The Focus of This Lesson Is Intonation.

Grammar Points

We use intonation in many, if not all, languages, and it can convey meaning, express emotion, or even

establish whether the sentence is a statement or a question. Without the correct intonation, English

may sound unnatural, and misunderstandings may occur.

For Example:

Let's take a look at a sample sentence so we can see how intonation works.

1. "This is a clean floor."

If the speaker says this sentence with a downward intonation on "floor," the sentence is a statement.

However, if the speaker says it with an upward intonation, then the statement becomes a question,

asking whether or not the floor is clean. Now if the speaker says this sentence with a stronger

questioning intonation, it sounds sarcastic as opposed to a statement or a question.

As you can see with the sentences above, the intonation is important in conveying what you want to

say. It expresses the attitude of the person talking and therefore can change the whole feel of a

sentence. Also, without intonation, it would be hard to understand when a sentence ends and when

another one begins. The intonation goes along with the rhythm set by the stressed sounds of the words.

Therefore, it's important that you understand word stress before intonation.