The Communicative Grammar of English Workbook - Edward Woods, Rudy Coppieters 2002

1.8. Tones
Unit one. Spoken and written English

Sections 38-42

Tone is the type of pitch change which takes place on the nucleus. There are three basic types of tone in English, each of which tends to express a number of related meanings:

(i) falling tone: certainty, completeness, independence (esp. straightforward statements, wh-questions)

(ii) rising tone: uncertainty, incompleteness, dependence (esp. yes-no questions, subsidiary information)

(iii) fall-rise: combines the meaning of ’certainty, assertion’ with that of ’incompleteness, dependence’ (esp. reservation, implied contrast, _etc.).

Task one **

Assign one of the three basic tones to each tone unit in the following sentences, underlining the nuclear syllable on which the pitch change takes place.

1. Are any of these titles still available?

2. Don’t lean too far out of the window.

3. I don’t want to spend ALL my dollars.

4. How many passengers survived the plane crash?

5. You’ve seen some of these films before?

6. George Stephenson was the inventor of the steam engine.

7. In terms of profitability, the current year has been quite exceptional.

8. Why didn’t you turn up at the meeting, because you had overslept again?

9. Technically speaking, these devices are extremely sophisticated.

10. If you haven’t got enough time now, you can write those letters tomorrow.

11. Edith may not be a very good cook, she knows at least how to appreciate good food.

12. There’s a wide choice of cheese here: Cheddar, Stilton, Camembert, Gorgonzola and Danish blue.

Task two ***

For each sentence, first mark tone unit boundaries with vertical bars. Second, underline the nuclear syllable on which the pitch change takes place. Third, assign one of the three basic tones to each tone unit. (cf Section 42 in CGE)

1. Members of the jury, I thank you for your attention during this trial. Please pay attention to the instructions I am about to give you.

Henry Johnson, the defendant in this case, has been accused of the crimes of First Degree Murder with a Firearm and Aggravated Assault with a Firearm.

In this case Henry Johnson is accused of First Degree Murder with a Firearm.

Murder in the First Degree includes the lesser crimes of Murder in the Second Degree, Murder in the Third Degree and Manslaughter, all of which are unlawful.

If you find Mr. Peter Smith was killed by Henry Johnson, you will then consider the circumstances surrounding the killing in deciding if the killing was First Degree Murder, Second Degree Murder, Third Degree Murder or Manslaughter.

(slightly adapted from www.pbcountyclerk.com)

2. Ruth: Steve, where’s my handbag?

Steve: Over there, on the windowsill. You’re not going out shopping, are you?

Ruth: Of course I am. How else am I to prepare dinner tonight?

Steve: Oh, I thought we were going to a restaurant.

Ruth: The last time we went to a restaurant you kept complaining about the food.

Steve: It was one of those very exotic places. You know I don’t like them.

Ruth: What would you suggest then? As long as it isn’t fish and chips, of course.

Steve: Well, shall we go to an Italian restaurant? That’s not too exotic as far as I am concerned.

Ruth: All right. You still remember the terms of the agreement we made last time?

Steve: I don’t, quite frankly.

Ruth: In that case, let me just refresh your memory. Whoever chooses the restaurant pays the bill for the two of us.

Steve: You will have your revenge, won’t you.