Leading ad trailing

Leading and Trailing tones, Topic and Comment, Adverbials

Wells: chapter 2

Leading and Trailing tones

Some clauses do not stand alone, they are dependent on some other structure that is independent. If the dependent clause or structure comes before the independent clause, it is called LEADING. If the dependent clause comes after the independent clause, it is called TRAILING

When you ' come to /lunch | bring him \homeWhen you come to \/ lunch | bring him \home Rise or fall rise + falling

Leading and Trailing tone

I`m rather \annoyed | /frankly Falling + rising If the independent clause takes a fall rise, there is implication She is not\/nice | /frankly

Topic and Comment (theme and rheme)

The falling tone is used to indicate completion, topic ot theme (what we are talking about)The rising tone or fall-rise tone are used to indicate continuit, , comment or rheme (extra information)

Your /passport | will be ready \tomorrowYour \/ passport | will be ready \ tomorrow Rise or fall rise + falling Most probably, the passport was part of the information shared by the speakers. In the case of the fall-rise, there may be implication.

Lists

They usually combine rising and falling tones

You ' could have /coffee | or \teaYou 'could have /coffee | /tea | or \orange juice

The combination of onset of head and falling tone is possible when the list contains only two elements:

You could have 'coffee or \tea

Adverbials

If they are used as leading structures, they take a rising or fall-rise. If they are used as trailing structure, they only take a rising tone

/Unfortunately | I`ve 'lost your \letter\/Unfortunately | I 'lost your \letter I`ve 'lost your \letter | /unfortunately Some advervials are usually used with a falling tone (of course, at least, incedentally, by the way) Of \course | you `must \protest

SoS