Interpreting English Intonation: Predictability And Free Choice

Intonation is a combination of predictability and free choice. Its former feature, which is language-specific, is manifested by the constraint on its form by grammatical structure and semantic relation, and its latter feature, which is universal, lies in that it is a product of subjective factors in a particular situation.The English intonation is of no exception. On the one hand, it is constrained by rules in the grammatical and semantic structures; on the other hand, it is modified by context as an intermediary between the speaker and the English language. As an indispensable part of spoken English, the English intonation not only communicates pragmatic information such as intention, attitude and emotion, but also conveys semantic information like grammar, cohesion and logic.The actual intonational form of speech in English is generated on the semantic and pragmatic bases of English intonation. The grammatical structure and semantic feature determine the choice of basic intonational pattern, especially nucleus placement, and pragmatic factors further decide the actual intonational form, especially the nuclear tone.