A Grammar of Spoken English Discourse - The Intonation of Increments

Key and Termination – Increments 187

and our ↑THOUGHTS and /PRAyers // of \↑COURSE // are

c d N c dº N a V

with VICtims and their \↓FAmilies //

P dº N c d N # [T1-Dmc-4–5]

it s my in↑TENTion...

N V d N+...

Dmc’s tone selections result in a pitch sequence which is itself formed
out of two increments. By selecting a mid termination to complete incre-
ment 4, Dmc projects a context where the target state achieved does not
require an active intervention. Her choice of initial mid key signals
that increment 5 adds to the previous target state but does not lead to a
target state which itself is contrary to the previously generated discourse
expectations. The increment fi nal low termination closes the pitch sequence
and the immediately following high key signals the beginning of a new
pitch sequence: Dmc signals that she will move her discourse on by intro-
ducing an independent topic.
To summarize the preceding argument we have seem that pitch sequence
initial key and fi nal termination values contract the same relationship
between pitch sequences as increment initial key and fi nal termination
values do between increments as indeed do adjoining key and termination
values between tone units. We have seen that in the unmarked case pitch
sequence endings coincide with increment endings. Figure 7.3 schematizes
the proposed phonological hierarchy. The dotted arrow between increment(s)
and pitch sequence refl ects the reality that pitch sequence endings may not
coincide with increment endings. The use of rounded brackets ( ) indicates
optionality. The # diacritic notates an increment ending and the up and
down arrows signal high key and low termination respectively.

Pitch Sequence

Increment(s) if =↓ # (↑)(INC)INC(INC) ↓#

(1) (2)

Tone Unit(s) if = (1) ...TU↓(↑)(TU)TU(TU)↓ or (2) (TU)TU(TU) + falling tone

Figure 7.3 A phonological hierarchy from tone unit to pitch sequence