Intonation for questions Lesson B/C

Intonation

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Intonation falls on statements: “I want to travel to the Bahamas.” Intonation rises on yes/no questions: “Do you want to go with me?” Intonation rises then falls on wh- questions: “Where do you want to go?” There’s always something more to learn for speaking English, but remember: the goal is communication. You do not need to lose your accent to master real American English – you “only” want to be understood clearly.

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1. English Intonations: Falling intonation (for statements)

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  The falling intonation is the most common intonation pattern in English. You’ll hear it in a statement. → Statement = A simple sentence (affirmative or negative), not a question, not an exclamation. For example:

  • “I like cookies.”

  • “We don’t have time.”

  • “Sarah is here.”

  In a common statement, intonation falls slightly at the end. In other words, the last syllable of the sentence is a bit lower (in pitch), and a bit quieter.

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2. English Intonations: Rising intonation (for Yes/No questions)

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“Yes / No” questions are questions that you can answer with “yes” or “no” (they often begin with a verb like “do”, “be,” “have,” will,” “would”, “can”, or “could.”) For example:

• “Will I be involved?”

• “Can they finish the project in time?”

• “Is English important or urgent?”

• “Is there a secret?”

• “Do you have an idea for a solution?”

In these sentences, the intonation rises at the end of the sentence. In other words, the last syllable sounds higher (in pitch), and a bit louder. It shows that you’re asking a question!

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3. English Intonations: Rising and falling (for Wh- questions)

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“Wh-” questions are questions that start with an interrogative words (adverb or pronoun) such as:What →

• “What do you want?” (in the video lesson)

• When → “When is the deadline?”

• Where → “Where do you want to go?” (in the video lesson)

• Why → “Why do we need to focus on this?”

• How → “How can I connect with my audience?”

• Who → “Who do I want to be in the world?” (in the video lesson)

• Whose → “Whose goal do we need to fulfill?”

• Which → “Which color do you want for your website background?”They all start with 

“Wh-”, with the exception of “How” (sentences with “How” also follow the same intonation.)

Here the intonation rises on the most important word in the sentence, and then falls at the end of the question.

Multiple Select

How are you?

• Falling intonation

• Rising intonation

• I don't know

Multiple Select

Do you drive?

• Falling intonation

• Rising intonation

• I dont know

Multiple Select

Are you from Italy?

• Falling intonation

• Rising intonation

• I dont know

Multiple Select

Did you cook?

• Rising Intonation

• Falling Intonation

• I dont know

Multiple Select

Is he handsome?

• Rising Intonation

• Falling Intonation

• I dont know

Multiple Select

Will you come soon?

• Falling Intonation

• Rising Intonation

• I dont know

Multiple Select

Why did you cook?

• Falling Intonation

• Rising Intonation

• I dont know

Multiple Select

What does he look like?

• Rising Intonation

• Falling Intonation

• I dont know

Multiple Select

When will you come?

• Rising Intonation

• Falling Intonation

• I dont know

Multiple Choice

Which syllable has the primary stress in the word "California?"

• 1st
• 2nd
• 3rd
• 4th

Multiple Choice

Stress is usually placed on words such as in, on , at.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

When do we use rising intonation?

• Finished giving information.

• Yes/No questions

• Wh- questions

• Information you are certain about

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct intonation:

"He lives in Norway."

• Rising

• Falling

Multiple Choice

Where is the primary stress in this word: blossom?

• 1st syllable

• 2nd syllable

Multiple Choice

Which syllable is stressed in the following word?

circulation

• circulation

• circulation

• circulation

• circulation

Multiple Choice

Which syllable is stressed in the following word?

expensive

• expensive

• expensive

• expensive

Multiple Choice

Which syllable is stressed in the following word?

competition

• competition

• competition

• competition

Multiple Choice

Lists uses falling intonation

• At the beginning

• In every word

• In the last word

• In the middle of the sentence

Multiple Choice

Can you pass me a plastic knife?

• PLAS-tic

• plas-TIC

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct intonation:

"Vivienne lives in the Philippines."

• Rising intonation

• Falling Intonation