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WorksheetsChapter 6: Intonation — Worksheet Questions
Total questions: 128
Worksheet time: 1hrs 4mins
Intonation is traditionally described by linguists as the:
Rhythm of speech.
Melody of speech.
Grammar of speech.
Lexical meaning of speech.
In English, pitch variation is used to convey meanings, expressing thoughts, attitudes, and:
Stress placement.
Emotions.
Syllable structure.
Tone concor.
Variations in intonation in English can indicate which two types of differences between otherwise identical sentences?
Phonemic or allophonic.
Syntactic or semantic.
Lexical or phonetic.
Fortis or lenis.
What term refers to pitch variation or pitch movement that is used in a linguistically contrastive way?
Stress
Tone
Pitch level
Loudness
Which two components of intonation are considered the most important and are closely connected?
Loudness and Quality.
Duration and Tone.
Pitch and Sentence Stress.
Pitch and Tempo.
What is the definition of a Tone Group (TG)?
A unit containing only function words.
The basic unit of intonation with a complete pitch movement.
The smallest distinguishable unit of sound.
A sequence of syllables with equal timing.
Which component of intonation is realized by a combination of loudness, pitch, and duration?
Tone
Stress
Tonality
Pitch
The TG is also referred to as the intonation unit, intonation group, intonation phrase, the tune unit, or the:
Coda.
Onset.
Tune.
Tail.
In the context of the Tone Group, the word 'nucleus' refers to what concept?
Secondary stress.
Tonic stress.
Head of the TG.
Pre-head of the TG.
What term describes the way the pitch of the voice rises, falls, or remains flat (level)?
Tempo
Intonation
Syllabification
Tonality
The most prominent word stress that becomes the tonic stress is located on the syllable that is the:
First syllable of the sentence.
Last accent in the TG.
First stressed syllable.
Lowest-pitched syllable.
The part of a TG that extends from the first stressed syllable up to but not including the tonic syllable is called the:
Nucleus.
Pre-head.
Head.
Tail.
What component of the TG includes any unstressed syllables before the head?
Tonic Syllable
Pre-head
Tail
Nucleus
Pre-heads are usually spoken with what pitch, implying they do not convey any specific intonational meaning?
High pitch.
Rising pitch.
A fairly low-level pitch.
Falling pitch.
What part of the TG follows the tonic syllable?
Nucleus
Pre-head
Head
Tail
If the tonic syllable is the last syllable in a TG, what component is necessarily absent?
Head
Pre-head
Tail
Nucleus
Which components of the TG structure are optional?
Nucleus and Tail.
Pre-head, Head, and Tail.
Tonic Syllable and Head.
Pre-head and Nucleus.
Which element's pitch characteristics in the TG are determined by the choice of the tonic stress (nucleus)?
Head.
Pre-head.
Tail.
Tonic Syllable.
The pitch movements in the Fall-rise tone start relatively high, move downward, and the endpoint is usually:
Low.
Mid.
High.
Flat.
In a falling tone, what is the fixed endpoint of the pitch?
Mid.
High.
Low.
Rising.
After a falling tonic syllable, what is the pitch of the tail?
High pitch.
Rising pitch.
Low pitch.
Mid pitch.
In a rising tone with a tail, which syllable is the highest pitched?
The Head.
The Tonic Syllable.
The final syllable in the TG.
The Pre-hea.
Which tone is considered the unmarked tone for a statement?
Rise
Fall
Fall-rise
Level
By using a fall tone in a statement, the speaker indicates that what they say is potentially complete and is expressed with:
Uncertainty.
Confidence.
Reservation.
Sarcasm.
The Fall-rise tone is used when a speaker states one thing but implies:
Contradiction.
Finality.
Something further (reservation).
Emphasis on the onset.
Which tone allows a speaker to be tactful and politely indirect, or to indicate a statement is only partially true?
Fall
Rise
Fall-rise
Level
Statements that function as questions due to context typically have which tone?
Fall only.
Level only.
Rise or Fall-rise.
High fall only.
What is the purpose of Rises when used for short responses?
To signal finality.
To express definite confidence.
To encourage further conversation.
To indicate strong reservation.
What is the unmarked (default) tone for Wh-questions?
Rise
Fall-rise
Fall
Level
A Wh-question without the fronting of the question word (e.g., Martin's done what?) always has which tone?
Fall-rise
Fall
Rising tone
Level tone
What is the default tone for a Yes-no question?
Fall
Rise
Fall-rise
High fall
If a Yes-no question is said with a fall, what attitude does it convey?
Sympathy and kindness.
Insistence and seriousness.
Encouragement.
Neutrality.
In alternative questions (linked by or), a closed list ends in which tone, signaling finality?
Rise
Definitive fall
Fall-rise
Level
If a tag question is genuinely asking for information, it typically has which tone?
Fall
Rise
Fall-rise
Level
If the speaker assumes that the other person will agree (seeking confirmation), the tag question typically has which tone?
Rise
Fall
Level
High rise
Constant-polarity tags (e.g., is it?) always have which tone, provided they form their own Tone Group?
Fall
Rise
Fall-rise
Level
What is the default tone for commands (imperatives)?
Rise
Fall-rise
Fall
Level
Commands said with a rise tone (e.g., Don't worry) are often used when speaking to children because they sound:
Insistent
Authoritative
Soothing and kindly
Urgent
What tone is often used for warnings (e.g., Watch out!)?
Rise
Fall-rise
Fall
Level
Exclamations (e.g., What a pity!) virtually always have which tone?
Rise
Fall
Fall-rise
Level
When giving a list of items, the last item, which signals finality, has which tone?
Rise
Fall
Fall-rise
Level
Dependent elements (phrases or clauses attached to a main clause) that precede the main element tend to have which tone?
Fall
Rise only
Fall-rise or Rise
Level
Straightforward greetings typically use which intonation?
Rise only (personal).
Falling intonation (formal).
Fall-rise only.
Level tone only.
Which interjection only has a falling tone?
Hello
Good morning
Hi
Thank you
What term refers to the division of the spoken material into Tone Groups (TGs)?
Tonicity
Tonality
Accentuation
Concord
According to the structure of the Tone Group, what element can have either a high or low tone, independently from the nucleus?
Tail
Pre-head
Tonic Syllable
Cod
Adverbials that modify the whole clause (sentence adverbials) are typically set off from the surrounding material by:
A change in voice quality
An intonation break
Secondary stress
A syllabic consonant
What type of relative clause usually does not have its own separate TG?
Non-defining relative clause
Defining relative clause
Phrasal relative clause
Pseudo-cleft relative clause
What term refers to the placement of the tonic syllable within the Tone Group?
Tonality
Tonicity
Concord
Intonation
When a word is accented to draw the listener's attention by highlighting its importance (e.g., I know how she feels), this is called:
Neutral focus
Contrastive focus
Discourse function
Accentual function
If all information in an utterance is new, the nucleus (tonic stress) is typically placed on which word?
The first content word
The first function word
The last lexical item
The preposition
If the last lexical item in an utterance contains old (given) information, what happens to that word?
It receives extra primary stress
It is emphasized with a rising tone
It is deaccented
It retains full tonic stress
In phrasal verbs (e.g., stand up), which element typically receives the primary stress?
The verb
The particle (preposition or adverb)
The object
The subject
Final demonstratives (this, that, these, those) tend to attract tonic stress because they usually convey:
Given information
New information
Grammatical function
Secondary stress only
In the pattern 'wh word only + be + pronoun' (e.g., How are you?), where does the tonic stress fall?
On the wh-word
On the verb 'to be'
On the pronoun
Equally on all words
Which function of intonation allows speakers to express emotions and attitudes (e.g., interest, surprise, anger)?
Accentual function
Grammatical function
Attitudinal function
Discourse function
What is the function of intonation that determines the placement of stress on a particular lexical item to draw attention?
Attitudinal function
Grammatical function
Accentual (or focusing) function
Discourse function
Which function of intonation helps distinguish sentence types (questions vs. statements) and clause types (dependent vs. independent)?
Accentual function
Grammatical function
Attitudinal function
Discourse function
The use of stress to distinguish between a compound noun (single stress) and a noun phrase (multiple stresses) is an example of which function?
Attitudinal
Accentual
Grammatical
Discourse
What function of intonation signals to the listener which part of the message is 'new' information and which is already 'given' (background)?
Grammatical function
Attitudinal function
Accentual function
Discourse function
In the discourse function, the placing of tonic stress on the appropriate syllable of one word in the TG is referred to as:
Tonality
Attention focusing
Stress shift
Tone concord
When grammatical items are coordinated (e.g., to and from), they are usually:
Unstressed
Accented
Deaccented
Reduced to weak forms
An initial contracted negative verb (e.g., Haven’t) in a yes-no question is almost always:
Unstressed
Given secondary stress
Accented
Deaccented
When grammatical TGs are parallel (e.g., This is my colleague, Charles), the tones used for the first and the second TG are generally the same. This tendency is called:
Tonicity
Tone concord
Accentual focusing
The Rule of Three
When saying farewell (e.g., Goodbye or See you tomorrow), which tone is often used to express good will?
Fall
Fall-rise
Rise
Level
The expression Thank you is used with a rise tone to convey:
Genuine gratitude
Strong confidence
Routine acknowledgement
A correction
When the word too is used at the end of a clause to mean 'in addition' and is given a separate TG, it usually exhibits:
Secondary stress
Vowel reduction
Tone concord
Tonicity shift
The tonic stress does not fall on the adverbial particle of a phrasal verb when the particle has been separated from the verb and moved to a position after which type of object?
A noun or syntactically similar construction (but not a pronoun).
A pronoun (it, them, etc.).
A function word.
A complex suffix.
In a falling tone, the pitch begins relatively high and descends. Where does the fall occur and begin from?
From the pre-head.
The tonic syllable.
The head.
The tail.
When two sentences are phonetically identical except for intonation, what is the consequence?
They share the same meaning.
They can convey different meanings.
The second sentence is always unstressed.
The tone must be a rise.
What are the three primary tones presented in Chapter 6?
High, Mid, Low.
Fall, Rise, and Fall-rise.
Level, Sharp, Flat.
Tense, Lax, Neutral.
The tendency to place tonic stress on a noun where possible, in preference to other word classes, results in the deaccenting of which word type when it is final?
Adverbs.
Pronouns.
Verbs.
Articles.
The tendency for a defining relative clause not to have its own separate TG and a non-defining relative clause to have its own TG is an example of which function of intonation?
Attitudinal.
Grammatical.
Discourse.
Accentual.
Pitch is considered the factor with the most significant impact on perceived stress and prominence. How does pitch contribute to the linguistic meaning of speech?
It determines the correct usage of weak forms in function words.
It sets the duration of long vowels and diphthongs.
It creates tone, referring to pitch variation used in a linguistically contrastive way.
It dictates the grammatical function of the Head in the Tone Group.
The Tone Group (TG) is the basic unit of intonation. What does the Tonic Syllable (Nucleus) fundamentally represent within the TG structure?
The initial stressed syllable that begins the Head.
The word that has already been mentioned in the conversation (given information).
The last accent in the TG, which becomes the most prominent word stress upon which the speaker focuses attention.
Any unstressed syllable that follows the primary stress.
The structure of the Tone Group is Pre-head – Head – Tonic Syllable – Tail. If a TG lacks a Head, what structural condition must be met?
There is no stressed syllable before the Tonic Syllable.
The Tail must be present.
The Pre-head must also be absent.
The syllable is ambisyllabic.
When a speaker chooses a specific tone (Fall, Rise, Fall-rise) for the Tonic Syllable, how does this choice influence the pitch of the Tail?
The Tail maintains a high pitch regardless of the tonic choice.
The Tail's pitch is determined by the pitch of the Head.
The Tail's pitch characteristics are determined by the choice of the Tonic Stress (Nucleus).
The Tail always has a rising pitch to signal something further.
The Fall tone is the unmarked tone for a statement. What attitudinal meaning does the Fall tone primarily convey in this context?
Uncertainty or reservation about the information.
Confidence, finality, and that the statement is potentially complete.
Encouragement for the listener to continue the conversation.
Correction of previously given information.
A speaker uses the Fall-rise tone (∨) in the statement "I've been to Paris". What communicative purpose does this tone typically serve?
To signal a genuine question requiring a "yes" or "no" answer.
To express definite confidence and finality.
To state one thing while implying something further (e.g., reservation or incompleteness).
To soothe or kindly address a child.
Why does a typical Yes-no question usually have a Rising tone (/)?
To signal insistence and seriousness.
To confirm the speaker's assumed agreement (confirmation-seeking).
To avoid sounding complete, often functioning to keep conversation going or seeking information.
To deaccent the content words in the utterance.
If a speaker uses a Falling tone when asking a Yes-no question (e.g., "Can you prove that?"), what change in attitude is expressed?
Soothing and kindness, especially to children.
Neutrality and routine enquiry.
Insistence, seriousness, or a potentially threatening, businesslike manner.
Encouragement to continue talking.
In commands (imperatives), the default tone is a Fall. What is the typical effect of using a Rise tone (/) in a command like "Go on" or "Don't worry"?
To make the command sound very insistent.
To signal a warning or caution.
To encourage the other speaker to continue or to sound soothing and kindly.
To distinguish the command from a question.
When giving a list of items (e.g., colors), why do speakers use a Rise tone on intermediate items and a Fall tone on the final item?
The Rise tone makes the list sound more formal.
The Fall tone on the final item indicates that the speaker is correcting the listener.
The Rise tone indicates that more items are coming, while the final Fall tone signals finality and completion of the list.
The Rise tone is reserved only for content words, while the Fall is for function words.
What is the usual effect when a Wh-question (e.g., "Why are you angry?") is spoken with a Rise tone, contrary to the unmarked Fall?
It makes the question sound insistent, like a Yes-no question.
It makes the question sound more encouraging, gentle, or sympathetic.
It suggests the speaker is only partially asking for information.
It indicates the utterance is only part of a larger syntactic structure.
When a speaker uses the expression Thank you with a Rise tone, what is the usual implication?
The speaker is expressing real, heartfelt gratitude.
The speaker is attempting a correction.
The speaker is conveying a routine acknowledgement rather than genuine appreciation.
The speaker is signaling that they are about to begin a list.
In alternative questions (linked by or), why is a definitive Fall tone typically used on the last choice (e.g., "or at the end of the meal")?
It indicates the possibility of further unmentioned options.
It signals a closed list, meaning the listener must choose one of the options presented.
It allows the speaker to imply reservation about the choices.
It ensures the question is understood as a Wh-question.
Tonality refers to the division of speech into Tone Groups (TGs). What common grammatical rule explains why adverbials modifying the whole clause (sentence adverbials) typically form their own separate TG?
Adverbials must always follow the main verb.
They are often set off from the surrounding material by an intonation break because they are not constituent elements of the clause structure.
They must always precede the Head.
They automatically receive primary stress.
In determining Tonality, why is a Defining Relative Clause (e.g., "She's my sister who lives in Canada") usually not separated into its own TG, unlike a Non-defining Relative Clause?
The Defining Relative Clause provides old (given) information.
The Defining Relative Clause is essential to the meaning of the preceding noun (restrictive), whereas the Non-defining Clause is additional information (non-restrictive).
Defining clauses always use a Fall-rise tone.
Non-defining clauses violate the rule of Tone Concord.
Tonicity is the placement of the Tonic Syllable. If the last lexical item in an utterance (e.g., the noun dogs) has already been mentioned in the preceding context (old information), what is the expected result regarding tonic stress placement?
The word receives extra primary stress for contrastive focus.
The word is deaccented, and the tonic stress shifts earlier to the last item conveying new information.
The word retains full tonic stress because it is a content word.
The word automatically takes a rising tone.
The general rule for tonicity is that the nucleus falls on the last lexical item. Why does a final verb in a clause often get deaccented, causing the stress to fall on a preceding noun (e.g., "I've still got an essay to write")?
The verb is always a weak-form word.
To create a phrasal verb structure.
English has a general tendency to place tonic stress on a noun where possible, in preference to other word classes.
The preceding noun is always old information.
Why do final demonstratives (this, that, these, those) often attract tonic stress, despite being classified as function words?
They are always part of a reduced weak form.
They are always given information.
They are components of phrasal verbs.
They usually convey new information, particularly in clause-final position.
When the particle of a phrasal verb is separated from the verb and followed by a pronoun object (e.g., "Take them off"), where does the tonic stress fall, and why?
On the object (pronoun), because it is a function word.
On the verb (take), because it is the root word.
On the adverbial particle (off), because pronouns count as old information and are deaccented.
The stress is equally distributed between the verb and the particle.
What is the definition and primary role of Contrastive Focus in terms of tonicity?
Placing the nucleus on the first syllable to signal a question.
Deaccenting all content words to smooth the rhythm.
Accenting virtually any word, including function words, to highlight its importance or contrast it with other items.
Placing the nucleus on the last function word.
In the construction "Wh word only + be + pronoun" (e.g., "How are you?"), the tonic stress is often placed on the verb 'to be' (are). Why is this stress assignment necessary?
To avoid the clash of adjacent accents.
Because the sentence consists only of function words, and the pattern places stress on 'be'.
To express the speaker's uncertainty.
To emphasize the following pronoun.
How does the Attitudinal Function of intonation operate in speech?
By maintaining equal timing between all stressed syllables.
By signaling which information is new and which is given.
By allowing speakers to convey emotions and attitudes (e.g., interest, surprise, anger).
By dividing the sentence into appropriate Tone Groups.
If intonation is used to differentiate the meaning of two phonetically identical sentences (e.g., a statement vs. a question), which function of intonation is being demonstrated?
Accentual function.
Grammatical function.
Attitudinal function.
Discourse function.
The Accentual (or focusing) Function of intonation enables the speaker to:
Maintain a low pitch throughout the utterance.
Emphasize or highlight certain parts of a message by marking specific syllables as prominent, thereby drawing attention.
Signal finality using a Fall-rise tone.
Use weak forms exclusively.
How does the Discourse Function of intonation assist the listener in understanding the conversation?
It ensures every syllable is fully aspirated.
It signals to the listener which part of the message is 'new' (foreground) information and which is already 'given' (background).
It allows for vowel reduction to the schwa.
It restricts the speaker to using only function words.
The use of stress to distinguish between a compound noun (e.g., /'greenhouse/) and a noun phrase (e.g., /,green 'house/) is an application of which function of intonation?
Attitudinal function.
Accentual function.
Grammatical function (disambiguating syntactic structure).
Discourse function.
What condition usually determines whether an initial adverbial phrase is set off by its own Tone Group with a break, or remains part of the main clause TG?
Whether the adverbial is followed by a stressed consonant.
Whether the adverbial modifies the whole clause (sentence adverbial) or only the verb/adjective.
Whether the adverbial is longer than five syllables.
Whether the adverbial uses a Fall tone.
In the structure of the Tone Group, why are the components Pre-head, Head, and Tonic Syllable said to be independent of each other in terms of pitch decisions?
The pre-head and head can have high or low tones, independently of the nuclear tone choice (rise, fall, or fall-rise).
They are always unstressed syllables.
They must always use a Fall tone.
They represent old information only.
The pitch movement in a Rising tone with a tail (syllables following the nucleus) is distributed such that:
The pitch falls sharply on the final syllable.
The rise occurs entirely on the Head component.
The rise is spread across both the tonic syllable and the tail, making the final syllable the highest pitched.
The pitch remains low and level across the entire tail.
What phonetic characteristic defines the starting point, midpoint, and endpoint of a Fall-rise tone (∨)?
Starts low, ends high, with a high midpoint.
Starts low, ends low, with a high midpoint.
Starts high, ends low, with a low midpoint.
Starts high, ends low, with a mid midpoint.
The tendency for two successive Tone Groups (TGs) that are grammatically parallel (e.g., listing coordinated items or parallel clauses) to use the same tone is known as:
Tone Concord
Tonicity
Tonality
Contrastive Focus
Why is the initial contracted negative auxiliary verb (e.g., "Didn't you hear what I said?") almost always accented in a yes-no question?
To simplify the rhythm by reducing the following pronoun.
To emphasize the negative polarity of the auxiliary verb.
To adhere to the unmarked Rising tone for questions.
Because auxiliary verbs are content words.
The expression Thank you is used with a Fall tone to convey genuine gratitude, but with a Rise tone for routine acknowledgement. This difference demonstrates which two overlapping functions of intonation?
Discourse and Accentual.
Grammatical and Accentual.
Attitudinal and Grammatical.
Tonicity and Tonality.
In alternative questions (e.g., "You can have /coffee | or \tea"), the fall on the final option signals that:
The question is a Wh-question.
The speaker has a reservation about the choice.
There are no more options available (closed list).
The preceding item is old information.
How does intonation contribute to the overall clarity and comprehensibility of spoken language, according to the sources?
By ensuring all vowels are nasalized.
By promoting elision of consonants.
By making it easier for listeners to understand what a speaker is trying to convey, largely through signaling meaning and structure.
By preventing consonant clusters in the onset.
Phrasal verbs (verb + particle) typically have primary stress on the particle (e.g., ,stand \up). If the tonic stress falls on the phrasal verb, where is the tonic stress most typically located?
On the verb component.
On the object following the particle.
On the particle component.
On the preceding function word.
When grammatical items are coordinated (e.g., to and from or You and I), why do they usually receive accentuation, contrary to the rule for function words?
They are reduced to their weak forms.
They are always followed by an unstressed syllable.
They are implicitly or explicitly contrasted with each other.
They are monosyllabic and therefore always stressed.
The use of a rising tone for short responses (e.g., "-/Yes?" in response to "Excuse me.") serves which function?
To state finality.
To encourage further conversation and signal smooth social interaction.
To express skepticism or surprise.
To correct the preceding speaker.
Dependent elements (clauses attached to a main clause) that precede the main element (e.g., "'After vlunch \we could 'call on \Mary") typically use a Fall-rise or Rise tone. What does the use of the Fall-rise, specifically, add to the communication?
It signals finality and confidence.
It acts as a passive articulator.
It announces the topic and draws attention (emphasis) to it, potentially signaling contrast.
It indicates the clause is functioning as a Yes-no question.
Why does the general rule for tonicity place the tonic stress on the last lexical item (content word) in an utterance?
Because content words are usually deaccented.
Because the last lexical item is typically the element that conveys the "new" or most important information (Neutral Focus).
Because function words must always be stressed.
Because the word is being contrasted with another word.
Given the statement: "She \visited 'Holland on /Saturday". If Saturday is the Tonic Syllable, what constitutes the Head component of this Tone Group?
She visited Holland on Saturday
She visited Holland on
'visited 'Holland on
She (Pre-head)
If the Tonic Syllable in a Tone Group (TG) has a Falling tone (), how will the pitch of the subsequent Tail component be realized?
The pitch will rise sharply on the final syllable.
The pitch will generally be low and level across the Tail.
The pitch will be high and determined by the head.
The pitch will rise and fall again (Fall-rise).
If the entire utterance is "In an \hour," which TG structural component is necessarily absent, and why?
The Tail, because it is a monosyllable.
The Pre-head, because all words are stressed.
The Head, because there is no stressed syllable preceding the Tonic Syllable.
The Nucleus, because it is a function word.
A speaker uses the Fall-rise tone (∨). Based on the pitch movement rules, what is the typical relationship between the starting point, midpoint, and endpoint?
Starts low, midpoint low, ends high.
Starts low, midpoint high, ends mid.
Starts mid/high, midpoint low, and the endpoint is usually mid.
Starts high, midpoint low, ends low.
In an utterance where the pitch movement is spread across both the tonic syllable and the tail, resulting in the final syllable being the highest pitched, which tone is the speaker applying?
Fall tone.
Fall-rise tone.
Level tone.
Rising tone.
Applying the rule for Neutral Focus, where should the tonic stress (nucleus) fall in the statement: "Susan bought a new sweater at Creeds"?
On Susan (first content word).
On bought (main verb).
On Creeds (last lexical item/content word).
On new (adjective).
Context: Speaker A asks, "Would you like some coffee?" Speaker B replies, "Oh, I’d prefer a \tea." Why is the tonic stress placed on tea rather than on prefer (the last verb)?
Because tea is new information, while the final verb is old.
Because English has a general tendency to place tonic stress on a noun where possible, in preference to a verb.
Prefer is a function word.
The Rule of Three applies to prefer.
Applying the rule for phrasal verbs, where does the tonic stress fall in the command: "'Take your 'shoes \off"?
On the verb take.
On the object shoes.
On the particle off.
Equally on take and off.
Applying the rule for phrasal verbs with pronoun objects, where does the tonic stress fall in the command: "'Take them \off"?
On the verb take.
On the object them.
On the particle off.
Equally on take and them.
A speaker says, "I 'know how 'she feels, but 'how do \you feel?". By placing extra accent on you, what function of stress is being applied?
Grammatical function.
Contrastive focus (highlighting the difference between she and you).
Neutral focus (placing stress on the last lexical item).
Attitudinal function (expressing surprise).
Context: Speaker A asks, "Who doesn’t want to dance?" Speaker B replies, "'Bill doesn’t want to \dance.". Why is the nucleus placed on Bill rather than dance (the last lexical item)?
Because dance is a noun and receives priority.
Because dance is a weak-form word.
Because dance is repeated information (old information) and is therefore deaccented.
Because the speaker is using a rising tone.
When the particle of a phrasal verb is separated by a noun object, the tonic stress falls on the object (e.g., "'Write these jokes \down"). This rule is applied because:
The particle is deaccented in all contexts.
The object contains a noun or syntactically similar construction, which attracts the tonic stress.
The object is a weak-form word.
The verb is unstressed.
Applying the tonicity rule for function words, where does the nucleus fall in the function word-only utterance: "'How 'are \you?"
On the wh-word How.
On the verb 'to be' (are). (With the pattern "wh word only - be - pronoun", the tonic stress goes on the verb to be.)
On the pronoun you.
No tonic stress is assigned.
A speaker asks a tag question with a Rise tone (e.g., "The 'answer is \twenty, | /isn't it?"). Which grammatical function is this tone fulfilling?
Genuinely asking for information (lesser degree of certainty).
Assuming the listener will agree (seeking confirmation).
Expressing insistence and seriousness.
Signalling a correction.
A speaker uses the Fall tone () in an imperative command (e.g., "'Stand \up when you answer"). What primary attitude does this tone convey?
Soothing and kindness.
Urgency or warning.
Firmness and authority (default tone for commands).
Uncertainty or reservation.
