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Intonation and Stress Basic Participant guide

Version 1.1 created: December 2011

Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

Contents
Welcome to Intonation and Stress Basic ...................................................................................................................... 4 Guidelines and Expectations ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Course Outline .............................................................................................................................................................. 4 What are sounds? ............................................................................................................................................................ 5 Sounds of English ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Consonant sounds ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 Practice 1 ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Practice 2 ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Practice 3 ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Practice 4 ......................................................................................................................................................... 7 Practice 5 ......................................................................................................................................................... 7 Practice 6 ......................................................................................................................................................... 8

Vowels .......................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Syllable and Rules of Word Stress................................................................................................................................... 9 What are syllables? ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 What is word stress? .................................................................................................................................................... 9 Word stress rule 1: Stress in words with two syllables. ................................................................................................ 9 Practice 7 ......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Practice 8 ....................................................................................................................................................... 10 Practice 9 ....................................................................................................................................................... 11 Practice 10 ..................................................................................................................................................... 11

Word stress rule 2: Stress in words ending in tion, ian, and eer. .................................................................... 10

Word stress rule 3: Stress in words ending with ic, ical, and ically ................................................................. 12 Word stress rule 4: Stress in words ending with ate and ise/ize ..................................................................... 12 Practice 11 ..................................................................................................................................................... 12 Practice 12 ..................................................................................................................................................... 13

Content and structure words .......................................................................................................................................... 14 Rhythm ....................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Practice 13 ..................................................................................................................................................... 14 Practice 14 ..................................................................................................................................................... 15 Practice 15 ..................................................................................................................................................... 17 Practice 16 ..................................................................................................................................................... 18 Practice 17 ..................................................................................................................................................... 19
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Weak forms and contractions ......................................................................................................................................... 16

Though groups and pausing .......................................................................................................................................... 19

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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011 Guidelines for intonation ................................................................................................................................................ 20 Intonation in declarative sentences ............................................................................................................................ 20 Intonation in WH-questions ........................................................................................................................................ 20 Intonation in Yes-No questions ................................................................................................................................... 20 Practice 18 ..................................................................................................................................................... 20 Intonation in tag questions .......................................................................................................................................... 21 Sure or Unsure....21 Practice 19 ..................................................................................................................................................... 21 Intonation in series...................................................................................................................................................... 21 Intonation in unfinished statements ............................................................................................................................ 21 Practice 2022 Practice 2123 Practice 2324

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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

Welcome to Intonation and Stress Basic

We are delighted to welcome you to Intonation and Stress Basic!

Intonation & Stress Basic is a verbal skills program designed to polish and sharpen English speaking skills. The course provides practice and guidance to increase both confidence and ease of speech. It is targeted at improving articulation and diction through focus on a specific range of features such as tone, stress patterns and rhythm which will help you achieve significant and lasting changes in diction and clarity.

We look forward to working with you over the next month to enhance our speaking skills.

Have fun learning!

Guidelines and Expectations

75% attendance required to pass course 70% score required to pass course Participate actively Complete assignments on time Practice and apply what youve learned Punctuality is non-negotiable Have fun learning!

Course Outline
16 session of 1 hour each 4 recording assignments - Day 1 (Pre-course) - Day 6 (Mid-course) - Day 11 (Mid-course) - Day 16 (Post-course) Coaching touch-points - Feedback on 1st recording via e-mail - Schedule feedback after course completion

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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

What are sounds?

Sounds build up the words in spoken language. They are required for correct pronunciation.

Syllables Sounds

Words

Thought groups

Language

Sounds of English
Consonant sounds c g Notes: car - /k/ great - /g/ racing - /s/ rage - /d/ Notes: Vowel sounds a e cat - // elephant - // amongst - // eel - /i/

Voiceless /p/ as in pea /t/ as in tea /k/ as in key /f/ as in fat // as in thin /s/ as in sip // as in ship // as in chin /h/ as in hat

Voiced /b/ as in bee /d/ as in do /g/ as in go /v/ as in vat // as in that /z/ as in zip // as in measure // as in judge

Short vowels // as in kit // as in strut /e/ as in dress // as in about Long vowels / / as in fleece / / as in father / / as in true / / as in thought // as in good // as in odd // as in trap // as in together

/ / as in reverse Diphthongs

/m/ as in map /n/ as in nap /l/ as in led /r/ as in red // as in hang /j/ as in yet /w/ as in water

/ / as in face / / as in how

/ / as in wide /o/ as in goat // as in tour

// as in here / / as in appointment

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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

Consonant sounds

PRACTICE 1
/t/ and /d/
/t/ tomorrow time captivate post stop We will deliver the product at eight Oclock tomorrow. David left the dry task of decoding to Daniel. /d/ deliver danger middle build bolder Tim and Terry tried very hard to tie the ends together. Please dont drink up all the diet drink.

PRACTICE 2
Donald, Bert, or Sid
Tick the column that fits the pronunciation of the words suffix. Word avoided covered finished followed kicked posted looked matched flipped guarded mended Donald Bert Sid Word fooled hoped moved mowed packed passed pitched pushed pasted pasted pleaded Donald Bert Sid

PRACTICE 3
/s/ and /z/
/s/ safe submit first listen certain We need a strategy to reach the safe zone. The team was certain of achieving first position in the competition. /z/ zone zest bizarre position strategize Listen to Liza sing in the bizarre circus. When will Zack submit the risk analysis reports?
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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

PRACTICE 4
Snakes, Snails, or Roses
Tick the column that fits the pronunciation of the words suffix. Word hats riffs lowers buzzes desks watches rolls books bags judges eyes Snakes Snails Roses Word lads likes rises projects matches bottles listens rocks pizzas steps benches Snakes Snails Roses

Vowels

PRACTICE 5
Sound // /u/ /o/ // /e/ // // // // Examples took tool told pet paid pat car Notes

core nurse

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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

PRACTICE 6
Update on Deloitte Japan
Fo l lo wi n g t he ear t hq u ak e an d s u bs e q u en t ts un am i th at s t ruc k t h e nor t he as t c oas t of M i yag i Pr ef ec t ur e o n 1 1 Ma r c h, D e lo i tt e J a pa n h as c onf irm ed t he s af et y o f a ll of t he ir p e o pl e i n S en d a i.

T he y ha v e a ls o c o nf ir m ed t he s af et y of a l l o th er m em ber f i rm s ec o nd e es i n J a pa n. T h e y ar e s ti l l wa it i ng t o ac c ou n t f or r o ug h l y 1 0% of t h e ir 8, 3 00 f irm - wi d e em p lo ye e s , a l th o ug h t he r em ai n in g p eo p l e ar e no t as s i gn e d to im pac t ed are as .

B eg i n ni n g o n 14 Mar c h, t h e T ok yo E l ec tr ic P o wer C o im pl em en te d p o wer s us pe ns i o ns on a r ot at i o na l b as is i n T ok yo , Yok o ham a a nd t h e K a nt o R eg i o n, res u lt i ng in c anc e l la t io n of p ub l ic tr a ns por t at i on f rom M o nd a y o n war d. D el o it t e of f ic es i n T ok yo a nd t he s urro u nd i n g ar eas are c ur r en t l y c l os e d, an d a ll par tn er s a n d s taf f ha v e b e en a d v is ed t o s ta y a t h om e t hr ou g h 15 Ma r c h .

In a d d it i on , De l o it te J ap a n is f unc t io n i ng wi t h o nl y l im i te d c a p ac i t y of th e ir O u t lo ok s er v e r i n T ok yo, a n d ha s as k ed th at DT T L m em ber f i r m s ref rai n f r om s en d in g l arg e f i l e at tac hm en t s i n e m ail ex c e pt f or im por t an t c l i en t s er v ic e a nd ot h er ur ge nt m att ers .

Source: https://www.deloitteresources.com/pgContent.aspx?sid=0&cid=1066461

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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

Syllable and Rules of Word Stress

What are syllables?
Syllables are sound units that make up a word. Words may have one, two, three or more syllables. Every syllable contains only one vowel sound. Example: phone has one syllable. meeting has two syllables: mee-ting fantastic has three syllables: fan-tas-tic A good way to understand and count syllables in a word is to clap as you say each syllable.

What is word stress?

In words with more than 1 syllable, all syllables are not said equally. One syllable is highlighted or stressed. We call this word stress. In multi-syllabic words the stress falls on one of the syllables while the other syllables tend to be spoken over quickly. The main stress always falls on a particular syllable in any given word. To improve your pronunciation it is important to stress the right syllable. Listed below are some rules of word stress to help you identify which syllable needs to be stressed.

Word stress rule 1: Stress in words with two syllables.

In words with two syllables, the stress pattern depends on whether the word is used as a noun, an adjective, or a verb. A. When the word is used as a noun or adjective, the stress is on the first syllable. B. When the word is used as a verb, the stress is on the second syllable. Example Word Project Used as a noun I submitted the PROject yesterday. Used as a verb I asked him to proJECT the documents on the screen.

PRACTICE 7
Practice the pronunciation of the following words and use them in sentences as verbs and nouns or adjectives. conduct content contract convict desert frequent incline insert Object Permit Present Proceed Project Protest Rebel Recall record refuse reject research subject survey suspect update
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PRACTICE 8
Noun-adjective-verb homograph
Break the words in the first column into syllables and identify the stressed syllable based on whether it is used as a noun, an adjective, or a verb. Practice the pronunciation together. Then, construct two sentences with each word one with the word used as a noun or an adjective and another with the word used as a verb. Read out the sentence with correct pronunciation of the words. The first word has the solution. Work with your partner on the rest. Word Noun or adjective OB-ject Verb Examples The OBject doesnt fit in the room. He wont obJECT to your presence in the meeting.

object

Ob-JECT

subject permit record progress perfect increase present conduct digest insult export defect reject

Word stress rule 2: Stress in words ending in tion, ian, and eer.
Words ending in tion and ian have stress on the penultimate (i.e., the last but one) syllable. Example Word communication musician Stress co-mmu-ni-CA-tion mu-SI-cian Used in a sentence I am working to improve my communiCAtion skills. Mozart was a great muSIcian.

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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011 Words ending in -eer have stress on the syllable that has -eer. Example Word volunteer Stress vo-lun-TEER Used in a sentence All volunTEERs are requested to assemble in the hall.

PRACTICE 9
Practice the pronunciation of the following words and use them in sentences of your own. ion application pronunciation conversation ian vegetarian librarian electrician eer engineer volunteer marketeer pioneer career commandeer musician politician disciplinarian pedestrian statistician magician solution communication explanation passion admission provision

PRACTICE 10
Instructions: 1. Identify the words that fit into the rules of word stress that were discussed in the session. 2. Divide the word into syllables. 3. Underline the stressed syllable in the words youve identified. 4. Compare your work with your partners. 5. Together with your partner, practice the pronunciation of the words. 6. Read the entire passage with correct pronunciation to your partner and ask him/her for feedback. The first word has been completed as an example. B arr y a nd G eor g e d e v e lo p s of t war e so /l u/t i ons in t h e f i e l d of e d u c at i on . T h e l at es t a pp l ic at i on th e y c r e at e d h as be e n n om in at e d f or an a wa rd. I n m y c o n v ers a t i on wit h t hem , th es e t wo en g i ne ers m ent i on e d t ha t i t to ok t hem a lm os t 6 m on ths t o c re a te t h e a pp l ic at i on . A p art f rom be i n g en g i ne er s , th e y ar e a ls o gr e at m us ic i a ns . M us ic br o ug ht t h e m tog et h er. So , th e y p io n eer e d th e t ec h n o l og y t h at us es m us ic t o t eac h var i o us c onc e pt s a n d are no w tr yi n g t o ob t ai n a c o p yr i gh t. Ba r r y a n d G e or ge c la im t he y a re n o t pr of it e ers bu t v o l un te ers f or pr o gres s thr o ug h g o od e d uc a t io n. Som e e duc at ors s a y B a rr y a n d G e or ge a r e m ag ic i ans wa v i ng t h e wa n d thr o ug h t he t ec hn o l og y t h e y v e c r e at e d. T he ir p as s io n s h o ws in t h e work t h e y v e pro d uc ed . T h e y wi l l pr es en t t he ir wor k a t th e c o nf er enc e n ex t we ek wher e t he y h o p e to ge t m ore us er s an d bu ye rs f or t he ir pr o du c t.
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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011 Word stress rule 3: Stress in words ending with ic, ical, and ically Stress on the syllable before the suffix. ic electric numeric logistic analytic historic ical electrical numerical logistical analytical historical ically electrically numerically logistically analytically historically

Word stress rule 4: Stress in words ending with ate and ise/ize
Stress on the ante-penultimate syllable (i.e., third from the end). ate appreciate calculate escalate tolerate communicate delegate equalize emphasize ise/ize optimize jeopardize compromise improvise

PRACTICE 11
Which word?
Listen to the audio clip and circle the word that you hear. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 taller why dose massage azure spook heart tech tack card dollar vie doze message assure spoke hurt take tech cord

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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

PRACTICE 12
How many syllables? Which syllable is stressed?
Write down the number of syllables in the word and underline the stressed syllable. The first word has been completed as an example. Word execute pronunciation swap message sap wednesday advertisement send industry purpose executive develop percentage statistics occasion agreement efficient Syllables 3 Word chores environment probability oracle suite envelope vitamins select business parameter representative deliver communicate career chef manager informative Syllables Word configure genre comment confirmation envelop ask confirmation opportunity management technical asked accessory analysis average statistical rapport communication Syllables Word conversation plan content education tournament approval bizarre project economy april jeopardize message decision cater schedule official particular Syllables

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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

Content and structure words

There are two groups of words in every sentence. Content words These are words that carry the meaning of a sentence. Content words are stressed. They are pronounced clearer, louder, and stronger Structure words These are words that make a statement grammatically correct. Structure words are not stressed and often said together and quickly.

Rhythm
English is a rhythmic, stress-timed language. This means that the time between stressed words is always the same in each thought group so if there are several unstressed words between two stressed words, they must be said quickly. Example: Sentence 1 Sentence 2 I aTTEND Ive been aTTENding the SEssions the SEssions No. of syllables Sentence 1 Sentence 2 12 16 for SPEAking for a MONTH on WEDNESdays. to imPROVE myself.

No. of stressed syllables 4 4

Both the sentences have 4 content words or stressed syllables. Therefore, irrespective of the actual number of syllables in each sentence, both sentences will be said in the same timeframe or with the same beat. In these examples, each cell of the table represents one beat. So, when you say the sentence, the time you take between each stressed syllable will be the same irrespective of how many syllables or words come in between.

PRACTICE 13
Instructions: Individually, study the sentences. Underline the content words that you feel should be stressed and put a dot above the stressed syllable in those word. This will give you the rhythm for the sentence. Practice reading the sentence to yourself. Read out each sentence to person sitting next to you. Critique each other on the using correct pronunciation of words and rhythm for the sentence. Refer to the example given below as a guide. The helpdesk supports all technical queries for the organization. (4 stressed syllables; 4 beats) Sentences 1. There were so many candidates who applied for the job. 2. My manager asked me to study the report and give him a summary. 3. The earthquake in Japan left many people homeless. 4. Could you direct me to the department that handles returns? 5. We went to a resort for a team event last week. 6. I wish I could dance like Michael Jackson. 7. Elearning is an excellent option for anytime, anywhere learning. 8. Some people think a 4-day work-week could be more productive.
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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

PRACTICE 14
More than just a job
Greg shares a personal story Hi , D ura nt her e , bac k wi t h yo u .

I ho p e yo u wo u ld a gr e e th a t on e of m y p ers o na l tr a its is th at I am v er y d ir ec t a n d s tra i g ht wit h pe o p le . S o, I wa nt t o s har e wit h yo u a n is s u e t ha t is k ee p in g m e u p a t n ig h t, m ore f re q u e nt l y th a n I wo u ld l ik e. I m no w h ea r i n g th e c o n v e rs at i on t h at b e i ng at D e lo i tt e is f ee l i ng a l it t l e m ore l ik e a j ob t h an it is a c ar e er . W ell, I am p as s i on a te a b ou t t he f ac t t h at I b e l ie v e t ha t is abs o l ut e l y un tr ue . C er ta i n l y, t he las t 1 2 or 2 4 m on ths ha v e b e en a c ha l l en g e f o r a ll of us . A n d I th i nk i ts k in d of n at ur a l wh e n yo u go t hr ou g h th os e c yc l es th a t yo u c a n te n d to h a v e th o s e s orts of f e el i n gs . B u t, I wou l d as k yo u to bac k u p a nd t h i nk br oa d l y, wh at ar e t he c a re er o p por t un i t ies her e a t De l o it t e.

Le t m e s h are wi th yo u a p er s o n a l s tor y. S om e 2 5 ye ars ag o , I was a m an a ger in our C h ic ag o of f ic e , a nd I f e lt I was s or t of d o in g t he s am e s t uf f f or t wo or th re e ye ars . S o , I r eac h e d o ut t o par t ners t h at I was wo r k ing wi th an d o th er p art n ers th a t ha d m ent o red m e an d I s a i d, H e y, I wo u ld be o p en f or j us t a d if f er en t k i n d of o p por t un i t y, wh et he r th a t was g e ogr a p hic , j us t s om eth i n g t o ta l l y d if f e r en t. W ell, l o w a n d b e ho l d, t im i ng is s ort of e ver yt h i n g. I g o t i n vo l v ed in th e K K R ac qu is it i o n of RJ R Na b is c o . L on g s t or y s h ort , K K R wo n t h e b id , we wo n i t as a n at tes t c l ie n t, a n d I ha d t he o pp or tu n it y t o m o v e f i rs t t o At l an ta , t he n u lt im at e l y to N e w Yo rk s om e 2 0 ye ars ag o. S o, wha t d oes t h at m ean f or yo u ?

W ell, if yo u r e s or t of f ee l i ng t h at yo u r e k i nd of s tuc k t h at yo u f e e l it s m ore of a j ob t h an a c are er , I wo u l d j us t e n c our a g e yo u t o t h ink b roa d l y of e v er yt h in g t h at D e lo i tt e h as to of f er a n d our c om m itm ent t o o ur p e op l e; a n d th e n I wo u ld e nc ou ra g e yo u t o t ak e t h e i n it i at i v e an d f or yo u to ex p l ore wa ys t o m a k e s ur e th at yo u t h i nk ab o ut t h is as a c ar e er an d n ot a j ob b ec au s e t her e ar e s o m an y o p po r t un i ti es i ns i de t h is f irm . I j us t as k yo u t o t hi nk a b ou t t ha t.

Un t il nex t t im e.

Source: http://dmp.deloittenet.deloitte.com/viewerportal/deloittenet/home.vp?programId=esc_program%3A4909&contentAsso ciationId=association%3A8731

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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

Weak forms and contractions

Structure words have one pronunciation (strong) when isolated, and another (weak) when not stressed within a phrase.

Weak forms
Words from the following categories have weak forms : Determiners and quantifiers Auxiliaries Prepositions Conjunctions

Contractions
Contractions are fixed grammatical patterns and widely used in spoken language. Contraction involves different forms of: The auxiliaries: - Be - Have - Will - Shall The reduced form of the negation particle

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PRACTICE 15
Contractions
contraction be I'm they're what're you're who're we're there's that's she's he's let's what's who's where's whens will I'll she'll he'll they'll what'll you'll who'll I will she will he will they will what will you will who will have who've they've I've who have they have I have we've what've you've we have what have you have I'd he'd she'd they'd we'd you'd who'd I am they are what are you are who are we are there is there has that is/that has she is/she has he is/he has let us what is/what has who is/who has where is/where has when is aren't can't couldn't didn't doesn't don't hadn't hasn't haven't shouldn't mustn't isn't weren't wouldn't won't had I had/I would he had/he would she had/she would they had/they would we had/we would you had/you would who had/who would full form contraction negation particle are not cannot could not did not does not do not had not has not have not should not must not is not were not would not will not full form

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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

PRACTICE 16
Weak forms
The following is a list of some structure words which have weak forms in connected speech: Articles Strong Forms Weak Forms Examples a /ei/ // a book an /n/ /n/ an organization the Auxiliary verbs am are can does had has have shall was were must Conjunctions and as than that but Prepositions at for from of to Pronouns you me he she him her /i:/ Strong Forms /m/ /:/ /kn/ /dz/ /hd/ /hz/ /have/ /l/ /wz/ /w:/ /mst/ Strong Forms /nd/ /z/ /n/ /t/ /bt/ Strong Forms /t/ /f: / /frm/ /v/ /tu: / Strong Forms /ju: / /mi: / /hi: / /i: / /hIm/ /h:/ /i/ before a vowel // before a consonant Weak Forms /m/, /m/ // /kn/, /kn/ /dz/ /hd/, /d/ /hz/, /z/ /have/ /l/, /l/ /wz/ /w/ /mst/, /ms/ Weak Forms /nd/, /n/, /n/ /z/ /n/ /t/ /bt/ Weak Forms /t/ /f/ /frm/ /v/ /tu/ before a vowel /t/ before a consonant Weak forms /j/, /j/ /mI/ /hi/, /i:/, /I/ /I/ /Im/ /h/, /:/, // the economy the document Examples Im going The reports are ready Can I go? What does he want? Everyone had finished Has he gone? Have they gone? What shall I do? I was reading Were you reading? I must go now Examples tables and chairs Try as hard as you can better than you I said that I was busy But Im busy Examples Look at the mail This is for you I come from Delhi A cup of tea Give it to Archie Give it to me Examples Why dont you go now? Give me a book What is he doing? When is she leaving? Let him do it Let her finish it

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Though groups and pausing

It is important we pause when required, because this will help us lower our rate of speech and help the listener understand our message without any difficulty. Punctuation correlates closely with breath pauses. A full stop, colon, semi-colon, and comma mark the end of a group. Just as we use punctuation for clarity in written communication, we use pauses while speaking. Pauses are like verbal punctuation. A sentence may express more than one thought or idea. One needs to pause at the end of every thought group so that we are understood better. There are appropriate places for pausing. If we pause in the wrong places, the link between the different thoughts and ideas could get broken. The sentences would seem confusing or cease to make sense and would be incoherent. Examples: Incorrect pause Correct pauses Deloitte is proud to/ offer professionals the/ opportunity to/ participate in/ AHA walks and/ runs in/ certain locations as/ part of Team Deloitte. // Deloitte is proud to offer professionals/ the opportunity to participate/ in AHA walks and runs/ in certain locations/ as part of Team Deloitte. //

Tips:
Pause at the end of a thought group. A thought group generally ends in a content word. Avoid pausing after a structure word.

PRACTICE 17
Youve got mail!
Instructions: Work with the person sitting next to you and identify the ideas or groups of ideas expressed in this email. At the end of one idea, place a marker. Use a single slash (/) to mark end of a though group and double slash (//) to mark the end of a sentence. Dear Lakshmi It is a pleasure to be associated with Deloitte Consulting India Pvt Ltd I have been in the IT industry for 3 years and have worked extensively on challenging software engagements pertaining to various industries like healthcare retail telecommunications etc in big corporations like Infosys and IBM I graduated as a software engineer from IIT Delhi and later on pursued a long distance MBA course from Symbiosis Institute of Management located at Pune Apart from work I enjoy swimming and photography on weekends I have always been keen to learn about different cultures and currently I am learning French to enhance my language skills I am single but have a wonderful family of six people My dad mom two younger sisters and a brother living in New Delhi The firm has given me a great opportunity to explore my skill sets in this special project supervised from the US Hope my credentials add value to my initiatives in Deloitte Look forward to working with you and meeting you in person soon Regards Ramakant
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Guidelines for intonation

Intonation in declarative sentences
A declarative sentence simply states a fact or argument, states an idea, without requiring either an answer or action from the reader. It does not give a command or request, nor does it ask a question. Declarative statements follow a falling intonation pattern. E.g., It has four colors.

Intonation in WH-questions
These are questions that start with: who, what, when, where, why, and how. They require more than a yes or no answer. WH-questions follow a falling intonation pattern. E.g., Who designed it?

Intonation in Yes-No questions

These are questions that can be answered with a yes or a no. They usually start with words like: is, does, are, etc. Yes-No questions follow a rising intonation pattern. E.g., Is it small?

PRACTICE 18
Going to India
The following questions were posed to a professional who was going on an expatriate assignment. 1. Match the questions from the column on the left with appropriate responses from the column on the right. 2. Then, mark the intonation pattern for the sentencesrising or falling 3. With your partner, take turns asking and answering questions. 1. ____ 2. ____ 3. ____ 4. ____ 5. ____ 6. ____ 7. ____ 8. ____ 9. ____ 10. ____ Where are you from? Where are you moving to? Where does your family live? What time is your flight? How long will you have to wait for your connecting flight? How do you feel about your assignment in Hyderabad? Are you planning on breaking your journey in London? Have you got any friends there? How will you get there? Are you going to look for an apartment right away? a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j.

Not really, but my aunt lives in Bangalore. No, its too expensive. Im really excited. By air. Im going to stay a month or two at a hotel. They all live in Boston. To India. I grew up in Maine but I live in Chicago. Tomorrow afternoon. A few hours.

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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011 Adapted from M. Hewings, CUP: 2004.

Intonation in tag questions

Tag questions can be used in two ways. E.g., India won the world cup, didnt they? Use of tag question Elicit agreement Intonation Falling Notes As a question eliciting agreement where you request confirmation from the other person. It functions like a statement signaling certainty and uses a falling intonation. As a question eliciting a yes or no answer. They are like the YESNO questions we learned in the previous session and uses a rising intonation.

Elicit a yes or no answer

Rising

PRACTICE 19
Sure or Unsure
Read out the statements to your partner. Your partner has to mark whether you sounded sure or unsure. Statement You are coming for dinner, arent you? They asked her to do complete the report, didnt they? We should have a team meeting once every week , shouldnt we? Raymond wanted to go out, didnt he? Its very hot today, isnt it? You wanted to fight with her, didnt you? Raj has been on PTO for weeks, hasnt her? We have a new leadership team, dont we? Unsure Sure

Intonation in series
When there are items in a series, each item is said with a rising intonation with the last item said with a falling intonation. Example: So far, weve learned about intonation patterns in declarative statements , WH-questions, Yes-No questions, and tag questions.

Intonation in unfinished statements

Sometimes, statements may be unfinished where the speaker has left something unsaid or implied You will use a slight rise at the end of the unfinished statement. Example. I went to the cafeteria (but there was nothing left for lunch.) unsaid or implied statement
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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

PRACTICE 20
Instructions: Match the unfinished statements to the unsaid or implied statements. Then, practice using the correct intonation for each of the statements. Jacob met the manager He couldve bought the car Hes taken the day off Ria said she had submitted the report He wanted to go to a hill resort Reports indicate there could be another tsunami She said she had to work late Hes taken the club membership again but I think he went to the beach instead. but I dont believe her. but I dont think he met the staff. but I dont know if it will make a difference. but I dont think he did. ...but I think hes going to work from home anyway. but I couldnt find it. but Im not sure if I should believe every report.

PRACTICE 21
Which pattern?
Type of statement Tag questions (uncertain) Tag questions (certain) Items in a series Unfinished statements Intonation pattern ( or ) Type of statement Declarative Wh-questions Yes-No questions Intonation pattern ( or )

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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

PRACTICE 22
Activity 1: Question or Statement Read out the statements to your partner. Your partner has to mark whether he or she heard a question or statement. Statement Hes gone. You bought the tickets. You saw the movie last night. Its raining in New York . They are shopping today. John walked away. You called her. Activity 2: Sure or Unsure Read out the statements to your partner. Your partner has to mark whether you sounded sure or unsure. Unsure Sure Question Statement

Statement You are coming for dinner, arent you? They asked her to do complete the report, didnt they? We should have a team meeting once every week , shouldnt we? Raymond wanted to go out, didnt he? Its very hot today, isnt it? You wanted to fight with her, didnt you?

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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

PRACTICE 23
Instructions: 1. Mark appropriate intonation patterns for the conversation given below. 2. Practice the conversation with the person sitting next to you.

Jen

Hi Gavin, its Jen. Do you have a couple of minutes?

Gavin

Sure. Whats up?

Jen

I want to get your help with figuring out how to set up this booth for family day this Saturday.

Gavin

Werent you coordinating with Chris? He knows exactly what needs to be done.

Jen

Well, Chris is down with the flu. Would you be able to help out?

Gavin

I can guide you but could you get more people involved because it actually involves a lot of work.

Jen

Yeah, I suppose I could ask everyone in the team to pitch in. Cant you ask all these guys who sit around you to volunteer?

Gavin

Tell you what. Ill meet you in a couple of hours and well brainstorm together.

Jen

That sounds great. Thanks for your help.

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Intonation and Stress Basic | Participant guide Version 1.1 created: December 2011

About Deloitte Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and its member firms. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Copyright 2011 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. Member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited

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