Accentual function

B) Tones

There is another aspect of intonation which used to be referred to as syntactical because basic tones are generally associated with certain syntactical ("communicative") types of sentences. The falling tone is most common in statements, special questions, commands and exclamations. The rising tone is common in non-final parts of statements, in general questions, requests and warnings. Apart from these most neutral, basic, non-emphatic types of sentences there are statements pronounced with a rise and yes-no questions pronounced with a fall. The choice of the tone is attributed today to the pragmatic function of intonation which means that it depends on the speaker's pragmatic aim. For example, one can use the statement as a request for information, as in:

You're 'coming? 'Friends of у ours? You are ^staying 'here?

Or turn the command into a polite request:

'Come and,help me. 'Don't 'talk to me like Jthat. 'Say 'hi to Julian.

Similarly, an apology (a) may be differentiated from asking to repeat (b):

a) Tm ''sorry.

b) Tm 'sorry.

This function depends on the position of primary and secondary stresses (accents) in the intonation group. Intonation highlights the most important information in the utterance which helps to distinguish new and old, topic and comment, ground and figure, theme and rheme. Normally, there are two major positions, the initial position (the first accented syllable in the intonation group) and the final one (the last accented syllable, the so-called "nucleus") which facilitate focusing attention, the second being more prominent than the first one thanks to a more varied pitch change and final lengthening. Ideally, the first one is the theme, i.e. what the utterance is about (topic, ground), while the second is the rheme, i.e. what is said about the theme (comment, figure). The basic distinction is obviously a cognitive one, expressed in the intonation form. In most cases (80%) the last accented syllable (and, therefore, the word) is most prominent in English, and this location is viewed as the basic, neutral, "unmarked" case.

'This is Mark 'Darcy.//" Mark's a top 'barrister.// You were Jour/ and I was ''eight//. You do the 'boats,/Г11 do the 'tea//.

In actual speech, especially in conversation, however, the theme/rheme positions may be reversed or the theme may disappear. Still the higher accent goes to the rheme, the lower to the theme, regardless of order (Bolinger 1998:52). In this "marked" case the rheme acquires special prominence because of its unusual position. Many authors call this special prominence contrast or emphasis. The rheme is generally said to be characterized by a falling or rising-falling pitch pattern regardless of its position in the statement; and by a rising pitch pattern in questions.

Harrington's the 'THIRD one. The 'THIRD one is Harrington's.

Have you spoken to my 'Dad?

Does it "FIT? - Yes, it 'FITS, but it isn't very 'PRETTY. - This *PINK one's'VERYpretty.- But if s a bit'BIG. -Well, this'SILK one isn't \,BIG.

Linguists claim that the focus is normally on the least predictable (from the situation) word, though some cases are still rather controversial, such as:

The 'coat's on fire. The 'door was open. Your 'uncle died.

The point of the argument is: why is it the noun and not the verb which is accented, i.e. brought into focus, when you are breaking the news? (Compare the Russian warnings: 'Поезд идет! 'Мама идет! 'Едут!)\

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