Exercise 8.2
Taken from: Smakman (2014)
You know now that intonation can rise (go up) or fall (go down). In the previous exercise, intonation going up meant that Mary was not standing close to the speaker, whereas intonation going down meant that Mary was actually close. This is one function intonation can have: you can use it to talk to people directly, so to address them. Intonation can also stay the same (level), go from up to down (rise-fall) or down to up (fall-rise). You call these different intonations intonation patterns.
When you draw them, this is what they look like:
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Intonation patterns are very important for the meaning of your sentence, as you will find out later.
First, listen to recording 8b and write down in your Pronunciation Portfolio which intonation patterns you hear. Choose from: rise, fall, level, rise-fall, or fall-rise. Use the illustration to help you.
You will hear each sentence twice. There will be a short pause between the sentences.
Taken from: Smakman (2014)
Exercise 8.3
Taken from: Smakman (2014)
Listen to recording 8b one more time and, when you hear a pause, repeat what you have heard to practise with different intonation patterns.
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Exercise 8.4
Example sentences taken from: Gussenhoven & Broeders (1997)
It was already mentioned that different intonation patterns can change the meaning of a sentence. If your math’s teacher, for example, asks you How much is three times four plus two? and if you make a pause in intonation after three, the answer to the question would be ‘18’, but if no intonational break is made, or if you make one after four, the answer would be ‘14’. If you find this difficult to understand, look at the example below, in which a V stands for a break in intonation.
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How much is three V times four plus two: 3 x (4+2)= 18.
How much is three times four V plus two: (3 x4 + 2)=14.
Try saying both sentences from the illustration, making the two intonational breaks on purpose when you get to the V-sign. Record yourself and play your recording to a classmate to see if they understand the difference in meaning between both sentences, which is caused by breaks in intonation.