TONES AND THE

COMMUNICATIVE
FUNCTIONS

1
 Let’s analyse these examples
• What are you going to do tonight?
• Are you going to do anything tonight?
• What’s the time?
• Can I help you in any way?
• Would you like to try this new coffee?
• Come on
• Good morning

2
 Why is the tone system used in
English?

• For the indication of information status

• For the indication of communicative functions

the purpose for a given utterance intended

by the speaker

3
 Communicative functions
• Statements, commands, interjections, wh-
questions, questions tags expressing the
speaker’s sense of certainty take a
A falling tone
• Yes/no questions, question tags expressing the
speaker’s sense of uncertainty take a
A rising tone

4
What is the fall associated with?
• The speaker’s knowing something, telling
something, expressing his/her own feelings.
The speaker’s knowledge, authority and
feelings dominate
What is the rise associated with?
• The speaker not knowing and therefore having
to ask.

5
 Generally speaking

• A FALL represents DOMINANCE,

in respect of knowledge,
authority and feelings
• A RISE represents
DEFERENCE to the knowledge,
the speaker’s uncertainty
6
 Let’s intone these examples
• Who are you?
• Twenty percent means a quarter (is that what
you really think?)
• Is that the right way to do it? (I think is the wrong
way to do it)
• Stop talking
• Have a cup of tea
• Have a nice time
• Say that again (and I’ll hit you)
• Silence in court
7
• There is no one-to-one correspondence
between clause type and communicative
function. Declarative clauses can be used for
questions, interrogatives for statements, and
imperatives for wishes.

• TONES realize the communicative functions

rather than the clause types.

8
 Let’s mention some communicative
functions:
• Wishes
• Requests
• Instructions
• Recommendations
• Acknowledgement of the listener’s personal feelings
• Greeting
• Bidding farewell
• Thanking
• Apologising
• Congratulating

9
• There’s no special tone for each separate
communicative function. The tone system
indicates the speaker’s status vis-a-vis (in
relation to) the hearer: either as dominant or
deferent
• All the communicative functions can be
grouped into three kinds:

10
1. Relating to knowledge in
respect to information, reality
and belief
2. To authority in respect of
influencing other people’s action
(‘suasion’)
3. To social interaction
11
 1. Information, reality and belief
• These functions are used with falling tones,
they all presuppose the speaker’s dominance
in knowing and telling.
• Statements, answers, explanations, reports,
agreement, acknowledgement, descriptions,
suppositions, hypotheses, deductions,
denials, affirmations, disagreement,
expressions of doubt and hope.

12
• Examples of expressions of doubt:

I doubt if he would `come

I wouldn’t have `thought so

I can’t imagine he `would

13
• These functions are used with rising tones,
they are functions in which the speaker
acknowledges knowledge, or authority in the
addressee.
• Yes/no questions, appeals and requests.
• Concessions
• Contradictions They typically take a
• Challenges declarative clause structure
14
 Examples
Challenge:
• A: ‘Let’s go to the beach’
• B: Go to the beach on a day like ,this

• (You’re asked if you are going to meet

somebody whom you happen to dislike) You
say:
‘Am I going to meet ,him
15
 Wh-echo questions
• Wh- echo questions are common with the
tonic on the wh-item itself. It can either have
the force of a challenge or a genuine request
for a repetition of something you misheard.

, What did you say you’re going to do?

, When is he coming?

16
• Rises are most typical of enquiries, elicitations for
information, which are ususally structured as
polar interrogatives.
• In the same way as rises can accompany
declarative cluses, falls can accompany polar
interrogatives
• Example:
Are you `satisfied now (to guide the listener to
taking a course of action-meaning ‘I think you
should be…’
17
• Guesses take a falling tone
Have you heard all this be`fore (the speaker
guesses that the other person has indeed
heard all this before)
Have you heard all this be,fore (a genuine
question)
• Denials take a fall because the speaker is sure
of the facts
Example: Have I ever let you `down (meaning:
I’ve never…?

18
• Exclamations take the form of a negative polar
interrogative
Example: Isn’t he like his `mother
• Promps
They take the form of a question but
their purpose is to have someone to
comment on a matter
Example:Do you believe that prices can be
cur`tailed (‘I want you to tell me whether…)

19
• Lead-ins are similar
Examples
• Have you heard the joke about the two
poli`ticians (‘I’m going to tell you a joke
about…’)
• Do you know about Mr. `Evans

20
• Repeated questions, alternative questions and
second-attempt questions regularly take a falling
tone:
• A: Do you want a cup of ,tea?
B: ´Pardon?
A: Do you want a cup of `tea?
• A: Do you speak ,French?
B: `No
A: Do you speak `German then
• A: Are you ,going?
B: I don’t `know
A: Do you want to `go

21
 A Falling tone
• Indicates the speaker’s
knowledge and certainty in
respect of information,
reality and belief
• They know and tell
• A fall indicates the speaker’s
DOMINANCE
A Rising tone
• Indicates a deference to the
other person’s presumed
knowledge
• They don’t know and ask
• They acknowledge some
degree of validity about the
other person’s knowledge
• A rise indicates the
speaker’s DEFERENCE
22
 2.Suasion (to influence people’s
actions)
Examples:
• Turn the `radio off (command)
Turn the ,radio off (request)

• Don’t talk with your `mouth full

Don’t talk with your ,mouth full

23
• A straight prohibition requires a FALL
Example: Come `on
• A plea requires a RISE
Example: Come ,on
Commands, prohibitions and demands suggest
speaker’s dominance
Requests, pleas and coaxing suggest deference

24
• Advice and recommendations are
accompanied by falls
• Suggestions and invitations take a rise
Examples:
You should take a little `break
ADVICE
You should take a little ,break
SUGGESTION

25
Example:
• How about a cup of `coffee
• Have a `go
RECOMMENDATION
• How about a cup of ,coffee
• Have a ,go
INVITATION

26
• If the verbs suggest, invite, request, plead are
used they are accompanied with a FALL
• Examples:
• I suggest a cup of `coffee
• I would like to invite you for `dinner
• We request the pleasure of your `company
• I’m `pleading with you

27
• Promises take a fall
Example: We promise you a quick re`ply
• Threats take a fall
Example: Don’t you `dare tell lies
• Offers take a rise
Example: Can I ,help you in any way
• Warnings take a rise
Example: ,Careful

28
• But if offers and warnings are announced by
using the lexical verbs offer and warn, they are
likely to be indicated by FALLS
EXAMPLES:
We offer the best service in `town
I’m `warning you

29
• Appeals take a rise (Attempts by a speaker to get
the other person to reconsider a course of action)
Examples:
A: I’ll have to throw this coffee a`way
B: You don’t have to do ,that
When the verb appeal is used, a falling tone
accompanies
I’m appealing to your common `sense

30
• So, communicative functions that display
the speaker’s dominance – authority,
decision-taking, announcing are
accompanied by a FALL.
• Those that display the speaker’s
deference to the other’s authority or
their right to decision-taking take a RISE.

31
 3. SOCIAL EXCHANGES
• They are intended to establish and maintain
relationships between people, for instance:
• Greeting and bidding farewell
• Introductions
• Attracting attention
• Apologising
• Sympathizing
• Wishing
• Thanking
32
 Greetings and farewells
• Farewells take a rising tone
Good,bye
Cheeri,o
See you a,gain
• If the parting is regarded as temporary, a fall
accompanies the farewell
• See you this `evening

33
• Greetings take either a fall or rise
Good `morning (a plain greeting. ‘I’m greeting you)
Good ,morning (interest in the person addressed,
bright and friendly. ‘I am acknowledging you as I
greet’)
• Thanking
`Thank you(I’m thanking you)
,Thank you (I am acknowledging you as the one I
thank)

34
• Greetings and thanking take a FALL as a
neutral tone but a RISE to indicate an interest
in the feelings of the addressee.
• Greetings on the phone take a rise:
Hell,o
• Welcomes take a fall
`Welcome
How nice to `see you
35
• Good wishes take a rise
Happy ,birthday
Have a nice ,time
Do your ,best
Give my love to the ,children
• Toasts and congratulations take a fall:
TOASTS
Good `health
To the bride and `groom
`Cheers

36
• CONGRATULATIONS
Well `done
Congratulations on your en`gagements
• PRAISE, APPRECIATION, APPROVAL and
DISAPPROVAL are accompanied by a falling
tone
That’s `great
It’s a `lovely thought
37
• EXPRESSIONS OF REGRET take a rising tone
I’m ever so ,sorry
• APOLOGIES also take a rise
I do beg your ,pardon
We won’t let that happen a,gain
• SYMPATHY also takes a rise
That’s a ,pity
It’s a great ,shame

38
• When regret is communicated via
exclamations, it takes a falling tone
What a `pity
How `awful
• A request for attention takes the fall-rise and
also there is requirement of some service.
Ex cuse me
Waiter
39
• Vocatives:
John (a request for attention)
`John ( a summon, the speaker’s feelings or sense of
authority dominate)
,John (enquiry)
• Introductions (requests with a rising tone and
announcements with a falling tone)
,John/ I would like you to meet my `father-in-law
Miss ,Jones /this is Mr Evans

40
 CONCLUSIONS
• A FALL indicates the speaker’s dominance in
knowing and telling something, in telling
someone what to do and in expressing their own
feelings
• A RISE indicates the speaker’s deference to the
addressee’s knowledge, their right to decide, and
their feelings
• Calls for attention with fall-rises mean a need for
service is implied, with a fall indicate a summon
for attention (speaker’s dominance) and with
rises indicate enquiries (speaker’s deference)
41
 Let’s practice
Indicate the communicative function of intonation
• You ought to try this new `coffee (Recomm)
• Would you like to try this new ,coffee (invitation)
• I’ll let you know to`morrow (promise)
• (Say that a,gain) and I’ll `hit you
• Another cup of ,coffee (offer)
• Look where you’re ,going (warning)

42
 Let’s practice
• A: But the coffee tastes `awful
• B: It’s no ,so bad

43