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Question

Difficulty: EasyIntonation Patterns

In standard English speech, which intonation pattern is typically used when uttering a polar (Yes/No) question, such as 'Did you submit the assignment?'

  1. Rising tuneAnswer
  2. B
    Falling tune
  3. C
    Fall-rise tune
  4. D
    Monotone / Level tune

Answer

Polar (Yes/No) questions standardly employ a rising intonation tune.
In standard Received Pronunciation (RP) English, polar or Yes/No questions expecting a 'yes' or 'no' response finish with a rising tune, indicating an open query awaiting confirmation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the sentence type of the utterance
The utterance 'Did you submit the assignment?' is a polar question (Yes/No question).
Determining the grammatical type of the sentence is essential for selecting the correct RP intonation rule.
2
Apply standard Received Pronunciation (RP) intonation rules for polar questions
Polar questions take a rising tune pitch movement at the nucleus (tonic syllable).
In English phonology, questions expecting confirmation or a yes/no answer rise in pitch towards the end.

Key Concept

Intonation Contours for Sentence Types
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Intonation Patterns

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