I. Intonation of the author's words

The author's words following direct speech

The author's words which follow the direct speech are usually pronounced as an unstressed or half-stressed tail of the preceding intonation-group.

e. g. "I'm à not _\ready," he said.

"Is à this for _/me?" he asked with surprise.

If the tail gets longer, it may form a separate intonation-group. In this case it is stressed and is pronounced with the same nuclear tone as the preceding intonation-group but on a lower pitch level.

e. g. "I'm _\sorry," | a_׀gain re_׀peated the _\landlord.

If the author's words form two or more intonation-groups, the first of them doesn't form a separate intonation-group. The second and the third are always stressed and pronounced each on a lower pitch level. The nuclear tone of the final intonation-group is usually that of the sentences in the direct speech. The non-final intonation-groups may be pronounced either with the low-rising tone or with the low-falling tone according to their semantic importance.

e. g. "What a _\pity!" was all I said | when he _׀broke a _\glass.

"æDo you 'think 'that's _/fair?" she asked, | _׀looking at me with sur_/prise.

Exercises

1. Listen carefully to the following sentences. Concentrate your attention on the intonation of the author's words following direct speech:

1. "I don't know," he said quietly. 2. "What's it for?" he inquired in a whisper. 3. "Come here," she ordered in a sharp voice. 4. "It isn't mine," he said for the second time. 5. "Give it to me," she said with a smile. 6. "You've dropped it on the floor," he complained to her. 7. "You'll have to put a stamp on," he explained in his best French. 8. "Come here!" commanded the captain in a loud voice. 9. "Be back in half an hour," she reminded him sternly. 10. "You've made the same mistake again," the teacher complained with a frown. 11. "It's nearly ten o'clock," she observed glancing at her watch. 12. "What a pity!" was all I said when he broke a glass. 13. "Quite right," he added nodding his head. 14. "Pleased to meet you," he said holding out his hand. 15. "I think it's going to rain," he remarked, looking up at the black sky. 16. "I must put some coal on the fire," she remarked getting up from her chair. 17. "We really must be going now," she said getting up out of her chair. 18. "I disagree," said the next speaker rising to his feet. 19. "Stop it!" shouted the little girl to her brother. 20. "It's not possible," was the opinion he offered after a moment's thought. 21. "It's rather expensive," she remarked looking in the shop window. 22. "You don't mean it, madam," said the girl, and there was pain in her voice.

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