while we speak, then it will be difficult for others to understand us and it will also be boring to our listeners.

There are two basic patterns of intonation (also known as tunes): the falling tune and the rising tune.

A conventional way of indicating the tune is to use the arrow ↘ for the falling tune and ↗ for the increasing tune.

Identification of Intonation

Patterns in statement

Examples: Using statements like:

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

Intonation using WH – questions. Examples

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

Intonation is used as a command or order. Examples

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

Assignment 

New Oxford (2) for junior secondary schools. Page 103

Read the passage below aloud varying your intonation. (Exercise K)

A conversation between Garba and Lawrence

LESSON 2 : GRAMMAR: Making sentences with prepositions

Definition of prepositions:

Prepositions show the relationship between nouns and pronouns in the same sentence. Examples are 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, etc.

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

USES OF SOME PREPOSITION

FOR – This is accompanied by a period. Examples

1. I have been here for four years
2. He has been living in this house for eight years

SINCE – It is placed before phrases or words indicating a point in time. Examples:

1. Adeola has been living in this village since 1980
2. I have not seen him since Sunday 

FROM – It indicates a point in time. From should be followed by “to” or “till”. Example: Ade worked from eight O’clock till four O’clock without resting.

TO – We can use it for movement from a particular place to an office or school etc. An example: Gbolahan walks to his office every day.

AT – It is used to indicate position. An example: Jide came at seven O’clock in the morning.

Assignment

Underline the preposition from 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 

Assignment 

Reference: progressive English. An elaborate coverage of Grammar on pages 103,104

LESSON 3: VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

Words Associated with Law and Justices

The following are words that are associated with law and justices

1. Law court
2. Plaintiff
3. Sued
4. Defendants
5. Section
6. Agreement
7. Inter – allia
8. Judge adjourned 
9. Discharge / acquitted
10. Redress
11. Allegation
12. Appeal
13. Subpoena 
14. Evidence
15. Hardened criminals
16. Convicted
17. Judgement
18. Evidence/witness etc. 

Assignment

Use your dictionary to find the correct meaning of the above words.

LESSON 4: COMPOSITION

Writing A Report – 

An Accident I Witness 

I was on my way to school on a good morning, when I witnessed a horrible and heartpained 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 he struggled to avoid hitting the child. His right foot press hard on the brake. His arms turned the steering wheel swiftly to the right. The lorry crashed into the wall of a house. Just at the spot, something hit the boy’s head, there were bruises everywhere with blood gushing out speedily. I held on to my head and pitied the poor little boy.

Assignment 

Write a story not less than 200 words on the accident you witnessed

Guidelines 

– Introduction – time/date

– Body – the discussion (what happened in the course of the accident)

– The conclusion – your feeling at the end of the scene (story)

LESSON FIVE: LITERATURE – IN – ENGLISH 

The use of recommended text

– Themes

– Characterization