Scribd
Upload
180 views24 pages

Tone Proclaiming-Referring

The document discusses the use of intonation in communication. It explains that a "telling increment" is produced with a proclaiming tone to provide new information, while a referring tone is used to mark information that requires completion. It further breaks down intonation choices into five categories: rises, fall-rises (proclaiming), falls, rise-falls (referring), and level tones. The function of referring tones is to signal that the current tone unit does not directly contribute to the telling but rather requires additional information.

Uploaded by

Mari Sol
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
180 views24 pages

Tone Proclaiming-Referring

The document discusses the use of intonation in communication. It explains that a "telling increment" is produced with a proclaiming tone to provide new information, while a referring tone is used to mark information that requires completion. It further breaks down intonation choices into five categories: rises, fall-rises (proclaiming), falls, rise-falls (referring), and level tones. The function of referring tones is to signal that the current tone unit does not directly contribute to the telling but rather requires additional information.

Uploaded by

Mari Sol
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 24

 A ‘telling increment’ is produced with

proclaming tone.

 /p she’d been SHOPping/


 If the unit is produced with a referring
tone, the listener will keep waiting for the
new information that completes the
telling increment
 /r she’d been SHOPping/ p and she went
to find her CAR/

 Only when the second unit is completed


the listener will acknowledge receipt of
information.
 /r she’d been SHOPping/r in TOWN/

 /r with her CAR/r and she went BACK to

the CAR park/ r where she’d LEFT it/ p

and she found someone SITting in it/


 The function of the referring tone is to
mark the tone unit as not intended to
contribute directly to an act of telling.

 The effect is to keep the listener waiting


for the completion of the increment.
 BRAZIL, D. The communicative value of
intonation in English. Ch. 4
 Chun, D. (2002) Discourse Intonation in
L2. From theory and research to practice
(pp. 31-42)
 Warren, M. Features of naturalness in
conversation. Ch. 4
 Coulthard, M. An introduction to
Discourse analysis. (p. 96-100)
 For every tone unit, there are five choices
available, which represent binary
oppositions:

 Those ending in a rise: rise, fall-rise.


(Proclaiming tones)

 Those ending in a fall: fall, rise-fall


(Referring tones)

 Level Tone.
 This description associates a particular
communicative value with each of the
tones in a way that holds true for all
occurrences of that tone.
 Speakers’ choices are meaningful.

Since he likes football, /we can give him


shirt.
 ‘fall-rise’: shared information.
 referring tone
 ‘fall’ new information.
 proclaiming tone

 Transcription convenrtions) /p/ /r/


 (1)/r when i got OUT of the LIFT/
/p i looked aCROSS/
 (2)/r that’s
ODD/ r i COULDn’t have
LOCKed it / p PROperly/
can’t LEAVE her
(3)/r i
STANDing here/
I decided to drive her to her daughter’s.

 (4) /r as we were DRIving aLONG/


 (5)/r as the TRAffic was a bit EAsier/

(6) /r as SOON as the door was
 CLOSED/
 (7)
/r Maravilla Martínez/
 /p loses the crown/ r against cotto/
 and then she took one of her hands out
from underneath a coat, and as soon as I
saw it I thought

 (8) /r that’s NOT a WOman’s hand /


 (9)/r i SAT in your CAR/
 p because i felt GIDDy/

 (10) /r AS we all K NOW/
/r i COULDN’T leave her
 (11)
STANDing there/
 Friend: and what did the policeman tell
you?

 (12) Val: /r when he came BACK from the
CAR/ p he ASKED me some QUEStions/ r
he wanted to KNOW/ p WHAT was in the
CAR/


 Friend: What was in the car?

 (13) Val: / p my SHOPping/

 (14) Val: / r my SHOPping/

You might also like