Intonation for Lists and Alternatives - English Pronunciation with JenniferESL

58,354 views ・ 2017-01-26

English with Jennifer


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

00:01
It's interesting to note how many kinds of milk one can buy.
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In our house we have different preference
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and different dietary needs, so...
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00:11
we have regular dairy milk ...from a cow,
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00:16
vanilla soy milk, chocolate soy milk,
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00:21
and lactose-free milk.
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Which kind do you drink?
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00:26
You can tell me later what kind of milk you prefer,
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00:29
but I asked that question for a reason.
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00:32
To give you a model of intonation used for lists.
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00:36
In this video, we'll practice a combination of rising and falling intonation
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00:42
to state lists and present alternatives.
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00:48
[title]
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Did you notice the intonation I used when I stated the list?
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01:04
Dairy milk, soy milk, and lactose-free milk.
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01:09
My voice went up a little on each item.
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01:12
But to give a sense of finality to the list,
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01:15
my voice went down. I used falling intonation on the last item.
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01:21
So the pattern usually is: 1, 2, 3, and 4.
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01:27
Or: 1, 2, and 3.
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01:33
Are you curious about what else I have in the fridge?
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01:37
Let's look in the fruit drawer.
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01:39
We have a cantaloupe,
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01:44
some red grapes,
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01:48
strawberries, blueberries,
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and apples.
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What fruit do you have in your fridge?
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02:01
If I want to present two alternatives,
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02:04
I use a similar combination of rising and falling intonation.
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02:08
One rise and one fall. Listen.
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As you'll recall from previous lessons,
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02:29
if I have more than one syllable to work with,
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then my rising and falling intonation can happen in steps.
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02:36
For example:
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If I have a single stressed syllable as my focus word,
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then I need to glide up and glide down.
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For example:
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Each item in a list or each of two alternatives
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is a thought group - an intonation group.
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So they each have their own intonation pattern.
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03:10
The rising intonation that we use when we present lists or state alternatives
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03:16
is not necessarily as high or as sharp as the rising intonation
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03:22
that we use in yes-no questions.
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03:25
Listen and compare two examples.
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03:36
Because my rising intonation may not be so high when I present that first alternative...
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03:45
White or chocolate? - - some people refer to it as a low rise.
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03:50
So far, we talked about yes-no questions having rising intonation.
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but asking questions about someone's preferences can change that rule sometimes.
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04:00
Listen.
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Rising intonation and there's only one choice.
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04:09
Yes or no? Can you come today?
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We really need to meet.
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04:18
Rising and then falling.
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I'm only presenting two alternatives,
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and I expect you to choose one of them.
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04:27
Are you free at all this week?
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04:33
Rising on both...to sound less demanding.
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And also because I know neither of these options may work.
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Maybe there's another one you want to present.
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04:46
So you have the option not to use falling intonation
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04:50
in a list or when stating alternatives.
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You could use rising intonation the whole time.
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04:57
And you would do that because there could be or there are other items or other options.
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05:06
Do you want a snack?
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05:10
I can offer you applesauce, raisins, crackers...
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05:15
If you see anything you like, let me know.
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05:18
- Meaning there are options other than the ones I just listed.
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05:25
Try repeating after me.
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05:27
First, we'll try lists.
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07:02
Now let's try saying alternatives.
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08:16
Hopefully, you're starting to see how a combination of rising and falling intonation
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08:22
can be very useful in our communication.
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08:25
Rising intonation can set up the expectation for more.
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08:30
It's kind of like a good book.
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08:32
You know when you just have to turn the page because you want the story to continue?
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08:37
Well, if you use rising intonation,
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your listener can have a similar reaction.
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08:43
They're waiting for you to continue.
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08:46
Until you use falling intonation, your idea, your list, or whatever it is that you're saying,
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won't sound complete. Keep that in mind.
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That's all for now. Thanks for watching and happy studies!
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