Audio illustrations

Unit 6

Beyond the Segment: Stress and Intonation

AI 6.1. Stress in polysyllables.

Unit 6 – Exercise 1

Stress notation. Listen and repeat the following two-, three- and four-syllabled words. Note down where the stress is, using the diachritic ˈ before the stressed syllable.

2-syllabled again bacon behave bible discuss
3-syllabled attractive photograph consider persistent library
4-syllabled contradicting dictionary directory photographic insoluble
5-syllabled etymology vocabulary pronunciation electricity assimilation

2-syllabled aˈgain ˈbacon beˈhave ˈbible disˈcuss
3-syllabled aˈttractive ˈphotograph conˈsider perˈsistent ˈlibrary
4-syllabled contraˈdicting ˈdictionary diˈrectory photoˈgraphic inˈsoluble
5-syllabled etyˈmology voˈcabulary pronunˈciation elecˈtricity assimiˈlation

AI 6.2. Variable stress.

Unit 6 – Exercise 2

Stress notation patterns. Identification. When you hear the number, pronounce the word and note down where the stress is, using the diachritic ˈ before the stressed syllable. Then listen and repeat carefully.

1. banana 2. project 3. police 4. unpack 5. national
6. apple 7. photography 8. identify 9. pyramid 10. nation
11. prefer 12. conference 13. winter 14. suburban 15. vegetable
16. pronunciation 17. laboratory 18. alone 19. private 20. sorry

1. baˈnana 2. ˈproject 3. poˈlice 4. unˈpack 5. ˈnational
6. ˈapple 7. phoˈtography 8. iˈdentify 9. ˈpyramid 10. ˈnation
11. preˈfer 12. ˈconference 13. ˈwinter 14. subˈurban 15. ˈvegetable
16. pronunˈciation 17. ˈlaboratory 18. aˈlone 19. ˈprivate 20. ˈsorry

AI 6.3. Suffixes which do not affect the pronunciation of the stem.

Unit 6 – Exercise 4

Suffixes which do not affect the pronunciation of the stem. Production. When you hear the stem, pronounce the inflected word (note that there may be a change in the quality of the vowel). Then, listen and repeat carefully.

1. laughable 2. carriage 3. natural 4. currency 5. christen
6. gardener 7. beautiful 8. apologise 9. finalist 10. compassionless

AI 6.4. Stress shifting suffixes.

Unit 6 – Exercise 5

Stress-shifting suffixes. Production. When you hear the stem, pronounce the inflected word. Then, listen and repeat carefully.

1. advantageous 2. cinematography 3. adverbial 4. Canadian 5. alcoholic
6. medicinal 7. conception 8. laborious 9. acidity 10. particular

AI 6.5. Stress carrying suffixes.

Unit 6 – Exercise 6

Stress-carrying suffixes. Production. When you hear the stem, pronounce the inflected word. Then, listen and repeat carefully.

1. lemonade 2. dogmatic 3. circulation 4. refugee 5. mountaineer
6. instrumental 7. residential 8. Bolognese 9. propriety 10. herself

AI 6.6. Prosodic stress.

Unit 6 – Exercise 9

Read the following passage aloud, paying special attention to lexical words, carrying primary stress, and grammatical words, which lose it, as marked. Listen first.

GWe Gshall Ldisˈtinguish Lphoˈnetics Gfrom Lphoˈnology Gfor Lmethodoˈlogical Lˈreasons Gand Gbecause Git Lˈseems Lˈtrue Gthat Lphoˈnetics Gcan Gbe Lˈstudied Gwithout Lˈever Lˈreally ˈgoing Ginto Lphoˈnology, Gwhile Lphoˈnology Gis Lˈclosely Ldeˈpendent Gon Lphoˈnetics Gfor Gthe Lˈdata Gon Gwhich Git Lreˈlies Gto Lpurˈsue Gits Lˈarguments.

AI 6.7. Falling tones.

Unit 6 – Exercise 12

Listen and repeat. Listen to the following utterances and repeat them with the tone indicated:

Part 1: monosyllables:

Fall \ yes \ blue \ now \ four \ so \ me \ Tom \ please \ good \ then
Rise / yes / blue / now / four / so / me / Tom / please / good / then
Fall-Rise \/ yes \/ blue \/ now \/ four \/ so \/ me \/ Tom \/ please \/ good \/ then
Rise-Fall /\ yes /\ blue /\ now /\ four /\ so /\ me /\ Tom /\ please /\ good /\ then
Level -- yes -- blue -- now -- four -- so -- me -- Tom -- please -- good -- then

Part 2: polysyllables:

Fall \ absolutely \ answered \ never \ with them \ exactly
Rise / absolutely / answered / never / with them / exactly
Fall-Rise \/ absolutely \/ answered \/ never \/ with them \/ exactly
Rise-Fall /\ absolutely /\ answered /\ never /\ with them /\ exactly
Level -- absolutely -- answered -- never -- with them -- exactly

AI 6.8. Attitudinal function of intonation.

Unit 6 – Exercise 18

Attitudinal function of intonation in context. Pronounce the utterances in Column B as indicated. Listen and repeat carefully. Explain the attitude expressed.

1. A: They will be arriving tomorrow. B: / Tomorrow
2. A: When are they coming?. B: \ Tomorrow
3. A: Is that school cheap or expensive? B: \/ Cheap
4. A: You know, they married in secret B: \/ Never
5. A: Did I tell you about my job? B: \ No
6. A: Did I tell you about my job?. B: / No?
7. A: Did I tell you about my job? B: /\ No
8. A: Did I tell you about my job?. B: \/ No
9. A: Did I tell you about my job? B: /\ No
10. A: John’s coming tomorrow! B: / Really

  1. B: / Tomorrow. A rise is generally understood as a prompt for conversation to continue or to mean that there is something else to follow.
  2. B: \ Tomorrow. A fall is considered a neutral tone, denoting a sense of conclusiveness.
  3. B: \/ Cheap. A fall-rise conveys a sense of hesitation or reservation.
  4. B: \/ Never! Same as number 3.
  5. B: \ No. Same as number 2.
  6. B: / No? Same as number 1.
  7. B: /\ No. The connotations of a rise-fall are those of the expression of strong feelings, such as surprise, doubt and (dis-)approval.
  8. B: \/ No. Same as number 3.
  9. B: /\ No. Same as number 7.
  10. B: \ Really. Same as number 2.

AI 6.9. Accentual function of intonation.

Unit 6 – Exercise 16

Accentual function of intonation. Place the nuclear stress on all the possible words in the following utterances. Then, listen and repeat. Listen to the example:

Example:

  1. I only bought one carton of milk
  2. I only bought one carton of milk
  3. I only bought one carton of milk
  4. I only bought one carton of milk
  5. I only bought one carton of milk
  6. I only bought one carton of milk
  1. I’m not driving to the station
  2. They will buy the microwave next week
  3. When’s he playing?

AI 6.10. Grammatical function of intonation.

Unit 6 – Exercise 17

Grammatical function of intonation. Identification. Pronounce each of the following utterances in two different ways (i.e. placing the intonation boundary at a different place), so that different syntactic structures are illustrated. No punctuation marks are given. Listen to the example.

Example

My friends ∣ who live in Lancaster ∣ arrived yesterday.

My friends who live in Lancaster ∣ ∣ arrived yesterday

  1. The boy and the girl in blue are my students
  2. They called John a doctor
  3. I saw Mary Salome Mary’s sister and Miriam
  4. This is my friend Ann
  5. The children who fell suddenly got up
  6. You know I haven’t finished
  7. Tell the children to finish more quickly
  8. He’s leaving Susan
  9. They stopped to read the minutes
  10. The firefighters who behaved bravely were rewarded
  11. Mary my neighbour will come round this evening
  12. A woman without her man is nothing

1. The boy and the girl in blue ∣ are my students∣∣
The boy ∣ and the girl in blue ∣ are my students∣∣
2. They called John a doctor∣∣
They called John ∣ a doctor∣∣
3. I saw Mary ∣ Salome Mary’s sister ∣ and Miriam∣∣
I saw Mary ∣ Salome ∣ Mary’s sister ∣ and Miriam∣∣
4. This is my friend Ann∣∣
This is my friend ∣ Ann∣∣
5. The children who fell suddenly ∣ got up∣ ∣
TThe children ∣ who fell suddenly ∣ got up∣ ∣
6. You know I haven’t finished∣ ∣
You know ∣ I haven’t finished∣∣
7. Tell the children to finish more quickly∣ ∣
YTell the children ∣ to finish more quickly∣ ∣
8. He’s leaving Susan∣ ∣
He’s leaving ∣ Susan∣ ∣
9. They stopped to read the minutes∣ ∣
They stopped ∣ to read the minutes∣ ∣
10. The firefighters who behaved bravely ∣ were rewarded ∣ ∣
The firefighters ∣ who behaved bravely ∣ were rewarded
11. Mary ∣ my neighbour will come round this evening∣∣
Mary ∣ my neighbour ∣ will come round this evening∣ ∣
12. A woman without her man ∣ is nothing∣ ∣
A woman ∣ without her ∣ man is nothing∣ ∣

AI 6.11. Discourse function of intonation.

Unit 6 – Exercise 20

Discourse function of intonation. Listen and repeat the following utterances with falling intonation (no punctuation is given).

  1. Open your books
  2. Where is the concert
  3. We’re going to France in the summer
  4. What a good idea
  5. What’s your name

Unit 6 – Exercise 22

Discourse function of intonation. Listen and repeat the following utterances with rising intonation (no punctuation is given).

  1. Do you like tea
  2. When I saw you I couldn’t believe it
  3. Wait a second
  4. When’s he coming
  5. Can you swim

AI 6.12. Tag questions.

Unit 6 – Exercise 26

Tag-questions. Pronounce the tag-questions following, according to the information indicated. Then, listen and repeat.

  1. John’s coming to the party, \ isn’t he? (confirmation)
  2. They’re staying at home, \ aren’t they? (confirmation)
  3. My aunt hasn’t been out recently, \ has she? (confirmation)
  4. The money won’t be found, \ will it? (confirmation)
  5. She can’t change it now, / can she? (true question)
  6. Be quiet, / will you? (softening)
  7. Be quiet, / won’t you? (insistent)
  8. A: Mary’s taking her driving test. B: / is she? (inviting; surprise)
  9. A: Mary’s taking her driving test. B: /\ is she? (lack of interest)
  10. A: Mary’s taking her driving test. B: is she? / (expressing doubt)
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Second revised edition

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