4.3 Declarative questions

In English – unlike Spanish or Greek, for example – yes-no questions usually have a special interrogative grammatical form, involving the inversion of the subject and the verb. However we do also sometimes use declarative questions, which are grammatically like statements. They can be identified as questions only by their intonation or by the pragmatics of the situation where they are used. They are usually said with a rise: a yes-no rise.

• You’ll be coming to dinner? (= Are you coming to dinner?)

• He took his passport? (= Did he take his passport?)

• You think I’m crazy? (= Do you think I’m crazy?)

Sometimes they are said with a fall-rise:

You didn’t go and tell him? (= Does that mean that you told him?)

and sometimes, confusingly, with a fall:

• So we’ll be free by six, then? (= Do you mean we’ll be free by six?)

• You mean he didn’t turn up?

It can be difficult for the hearer to know whether a question or a statement is intended, particularly when a falling tone is used:

• So there were three of them.

• Are you asking me or telling me?

4.4 Uptalk

Since about 1980 a new use of rising tone on statements has started to be heard in English. It is used under circumstances in which a fall would have been used by an earlier generation (and a fall is still felt to be more appropriate by most native speakers of English).

(i) Hi. I’m Cathy Pomeroy. I’m a customer service agent.

(ii) Hi. I’m Cathy Pomeroy. I’m a customer service agent.

The traditional intonation pattern, with a definitive fall, is (i). The new pattern is (ii). It has been variously referred to as the high rising terminal (HRT), upspeak and uptalk. It is speculated that it originated in New Zealand, though other claimed source are Australia, California and British regional accents.

To older people who do not use it the uptalk pattern sounds like a pardon-question rise. It is as if the uptalker is asking a question, checking whether something is the case or not, rather than giving information. In example (ii) it is as if the speaker were not sure of her identity, or felt she could not assert it. But the pragmatic context calls not for checking or querying, but for assertion of something the speaker certainly knows. Hence to non-uptalkers it feels like an inappropriate choice of tone. Here are some examples overhead during 2004-5. In each case the author would have used a fall where he heard a young speaker actually use a rise.

• It’d be safer if you stayed with friends for a couple of days.

• There was this girl who lived like three doors down from me.

• We’re working people, but our pay doesn’t reflect that.

• It might be over there by the fence.

• Sorry. I just wanted to use the phone.

• - What do you feel about his criticism?

- It can be quite harsh sometimes.

• - Where are you working?

- I’m in an office in Princess Hall.

• - How do you find out about the arrangements?

- Emails and posters.

The journalist Matt Seaton (2001) claims that his six-year-old Londoner daughter returned from an American summer camp and reported as follows: Well, we went canoeing on the lake? Which was, like, really really fun? And then we had storytelling in the barn? And we all had to tell a story about, like, where we’re from or our family or something? The question marks, of course, indicate the to him unexpected rise tone.

What should the learner of EFL do about uptalk?

• If you were born before about 1980, do not use uptalk.

• If you were born later, you can imitate its use by native speakers: but do not overdo it. Uptalk is never essential. Bear in mind that using uptalk may annoy older people listening to you.