Parentheses at the beginning of the sentence

a) do not form a separate syntagm if the speaker doesn’t attach any importance to these words.

e.g. Well, I do.

b) form a separate syntagm, take Low-Fall, Low-Rise or Fall-Rise if the speaker attaches importance to them.

e.g. Well, I do. To tell the truth, I don’t want to go there.

Parentheses in the middle or at the end of the sentence do not form a separate syntagm and are unstressed or partially stressed.

e.g. I’m not good at languages, you know. You know, of course, he is my brother.

6. Direct Address at the beginning of the sentence forms a separate syntagm and takes Low-Fall in formal speech and Fall-Rise in friendly conversation.

e.g. Children, listen to me. Mary, will you join me?

Direct Address in the middle or at the end of the sentence doesn’t form a separate syntagm and is unstressed or partially stressed.

e.g. That’s all right, darling. Glad to see you, Ann.

7. Author’s Words preceding direct speech form a separate syntagm and take Low-Fall or Low-Rise.

e.g. He said: “The play is perfect”. She said: “The acting was excellent”.

Author’s Words following direct speech

a) don’t form a separate syntagm and are unstressed or partially stressed if they are short.

e.g. “I’m not ready”, he said.

b) form a separate syntagm and repeat the intonation of the preceding sense-group if they get longer.

e.g. “I’m sorry”, again repeated the landlord.

8. Alternative Questions form two syntagms with Low-Rise in the first sense-group and Low-Fall in the second one.

e.g. Has she a niece or a nephew?

9. Disjunctive Questions form two syntagms with

a) Low-Fall in the first sense-group and Low-Rise in the tail when the speaker is not certain of the facts and the answer is expected.

e.g. I ran you up yesterday. You were meeting your wife, weren’t you? – Yes, I was.

b) Low-Fall in the first sense-group and Low-Fall in the tail when the speaker is certain of the facts and the answer is not expected.

e.g. I saw you at the station. You were meeting your wife, weren’t you? She looked so young and happy.

10. Subordinate clause forms a separate syntagm and takes

a) Low-Rise preceding the principal clause

e.g. If you want to have a rest, go to the country.

b) Low-Fall following the principal clause.

e.g. Go to the country if you want to have a rest.

11. The word “please”

a) at the beginning of the sentence is stressed but doesn’t form a separate syntagm.

e.g. Please repeat the word after the speaker.

b) in the middle of the sentence can be both stressed and unstressed but doesn’t form a separate syntagm.

e.g. Will you please switch on the recorder?

c) at the end of the sentence is unstressed, doesn’t form a separate syntagm and follows the intonation of the preceding one.

e.g. Will you read a bit louder, please?

12. The words “Thank you”

a) take Low Fall and form a separate syntagm if they express sincere gratitude.

e.g. Thank you, Mike, it was very kind of you.

b) take Low Rise and form a separate syntagm if they express formal politeness.

e.g. Thank you, Mike, you can take your seat.