As noted last week, intonation is the rise and fall of pitch in the voice — when speaking. There is the need to master the concept and its manifestations to improve on our spoken English. Among other functions, it brings out meaning, emphasis and rhythm. We shall discuss types of intonation today.
Falling intonation
When the voice falls on the final stressed syllable of a phrase or a group of words, we have falling intonation. This pattern is very common in wh-questions. So, in falling intonation, the pitch drops at the end of a phrase or sentence. It is used for statements, commands and WH-questions (who, what, where):
We will do it later .
Tinubu returned yesterday .
Go now .
What time will he leave ?
Where was Mr Trump that day ?
Rising intonation
In rising intonation, the voice rises at the end of a sentence. This manifests majorly in yes-no questions, with the pitch going up at the end of the sentence to invite a response. So, it is, for example, used for yes/no questions:
Is the money complete .
Has Tinubu returned ?
Is it true that the politician sponsored the aborted coup ?
Fall-rise intonation
When the voice falls and then rises, usually for emphasis, we have fall-rise intonation. It is used at the end of statements when we want to say that we are not sure, or when we may have more to add. In other words, the pitch falls and then rises, often within a word or a short phrase. Note, also, that the pattern indicates uncertainty, reluctance, partial agreement, or politeness. Here are examples:
I can’t re collect.
The guy is un decided.
The rising and falling intonation is also used in making lists or indicating an unfinished thought:
Have you got a pen or pencil?
Level/flat intonation
In this pattern, there is little or no change in pitch. It applies to special or dramatic cases like monotone speeches or in contexts you want the same level of emphasis on words:
It is your business to be there.
Don’t tell me anything about the tax law.
Concluded.
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