Module 8, exercises 8.5 - 8.7

Exercise 8.5

Based on: Gussenhoven & Broeders (1997)

Intonation can also be used to give the sentence a particular focus. Copy-paste the sentence below twice into your Pronunciation Portfolio and underline the word that carries extra emphasis, so that you can answer the questions below. For example: if the question was Do you have a Siberian husky? you would underline the word have in the sentence 'We have a Siberian Husky', because that word carries the intonational stress to answer the question.

Copy-paste this sentence to your Pronunciation Portfolio: We have a Siberian Husky.

Question 1: Have you got any animals from Siberia?

Question 2: What type of husky have you got?

Exercise 8.6

Now you know how intonation can stress certain words or word groups in a sentence to determine the meaning of the sentence, discuss with a classmate in how many ways you can say and interpret the sentence below by shifting the intonational stress:

Could I have a pint of Guinness, please?

Write down in your Pronunciation Portfolio what each shift in intonational stress means. Do this with your classmate as well. Afterwards, record yourself individually as you say each of the different intonation shifts you have found. Listen back to your recording to hear if you have made each difference clearly enough. Finally, play your recording to your classmate for feedback and listen to his or her recording to give feedback on intonation.

Exercise 8.7

Adapted from: Smakman (2014)

Placing intonation patterns on different places in sentences can change the meaning of a sentence, as you have found out. Listen to recording 8c and repeat what you hear. Pronounce the lines below - which are short answers or comments in a natural conversation- with the meaning indicated between brackets. The underlining represents the place where the intonation pattern should be placed. Try not to worry too much about the part before the underlining. Read the meaning between brackets before you listen to the recording and then imitate the intonation that you hear. To help you, the intonation patterns have been mentioned between brackets after every word or word group.

No. (bored: level)
Yes . (neutral: fall)
Harry. (neutral: fall)
Luna. (neutral: fall)
I suppose. (bored: level)
Go to bed. (neutral: fall)
I did! (sure: rise-fall)
Nice. (disinterested: level)
Tomorrow. (doubtful: rise)
Are you sure? (neutral: rise)
Watching telly. (bored: level)
Without delay. (neutral: rise)
It adds up to four. (neutral: fall)
Tomorrow! (sure: rise-fall)
Ron will be there. (neutral: fall)
Ron will be there. (bored: level)

Recording 8c