1. General questions are most common with the Low Rise tone preceded by the Falling head, which expresses genuine interest.
Is anyone `absent to ֽday?
Have you been `studying ֽlong?
2. However, when general questions are said with the Low Fall they are interpreted as a serious suggestion or a subject for urgent discussion:
`Shall we post`pone?
`Haven’t you `noticed the mis`take?
3. In short questions used as responses like 'did you?' 'have you?', 'has she?' the low fall is used, e.g.:
I `went to the `theatre `last night. `Did you?
He `hasn't been `invited. `Hasn’t he?
Intonation in alternative questions with ‘or’
An alternative question indicates the choice between two or more homogeneous parts; it usually has two intonation groups: the first one represents all the alternatives with the exception of the last one, which is considered to be the final intonation group.
The most common way of pronouncing alternative questions is to use the Low Rise in the first intonation group and the Law Fall in the final one, e.g.:
`Have you a `son or a ֽdaughter?