Conversation "Asking the Way".

13. This exercise is meant to develop your ability to hear the intonation and to

reproduce it in reading, a) Listen to the text "A Street in London** sentence by sentence.

Write it down. Mark the stresses and tunes. Practise the text, b) Record your reading. Play the

recording back immediately for your teacher and fellow-students to detect the errors in your

pronunciation. Practise the text for test reading.

14. This exercise is meant to develop your ability to read and narrate a story with proper

intonation, a) Listen to the joke. Write it down. Mark the stresses and tunes. Practise reading

the joke, b) Listen carefully to the narration of the joke. Observe the peculiarities in

intonation-group division, pitch, stress and tempo. Note the use of temporizers. Retell the

joke according to the model you have listened to.

15. Read the jokes silently to make sure you understand each sentence. Find the main

sentence in the text. Split up each sentence into intonation-groups if necessary. Mark the

stresses and tunes. Underline the communicative centre and the nuclear word of each

intonation-group. It is not expected that each student will intone the text in the same way.

Your teacher will help you to correct your variant. Practise reading the joke several times.

Retell the joke according to the model above (see Ex. 15):

When a group of women got in the car every seat was already occupied. The

conductor noticed a man who seemed to be asleep, and, fearing he might miss his

stop he said to the man: "Wake up."

"I wasn't asleep," the man protested.

"But you had your eyes closed."

"I know. I just hate to look at ladies standing up in a crowded car."

* * *

A very stout lady said angrily that she wanted to report the conductor of the

bus that had just gone, "He's been rude," she shrilled. t "How?" asked the official.

"Why," went on the lady. "He was telling people the bus was full up and

when I got off he said: "Room for three inside."

Section Eleven

Intonation of Direct Address

M o d e l : vChildren, vlisten to me.

vMo,ther, j Vcan I have an 'ice-cream?

-> Never /mind, Tom, | I'll help you with vpleasure.

Direct Address at the Beginning of the Sentence

Direct address at the beginning of the sentence is stressed. It is pronounced

with the low-falling nuclear tone in formal serious speech and with the falling-

rising tone to attract the listener's attention or in a friendly conversation.-

e. g. vChildren, | ^listen to me. vMa,ry,

j -*come vhere.

EXERCISES

M o d e l 1: vPeter, | come vhere.

1. Listen carefully to the following sentences and repeat them in the intervals.

Concentrate your attention on the intonation of direct address:

1. Mary, sit down! 2. John, listen to me! 3. Harry, look at the map! 3.

Children, look at the blackboard! 5. Kitty, it's time to get up! 6. Peter, we've run

out of vegetables. 7. Peter, sit here on my left! 8. Tom, who's on duty? 9. Nick,

hurry up. 10. Boys, don't be so noisy.

2. Read the following sentences according to Model 1. Follow the intonation line

exactly:

1. Children, stand still at your desks! 2. Ann, stand up straight! 3. Comrades,

take your seats! 4. Helen, why were you absent yesterday? 5. Kitty, you're late

again. 6. Children, stop talking! 7. Ann, come to the board and divide it into two

parts.

8. Peter, please fetch some chalk! 9. Children, stop making noise! 10. Harry,

stand aside, so that we all can see the board.

M o d e l 2: xMO/ther, | Vcan I have an 'ice-,cream?

3. Listen carefully to the following sentences and repeat them in the intervals.

Concentrate your attention on the intonation of direct address:

1. Peter, may I use your pencil? 2. Edward, something has gone wrong with

my electric iron. 3. Mary, isn't this skirt long for me? 4. Porter, will you see to

my luggage, please? 5. Helen, darling, don't be angry with me. 6. Mum, I should

like another apple. 7. Ann, may I take your book? 8. Eddy, why didn't you phone

me? 9. Tom, why don't you wash your hands?

4. Read the following sentences according to Model 2. Follow the intonation line exactly:

1. Mother, could I go and play football now? 2. Mother, may I have another

cup of milk? 3. Ann, will you please give me a little more porridge? 4. Kitty, why

aren't you eating anything? 5. Bob, is there anything to your taste on the menu?

6. Peter, give me another glass of water, I am thirsty. 7. Mary, will you help me

to wash the dishes? 8. Ann, at what shop did you buy this hat? 9. Madam, which

is the biggest department store in Moscow?

Direct Address in the Middle or at the End of the Sentence

Direct address in the middle or at the end of the sentence is ordinarily

pronounced as the unstressed or half-stressed tail of the preceding intonation-

group. After the low-falling nucleus it can also be pronounced with the low-

rising tone.

е. д. I vsay, Mike, | I've V just had 'a 'wire from xMary. -> That's all /right,

darling. Good xmorning, Mrs. /Wood.

EXERCISES

5. Listen carefully to the following sentences and repeat them in the intervals.

Concentrate your attention on the intonation of direct address:

1. Good afternoon, Mrs. White, how are you? 2. Mind you don't miss the

train, sir. 3. Certainly, madam. 4. What's the salt for, Mum? 5. Right, Dad. 6.

Come on, Nora. 7. Hello, Betty, dear! 8. Well, what's the news, Mr. White? 9.

What do you think of London, Mrs. Thompson? 10. Well, what's the matter with

you, Mr. Walker? 11. Yes, of course, Mrs. Howard. 12, Good-bye, Mrs. Wood.

13. Had a good day, Nora? 14. Do you want me to do anything this evening,

Nora? 15. Shut the door behind you, Peter. 16. Good afternoon, sir, what can I do

for you? 17. Good morning, Mrs, Wood. 18. I'll go in and get them, Dad. 19,

You'll have to carry this case, Peter. 20. You know, Harry, there's a dance this

evening at the Town Hall. 21. And how do you like your tea, Mrs. White, strong

or weak? 22. Excuse me, officer, is there a bus from here to Trafalgar Square?

6. Read the following sentences according to the models given above. Follow the

intonation line exactly:

1. No more, Mum, thank you. 2. Good afternoon, Mrs. White, how are you?

3. I say, Helen, have you got anything special on tomorrow night? 4. Good

morning, Ann, glad to see ,you. 5.1 say, Peter, will you go to the cinema with

me? 6. Don't worry, Mary, I'll do that myself. 7. Now, Bobby, how much is two

plus four? 8. Now, Tom, why don't you wash your hands? 9.1 say, Mary, where is

my book? 10. You are wrong, Pete, that was yesterday, 11. Look, dear, a button

has come off my coat. 12. Now, James, you'll catch cold. 13. Can you come a

little earlier? — Oh, yes, darling, certainly. 14. Don't worry, Mother, I'll come in

time. 15. All right, mother, I'll come in an hour. 16. And now, my dear fellows,

good night to you all. 17. All right, Betty, I'll join you inaminute. 18.Thank you,

Mother, I don't want any more. 19.1 think, dear, you are right. 20. Hello, Robert,

do you want any help? 21. And now, Nina, repeat all the words you have

mispronounced. 22. Well, Ann, have you noticed any mistakes? 23. You forget,

Mother, that I am getting my stipend very soon. 24. Come on, Jim, we shall have

to hurry. 25. Look here, Mary, there's a concert this evening at the club. 26. You