EMPHASIS

Intonation groups and sentences can be made to sound more lively, more emotional and more emphatic by means of pitch, i.e. various sections of pitch-and-stress patterns, cf:

I ^didn't with ~I _vdidn't!

The use of the High Pre-Head in the second case intensifies the meaning of the whole intonation group, makes the utterance more exclamatory, more emphatic. The more the high pitch of the High Pre-Head contrasts with what follows, the more empha­sis is given to the phrase.

If the low falling nuclear tone is changed for the High Fall the intonation group sounds much more emphatic, cf:

l6t

Do you want to stay here? — _tNo | I _vdon't. Do you want to stay here? — ^xNo | I Mon't.

In the second case 'No, I don't' sounds more categoric, firm, final, concerned.

This very response, pronounced with the rising-falling nu­
clear tone sounds awed, self-satisfied and smug, eg: .,

^ANo | I ^л don't. j

With the falling-rising tone it sounds challenging, eg:

vNo | I vdon't.

Another way of adding emphasis is by modifying the shape of the head. For instance, the Falling Head can be modified for emphasis by pronouncing the unstressed syllables on the same level as the stressed ones, eg:

VAsk him to 'ring me 'up a_xgain.