9-4 Tone-the Selection of Nuclear Tone数字时代的商务英语写作.pdf

Unit 9 English Intonation 9.4 Tone – the Selection of Nuclear Tone (I) Diagnostic Test Diagnostic Test Can you interpret the meaning of these sentences? Example: It was awful. (statement) It was awful. (question) Diagnostic Test 1) She left her glasses. (question/statement) 2) He‟s finished. (question/statement) 3) The number is 35547. (statement/contradiction) 4) It‟s 22 Hills Road. (statement/contradiction) 5) You‟re English, aren‟t you? (fairly sure/not very sure) 6) That‟s his sister, isn‟t it? (fairly sure/not very sure) 7) Really. (very interested/not very interested) 8) Thanks. (very interested/not very interested) 9) I like the garden. (enthusiastic/not very enthusiastic) 10) The kitchen is nice. (enthusiastic/not very enthusiastic) the Selection of Nuclear Tone You‟ll meet him at the airport. (fall – definiteness) You‟ll meet him at the airport. (rise – incompleteness) You‟ll meet him at the airport. (fall-rise – implications) Tone language vs. intonation language The English language uses tone for intonation. No matter how the word airport is said, its lexical meaning is still the same. The non-lexical meaning is different. In this sense, English is known as an intonation language (语调语言). Tone language vs. intonation language Chinese is a tone language (声调语言). It uses tone for the lexical meaning, and the change of a tone will change the meaning of a word. mā má mǎ mà Types of nuclear tones (核心调型)