Lpe2403 Lecture Notes - Unit 1 (Week 1 - 2)

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LPE2403 ACADEMIC INTERACTION AND PRESENTATION

UNIT 1
SPEAKING ACCURATELY
UNIT 1: SPEAKING ACCURATELY

Overview
1. In this unit, you will learn the English sound system, syllable stress, sentence stress
and intonation in conveying meaning and achieving clarity in your speech.

2. The topics included in this lecture notes are:

a. The English Sound System


i. Consonants
ii. Vowels
iii. Diphthongs
b. Correct pronunciation of commonly used words in discussions
c. Word Contractions
d. Syllable Stress
e. Sentence stress
f. Intonation

Objectives
At the end of this unit, you will be able to:
1. produce the correct sounds of words using the phonetic symbols (IPA),
2. use correct syllable stress and sentence stress,
3. use intonation effectively to achieve clarity in speaking.

1
Week 1 - The English Sound System

Pre-activity
Read aloud the following poem. Then listen carefully to your teacher reading the poem by
paying attention to the sounds of words in the poem. Answer the questions that follow.

Hint on Pronunciation for Foreigners

I take it you already know,


Of tough and bough and cough and dough?
Others may stumble but not you,
On hiccough, thorough, laugh and through.
Well done! And now you wish perhaps,
To learn of a less familiar trap?

Beware of heard, a dreadful word,


That looks like beard and sounds like bird,
And dead: it’s said like bed, not bead-
For goodness’ sake don’t call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat,
They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.

A moth is not a moth in mother,


Not both in bother, broth in brother.
And here is not a match for there
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear.
And then there’s dose and rose and lose-
Just look them up – goes and choose.
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword.
And do and go and thwart and cart-
Come, come, I’ve hardly made a start!
A dreadful language? Man alive,
I’d mastered it when I was five.

(Written by an anonymous poet)

Retrieved from: https://www.smart-words.org/pronunciation-poem-1.html

1. After reading the poem, what can you say about the sounds of words in English?

2. In your opinion, is it important to speak with correct pronunciation? Why?

3. Suggest some ways on how you can improve your pronunciation.

2
In English, the sound of a word is not determined by its spelling. This may create problems
to English language learners in pronouncing words. To standardise the sounds of words in
the English language, the phonetic symbols in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) are
used. The IPA is a system where a symbol is associated with a particular sound. The use of
symbols to represent the sounds of words is called phonetic transcription. Slashes (/ /) are
used with phonetic transcriptions to indicate the sound of the symbols. By using the IPA
symbols, you are able to know exactly how to pronounce any word in English.

Generally, the sounds can be categorised into three classes which are:
1. consonant
2. vowel
3. diphthong

Consonant sounds
There are twenty-four consonant sounds in the English language. These are shown in the
table below.
Table 1

No. Sound Word

1. /p/ /pen/ pen /kæp/ cap

2. /b/ /bæɡ/ bag /rɒb/ rob

3. /t/ /tʌn/ ton /fɪt/ fit

4. /d/ /dʌk/ duck /fiːd/ feed

5. /k/ /kʊk/ cook /dɑːk/ dark

6. /g/ /ɡɜːl/ girl /flæɡ/ flag

7. /ʈʃ/ /tʃuːz/ choose /wɒtʃ/ watch

8. /dʒ/ /dʒɔɪ/ joy /eɪdʒ/ age

9. /f/ /fʊl/ full /biːf/ beef

10. /v/ /vest/ vest /lɪv/ live

11. /θ/ /θɪŋk/ think /feɪθ/ faith

12. /ð/ /ðəʊz/ those /ˈfɑːðə(r)/ father

13. /s/ /skweə(r)/ square /ˈsaɪləns/ silence

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14. /z/ /zɪp/ zip /nəʊz/ nose

15. /ʃ/ /ʃɜːt/ shirt /rʌʃ/ rush

16. /ʒ/ /ˈʒɒnrə/ genre /ˈvɪʒ.u.əl/ visual

17. /h/ /haɪ/ high /help/ help

18. /m/ /ˈmʌðər/ mother /hɑːm/ harm

19. /n/ /nəʊ/ know /tɜːn/ turn

20. /ŋ/ /lɒŋ/ long /ˈmɔː.nɪŋ/ morning


21. /l/ /liːp/ leap /bɔɪl/ boil

22. /j/ /ˈjel.əʊ/ yellow /ˈjuː.ʒu.əl/ usual

23. /w/ /wɑ:l/ wall /əˈweɪ/ away

24. /r/ /rəʊd/ road /ˈeɪprəl/ April

Activity 1
Use the online dictionary https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/ to transcribe the
following words. Refer to Table 1. Underline and make the consonant sounds in each
transcription. Then practise saying the sound of each word correctly.

E.g. sip - /s ɪ p/ zip - /z ɪ p/

1. pin 11. run

2. king 12. rest

3. they 13. tame

4. yellow 14. green

5. toy 15. chamber

6. tough 16. sea

7. copy 17. light

8. thrill 18. zest

9. blood 19. death

10. cruel 20. wrist

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Vowel Sounds

There are twelve vowel sounds in English which can be divided into two categories:
1. short vowel
2. long vowel

The symbol ( : ) indicates that the vowels are long. The sound of a long vowel is slightly
longer.

The list of vowel sounds is shown in the table below.

Table 2

No. Sound Word


1. /ɪ/ /tʃɪp/ chip /sɪt/ sit

2. /i:/ /tʃi:p/ cheap /si:t/ seat

3. /e/ /send/ send /pet/ pet

4. /æ/ /sænd/ sand /pæt/ pat


5. /ʌ/ /sʌn/ sun /pʌk/ puck

6. /ɑ: / /hɑ:d/ hard /pɑ:k/ park


7. /ʊ/ /fʊl/ full /pʊl/ pull

8. /u:/ /fu:l/ fool /pu:l/ pool


9. /ɒ/ /spɒt/ spot /pɒt/ pot
10. /ɔ:/ /spɔ:t/ sport /pɔ:t/ port

11. /ə/ /əˈlaɪv/ alive /ˈrʌbə(r)/ rubber

12. /ɜ:/ /nɜ:s/ nurse /bɜ:st/ burst

Activity 2
Refer to Table 2. Underline and make the vowel sounds in the phonetic transcriptions
below. Then practise saying the sound of each word correctly.

E.g. sip - /s ɪ p/ zip - /z ɪ p/

1. meat /miːt/ 6. want /wɒnt/


2. away /əˈweɪ/ 7. gel /dʒel/
3. put /pʊt/ 8. met /met/
4. bored /bɔːd/ 9. lot /lɒt/
5. bird /bɜːd/ 10. bit /bɪt/

5
Diphthong Sounds

A diphthong refers to the combination of two adjacent vowel sounds occurring in the same
syllable of a word. The combination of the two sounds gives a unique vowel sound. Table 3
shows the sounds of diphthongs.

Table 3

No. Sound Word

1. /eɪ/ /feɪs/ face /reɪn/ rain


2. /aɪ/ /praɪd/ pride /naɪt/ knight

3. /ɔɪ/ /dʒɔɪ/ joy /kɔɪl/ coil


4. /əʊ/ /əˈləʊn/ alone /stəʊn/ stone

5. /ɪə/ /fɪə(r)/ fear /dɪə(r)/ dear

6. /eə/ /steə(r)/ stair /peər/ pear

7. /ʊə/ /ɪnˈdjʊə(r)/endure /kjʊə(r)/ cure


8. /aʊ/ /taʊn/ town /aʊt/ out

Activity 3
Use an online dictionary (https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/) to transcribe the
following words. Refer to Table 3. Underline and make the diphthong sounds in each
transcription. Then practise saying the sound of each word correctly.

E.g. avoid - / əˈvɔɪd / inspire - / ɪnˈspaɪə(r) /

1. boat - 7. fear -

2. bear - 8. avoid -

3. buy- 9. found -

4. bay - 10. stare -

5. point - 11. wait -

6. cow - 12. might -

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Phonetic Symbols: Further practices

Activity 4

Refer to Table 1, 2 and 3. Practise saying the following words with correct pronunciation.

Consonants

/p/ /b/ /t/ /d/

pin /pɪn/ bin /bɪn/ tore /tɔː(r)/ door /dɔː(r)/


cap /kæp/ bear /beə(r)/ tart /tɑːt/ dart /dɑːt/
pup /pʌp/ pub /pʌb/ train /treɪn/ drain /dreɪn/

/k/ /g/ /v/ /w/

cold /kəʊld/ gold /ɡəʊld/ very /ˈveri/ wary /ˈweəri/


back /bæk/ bag /bæɡ/ vary /ˈveəri/ wavy /ˈweɪvi/
kill /kɪl/ grill /ɡrɪl/ van /væn/ weary /ˈwɪəri/

/s/ /z/ /ʒ/ /dʒ/

face /feɪs/ phase /feɪz/ pleasure /ˈpleʒə(r)/ jab /dʒæb/


race /reɪs/ rise /raɪz/ leisure /ˈleʒə(r)/ large /lɑːdʒ/
price /praɪs/ prize /praɪz/ television /ˈtelɪvɪʒn/ damage /ˈdæmɪdʒ/

/ʃ/ /ʈʃ/ /ð/ /θ/

shop /ʃɒp/ chop /tʃɒp/ neither /ˈnaɪðə(r)/ thin /θɪn/


shoe /ʃuː/ chew /tʃuː/ feather /ˈfeðə(r)/ wrath /rɒθ/
mush /mʌʃ/ munch /mʌntʃ/ that /ðæt/ faith /feɪθ/

/l/ /r/ /f/ /j/

leech /liːtʃ/ reach /riːtʃ/ fern /fɜːn/ yam /jæm/


lamp /læmp/ ramp /ræmp/ friend /frend/ yellow /ˈjeləʊ/
letter /ˈletə(r)/ rattle /ˈrætl/ wife /waɪf/ yet /jet/

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/m/ /n/ /ŋ/ /h/

money /ˈmʌni/ now /naʊ/ ring /rɪŋ/ hatch /hætʃ/


roam /rəʊm/ bin /bɪn/ spring /sprɪŋ/ hut /hʌt/
mine /maɪn/ certain /ˈsɜːtn/ finger /ˈfɪŋɡə(r)/ heap /hiːp/

Vowels

/ɪ/ /i:/ /e/ /æ/

fill /fɪl/ feel /fiːl/ pencil /ˈpensl/ passage /ˈpæsɪdʒ/


still /stɪl/ steal /stiːl/ help /help/ carriage /ˈkærɪdʒ/
pit /pɪt/ peat /piːt/ expensive /ɪkˈspensɪv/ landlord /ˈlændlɔːd/

/ʌ/ /ɑ:/ /ʊ/ /u:/

but /bʌt/ bark /bɑːk/ soot /sʊt/ suit /suːt/


puck /pʌk/ park /pɑːk/ full /fʊl/ fool /fuːl/
luck /lʌk/ lark /lɑːk/ wool /wʊl/ food /fuːd/

/ɒ/ /ɔ:/ /ə/ /ɜ:/

wash /wɒʃ/ wore /wɔː(r)/ salad /ˈsæləd/ bird /bɜːd/


watch /wɒtʃ/ walk /wɔːk/ ago /əˈɡəʊ early /ˈɜːli/
pot /pɒt/ pause /pɔːz/ thorough /ˈθʌrə/ alert /əˈlɜːt/

Diphthongs

/eɪ/ /aɪ/ /ɔɪ/ /əʊ/

late /leɪt/ lie /laɪ/ toy /tɔɪ/ bone /bəʊn/


race /reɪs/ tight /taɪt/ boil /bɔɪl/ bowl /bəʊl/
paste /peɪst/ thigh /θaɪ/ coil /kɔɪl/ low /ləʊ/

/ɪə/ /eə/ /ʊə/ /aʊ/

deer /dɪə(r)/ mare /meə(r)/ mature /məˈtʃʊə(r)/ down /daʊn/


fierce /fɪəs/ dare /deə(r)/ manure /məˈnjʊə(r)/ loud /laʊd/
rear /rɪə(r)/ chair /tʃeə(r)/ security /sɪˈkjʊərəti/ found /faʊnd/

8
Correct Pronunciation of Commonly Used Words in Discussions
Below are some of the common words used in discussions. Pronounce the words correctly
by referring to the phonetic symbols in Table 1, 2 and 3. You can check your pronunciation
using the online dictionary https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/.

Sentence Pronunciation
My honest opinion would be… /ˈɒnɪst/
Let me initiate the discussion. /ɪˈnɪʃieɪt/
Before we end our discussion, we need to summarise all the important /ˈsʌməraɪz/
points in the discussion.
Please allow me to finish my points first. /əˈlaʊ/
Ravi, I think the information that you quote on health is interesting. /ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃn/
I think Farrah feels that… /θɪŋk/
I think that you are absolutely right. /ˈæbsəluːtli/
There is no doubt that your point is correct. /daʊt/
/kəˈrekt/
Sorry to interrupt, but… /ˌɪntəˈrʌpt/

Activity 5
Below are some commonly used words in a group discussion. Fill in the table below with the
correct answer.

No. Words Phonetic Transcriptions

1. clarify

2. convince

3. perspective

4. consider

5. contradict

6. /ˌrekəˈmend/

7. /kənˈkluːd/

8. /əˈpəʊz/

9. /səˈdʒest/

10. /ˌɪn ˈdepθ/

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Activity 6

Below are 15 words that are usually mispronounced by students. Refer to the online
dictionary and write the correct phonetic transcriptions. Then pronounce the words correctly.

E.g. graduate /ˈɡrædʒuət/

1. debt

2. audio

3. comfortable

4. colleague

5. collect

6. college

7. headache

8. individual

9. men

10. archive

11. pressure

12. schedule

13. though

14. niche

15. gauge

10
Word Contractions

In everyday conversation, we use contractions to sound more casual. In speaking, when we


use contractions, we will omit or shorten the word by dropping one or more letters. Not every
word can be shortened and replaced with a contraction.

Below are the common English words that can be replaced with contractions:

am would
are have
is has
will had

Pronunciation rules for contractions

Pronunciation for ‘am’ and ‘will’.

Word Pronunciation
I’m /aɪm/
I’ll /aɪl/
He’ll /hiːl/
She’ll /ʃil/
They’ll /ðeɪl/

Pronunciation for ‘would’, ‘have’ and ‘had’.

If the sound before the contraction is vowel, the contraction of have is pronounced /v/ while
would and had are pronounced /d/.

Word Pronunciation
I’ve /aɪv/
We’ve /wiːv/
They’ve /ðeɪv/
I’d /aɪd/
She’d /ʃiːd/

After a consonant, have is pronounced /əv/ while had and would are pronounced /əd/.

Word Pronunciation
could’ve /’kʊdəv/
would’ve /wʊdəv/
might’ve /’maɪtəv/
it’d /’ɪtəd/

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Pronunciation for ‘is’ and ‘has’

The contractions for is and has are pronounced /z/.

Word Pronunciation
he’s /hiːz/
there’s /ðeəz/

However, after /t/, /p/, /k/, /f/ or /θ/, the contraction of is or has is pronounced /s/.

Word Pronunciation
it’s /ɪts/
cop’s /kɒps/
chef’s /ʃefs/

Activity 7
Contract the words in each sentence below correctly.

1. They will be travelling to Korea for a Student Exchange Programme next semester.

____________________________________________________________________

2. I am doubtful of the authenticity of the report.

____________________________________________________________________

3. She would have taken the course if it was offered last semester.

____________________________________________________________________

4. There has been a speculation of who is going to be the president of the Student Union.

____________________________________________________________________

5. He has graduated with an honorary degree in Actuarial Science.

____________________________________________________________________

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Week 2 – Syllable Stress

Recognising stress patterns can help distinguish the meaning of two words that appear to be
the same. Using the right stress is important, especially when a word can carry different
meanings as well as different word classes. When words are stressed correctly according to
their syllable, the information given by the speaker will be easily understood.

In phonetic transcription, the stressed syllable is marked with the stress symbol / ‘ /. The
stress symbol can be found before the syllable that needs to be stressed which means that
when we pronounce the syllable, the tone needs to be higher, longer or stronger than the
other syllables.

Syllable Stress

As in most languages, English words also come in syllables. Each syllable is not pronounced
with the same force or strength. In one word, we only accentuate (stress) on one syllable.

Pre-activity

Look at the four words below. First, pronounce the four words and determine the number of
syllables for each word:

Word Phonetic Transcription


Photo /fəʊtəʊ/
Photograph /fəʊtəɡrɑːf/
Photographer /fətɒɡrəfə(r)/
Photographic /fəʊtəɡræfɪk/

Do they sound the same? No, because we stress on one syllable in each word, and it is not
always the same syllable. Pronounce the words again and determine which syllable that is
stressed on in each word. In the same table above, mark the syllable stress in the phonetic
transcription given.

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Basic syllable stress rules

There are two important rules on syllable stress:

1. One word only has one stress. (One word cannot have two stresses. If you hear two
stresses, you have heard two words, not one word.)
2. The stress is always on a vowel sound.

Activity 8
Identify the number of syllables in each word below.

1. doubt - 11. book -

2. problem - 12. entertain -

3. respect - 13. fact -

4. quiz - 14. protest -

5. expenditure - 15. precise -

6. batch - 16. bottle -

7. code - 17. condition -

8. plagiarise - 18. quantify -

9. determine - 19. block -

10. clear - 20. object -

Guess the syllable stress for each of the words above. Then use online dictionary to check
your answers.

14
Syllable stress in English words can be found either at the beginning, in the middle or at the
end. For example:

Practice /ˈpræktɪs/

Employee /ɪmˈplɔɪiː/

Invite /ɪnˈvaɪt/

Despite some rules that you can use to decide on the position of syllable stress in the
English words, the best source of reference would be a dictionary.

Activity 9
Use an online dictionary (https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/) to identify the
syllable stress placement in the table below. Then with a partner, practise pronouncing the
words according to the correct syllable stress.

No Words Phonetic Transcription


1 forfeit /fɔːfɪt/

2 discuss /dɪskʌs/

3 extract /ekstrækt/

4 assist /əsɪst/

5 reply /rɪplaɪ/

6 partner /pɑːtnə(r)/

7 perceive /pəsiːv/

8 rearrange /ri:əreɪndʒ/

9 permission /pəmɪʃn/

10 variety /vəraɪəti/

11 necessary /nesəsəri/

12 meticulous /mətɪkjələs/

13 determine /dɪtɜ:mɪn/

14 expensive /ɪkspensɪv/

15 difficult /dɪfɪkəlt/

15
Secondary Stress
Despite the rule of one syllable stress, some words may have another syllable stress known
as secondary stress. It is marked with lowered vertical line / , / before the syllable that needs
to be stressed. The tone of the stressed syllables should not be as loud as the primary
stress.

For example:
1) allegation /ˌælɪˈgeɪʃən/
This is a four-syllable word. The secondary stress is on the first syllable while the
primary stress is the third syllable. The stress for the third syllable /ˈgeɪ / should be
very noticeable whereas the stress for the first syllable (secondary stress) /ˌæ /
should not be as noticeable as the third syllable.

2) biological /ˌbaɪəˈlɒdʒɪkl/
This is a five-syllable word. The secondary stress is on the first syllable while the
primary stress is the third syllable. The stress for the third syllable /ˈlɒ / should be
very noticeable whereas the stress for the first syllable (secondary stress) /ˌba/
should not be as noticeable as the third syllable.

Activity 10
Transcribe the words below in phonetics with correct syllable stress by referring to an online
dictionary. Based on the phonetic transcriptions, pronounce the words aloud.

No Words Phonetic Transcription


1 variation
2 guarantee
3 understandable
4 memorandum
5 entertainment
6 exhibition
7 comprehensible
8 moderation
9 assimilation
10 reliability
11 allocation
12 definition

16
13 engineer
14 volunteer
15 renovation

Week 2 - Sentence Stress

Sentence stress is the pattern of stressed and unstressed words across a sentence.
Normally this emphasis is on words that carry important information although this can
change significantly depending on the specific meaning that the speaker wants to
communicate.

Speakers of English stress key words in sentences. These are known as content words as
they carry the meaning of the sentence. Speakers do not stress on function words. Function
words are necessary for the grammar of the sentence but do not carry meaning.

Content words

• Nouns words that refer to people, places or things


(P.Ramlee, Universiti Putra Malaysia, books)

• Main verbs words that show action or state of being


(act, sing, write, read)

• Adjectives words used to describe nouns


(talented, big, interesting)

• Adverbs words used to describe verbs, adjectives or other


adverbs
(famously, loudly, almost, often)

• Interrogative pronouns words used for asking questions


(who, which, when, what)

• Demonstrative pronouns words used to point out objects


(this, that, these, those)

17
Function words

• Personal pronouns words that replace nouns


(I, you, they, he, she, them,it)

• Articles words that define a noun as specific or unspecific


(a, an , the)

• Auxiliary verbs verbs that help another verb express its tense, mood or
voice
(is, am ,are, has, must, can, could)

• Relative pronouns words used to refer to nouns mentioned previously


(that, which, who, whose)

• Conjunctions words used to connect words, phrases, clauses, or


sentences
(for, and, buy, yet, so)

Activity 11
Look at the list of words below. Determine whether it is a content or a function word.

Nos Word Content Function

e.g.: bully

1. thesis

2. the

3. for

4. mesmerising

5. coffee

6. were

7. she

8. slowly

9. write

10. but

18
Activity 12
Identify and underline the content words in the following sentences. Then read the
sentences with appropriate stress.
1. Adelia has lived in Singapore for ten years.
2. I will fly to Japan today.
3. I expect to finish the report by this evening.
4. Would you like me to buy some fruits?
5. You will be happy to know that she has decided to retract her police report.

The general rule for sentence stress is to stress the content words. However, there is an
exception to this rule especially when we wish to emphasise on other meanings. Function
words may be stressed.

The following examples illustrate the possible meanings which are emphasised when
different words are stressed.

Sentences Emphasised Meaning

Maria is presenting her paper at the Maria is presenting her own paper, not
international conference today. someone else’s.

Maria is presenting her paper at the Maria is presenting her paper, not
international conference today. discussing it.

Maria is presenting her paper at the Maria is presenting her paper at the
international conference today. international conference, not somewhere
else.

Maria is presenting her paper at the Maria is presenting her paper today, not
international conference today. any other day.

19
Activity 13
Underline the words that you want to stress based on the meaning that you wish to convey.
Write the emphasised meaning. Then say the sentence with appropriate stress to emphasise
the meaning.

Nos. Sentence Emphasised Meaning

0 Poor agricultural practices could threaten Food security is only threatened by


this country’s food security. weak agricultural planning.
1. Poor agricultural practices could threaten
this country’s food security.
3. Poor agricultural practices could threaten
this country’s food security.
4. Poor agricultural practices could threaten
this country’s food security.
5. Poor agricultural practices could threaten
this country’s food security.

20
Week 2 - Intonation

Intonation helps to make our daily conversation becomes more interesting. It involves the
rising and falling in the way we speak. Intonation is often used to describe our emotions and
to convey meanings.

In English, there are two basic intonation patterns:


1. rising
2. falling

Falling Intonation

Falling intonation describes how the voice falls on the final stressed syllable of a phrase or a
group of words. It begins with a fairly high voice and gradually falls until the last syllable.

Falling intonation is often used for:

Ending a statement Sarcasm


Exclamation Assertiveness
WH-Question Anger
Command Disinterest

Example of falling intonation

Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. Ending a statement

What is your take on the issue discussed today? WH-Question

Let me finish my argument. Command

Fantastic idea! Exclamation

Well, what a surprise. Mass vaccination does work. Sarcasm

I will take that into considerations. Assertiveness

21
Failure to change will destroy the country’s future. Anger

Really. I will just follow with what everyone agrees on. Disinterest

Rising Intonation
Rising intonation describes how the voice rises at the end of a sentence. It begins with a
fairly high voice. The level of voice gradually falls but rises on the last stressed word. Rising
intonation is often used for:

Uncertainty Eagerness

Surprised Happiness

Yes/No answer expected A list of wishes

Example of rising intonation

Are you sure? Uncertainty

Yes/No
answer
Do you have other ideas that can help us to solve the problem?
expected

I optimistically wish for a peaceful nation, free of corruption,

A list of
and free of conflict. wishes

With the MCO lifted, I can’t wait for things to become normal again. Eagerness

The restrictive pandemic lockdown has finally been lifted. Happiness

Scientists have revived a 40,000 year old ‘zombie’ virus? Surprised/Shocked

That is horrifying.

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Activity 14
Decide whether the sentences below use Rising or Falling intonation in normal conversation
by drawing the rising arrow ( ) or falling arrow ( ) in the parentheses.

1. Did you hear what happened in the news? ( )

2. Do not interrupt me when I am presenting my points. ( )

3. Today is going to be another gloomy day. ( )

4. With a stable administration, the country is heading towards


a brighter future. ( )

5. Should we have the discussion today or next week? ( )

Activity 15
Identify the intonation whether it is falling or rising in each sentence based on the emotion
indicated in the parentheses. Then, read each sentence using the correct intonation.

1. I am going abroad to further my study. (Happiness)

2. Good luck in getting a new job. (Sarcastic)

3. I can’t wait to open my birthday present. (Eagerness)

4. The recent flood in the country affects all of us. (Sympathy)

5. Did you throw my book? (Anger)

6. Ok. I’ll join the meeting when I’m done with my work. (Disinterest)

7. She has just been promoted as the Vice President. (Surprised)

8. I thought I would pass the examination. (Disappointment)

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