INTONATION and it’s functions

Intonation
In linguistics, intonation is the variation of pitch when speaking.
Intonation and stress are two main elements of linguistic prosody (suprasegmental level of phonetics).
Intonation is a part of suprasegmental phonology.
Intonation helps to recognize the language that you hear in the same way as the melody of a song helps to recognize the song that you hear.

Key components of Intonation
Intonation is based on several key components:
Pitch,
Sentence stress,
Rhythm.

Pitch
Pitch is the degree of height of our voice in speech.
Normal speaking pitch is at midlevel.
Intonation is formed by certain pitch changes, characteristic of a given language.

Sentence stress
Sentence stress makes the utterance understandable to the listener by making the important words in the sentence stressed, clear and higher in pitch and by shortening and obscuring the unstressed words.
Sentence stress provides rhythm in connected speech.

An important feature of English intonation
is the use of an intonational accent (and extra stress) to mark the focus of a sentence. Normally this focus accent goes on the last major word of the sentence.

Functions of intonation
Attitudinal functions
Accentual functions
Grammatical functions
Discourse functions

ATTITUDINAL FUNCTIONS
Allow us to express emotions: finality, confidence, interest, surprise, doubt, joy, pain, irony, etc.

ACCENTUAL FUNCTIONS
When it is said that intonation has accentual function, it implies that the placement of stress is somewhat determined by intonation.

GRAMMATICAL FUNCTIONS
The listener is better able to recognize the grammar and syntax structure of what is being said by using the information contained in the intonation. For example such things as:
A - The placement of boundaries between phrases, clauses and sentences.
B - The difference between questions and statements.

THE DISCOURSE FUNCTIONS OF INTONATION
Intonation can signal to the listener what is to be taken as “new” information and what is already “given”.
It can indicate when the speaker is indicating some sort of contrast or link with material in another tone unit.
In conversation it can convey to the listener what kind of response is being expected from him.

Types of English intonation
In general, linguists distinguish several main types of English intonation. The two basic types are:
falling intonation
rising intonation
Other main types of intonation include:
high fall, low fall, fall-rise, high rise, midlevel rise, low rise.

Falling Intonation
Falling intonation is the most common type of standard unemphatic intonation in English.
It is used for asking and giving information in normal, quiet, unemphatic style.
Sounds more categorical, confident and convincing than rising intonation.
Standard falling intonation in English falls stronger and deeper than standard falling intonation in Russian.

Standard patterns
Falling intonation is used on the last stressed syllable of the sentence in:
Statements (declarative sentences): We live in \MOScow. He doesn’t have a \CAR.
Special questions: Where do you \LIVE?
Commands (imperative sentences): \STOP it! Sit \DOWN.
Exclamatory sentences: What a wonderful sur\PRISE!
The last part of alternative questions (after “or”): Do you want /TEA or \COFfee?
Tag questions (When we the speaker is sure that the answer will be “yes”): You \LIVE here, \DON’T you? (The speaker is sure and expects the answer “yes”.)

Rising Intonation
Rising intonation in English is a pretty complicated phenomenon.
It can express a number of various emotions, such as: non-finality, surprise, doubt, interest, politeness, lack of confidence.
Rising intonation in English is very different from rising intonation in Russian.
Standard rising intonation in English first goes down a little and then up, and doesn’t go as high as the rise in Russian does.

Standard patterns
Rising intonation is used in:
General questions: Was she glad to /SEE him?
Dependent or introductory parts of sentences: If he /CALLS, ask him to \COME.
The first part of alternative questions (before “or”): Would you like an /APple or a \PEAR?
Direct address: /SIR, you dropped your \NOTEbook.
Enumerating items in a list: She bought / bread, / cheese and to\MAtoes.
Tag questions (When we the speaker is not sure that the answer will be “yes” or wants your oppinion): It’s a beautiful \TOWN, /ISN’T it? (The speaker thinks that the town is beautiful but asks for your opinion and confirmation.)

Change of standard patterns

Intonation in Russian language
In Russian language intonation helps to distinguish the meaning of the phrase.
Intonation can be either ascending or descending.
The rise or lowering of intonation occurs on the accented word syllable which is the most important by meaning. Such a word is called the intonational centre.