It’s summer

3. The pre-head (предшкала), the first unstressed syllable, which is not so much important. The first unstressed syllable. We can distinguish low pre-head anв high pre-head.

Will you do me a favour? low pre-head

With pleasure mid pre-head

I don’t know high pre-head

4. The head (шкала) in English is a flexible segment. It stretches from the first stress syllable up to the nuclear tone. Head patterns are classified into 3 major groups: descending, ascending and level (ровная). In descending heads the voice usually moves down from a medium or high pitch level to the low one. Descending heads may be of different types, but normally we use the falling head, when the stressed syllables move down by steps, and unstressed syllables fall down continuing the descending direction. In ascending heads the voice moves up by steps and the unstressed syllables continue the rise. In level heads all the syllables are pronounced on more or less the same notes of a pitch levels. If they happen to be on a high level, the head is called the high level head. If the syllables are pronounced on the medium pitch level, the head is called the mid level head. And stressed syllables are pronounced on the low level constitute the low level head.

It’s of interesting to mention that the parts of the intonation pattern can be combined in different ways and these combinations can express different meanings. The phrase (not at all) can be pronounced differently. 1. The attitude is reserved and calm (high level head; low fall). 2. The meaning is a sort of surprise (high level head; high fall). 3. It sounds encouraging and very friendly (high level head; low rise). 4. It may sound either protesting or very intensely encouraging (high level head; fall rise).

Normally the intonation group has a communicative centre, which conveys the most important part of intonation. The number of communicative centres (or the number of nuclear tones) may affect the meaning of the sentence.

1. Do you want to go to the theatre or to the cinema? – it’s an alternative question, cause here we have 2 intonation groups, two nuclear tones and choice is meant. (low rise & low fall)

2. Do you want to go to the theatre or to the cinema? – it’s a general question, because here we have only one intonation group, one nuclear tone, the meaning is a bit different (Would you like to go out?) (low rise only)

Nuclear tones which indicate the number of intonation groups may affect the meaning of the sentence.

My sister who lives in London has just arrived. – if we pronounce the sentence with two intonation groups it means that one of the sisters, who lives in London, has just arrived; but if we pronounce it with 3 intonation groups it means that it is the only sister, who is meant.

Besides, the opposition of the placement of the nuclear tone seems to be distinctive.

I saw my friend yesterday.

Thus, if two sentences of the same grammatical structure and the same lexical composition differ in intonation only, we may say that it is a minimal pair of sentences, but when the meaning is changed by means of intonation only, we can say that intonation fulfils a distinctive function.

Why? – not much interest is shown (low fall)

Why? – you seem to be interested in the subject (low rise)

Why? – you seem to be worried, much concern and surprise is implied (high fall)

Intonation is the most powerful means of communication. One of the aims of communication is the exchange of information. That’s why we shall consider the communicative function the main function of intonation, and it’s realized in various ways. It serves to indicate the type of the sentence (command/ order or the request). Intonation conveys connotational meanings and attitudes such as surprise, annoyance, enthusiasm, anger. There is no general agreement about the number or the headings of the functions of intonation. Again we can speak about the difference in the approach to the subject matter by some prominent phoneticians. Since intonation is a powerful means of the communication it is impossible to divorce any function of intonation from them of the communication. Among other functions, serving the purpose of communication we can speak of the constitutive function (the aim - to constitute a meaningful utterance from a meaningless collection of words). Each sentence consists of one or more intonation groups. An intonation group is a word or a group of words characterized by a certain intonation pattern. Distinctive function (the intonation serve to distinguish the actual meaning of a sentence, speaker’s emotions and attitudes towards the content; it also serves to distinguish communicative types of sentences). It is the most important function.

1. Syntactically distinctive – when the intonation pattern differentiates the communicative type of the sentence

2. Attitudinally distinctive (эмоционально-дифференцирующая) – we show our attitude to the situation.

Recognitive function. It consists in the use of the right tone in the right situation