Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

QUESTIONS AND INTONATION

429

Note: the intonation for the examples here may be heard on the accompanying

CD.

Yes-no questions

429a

Yes-no

questions most typically have a simple rising intonation (

) or a complex

fall-rising intonation  (   

). Fall-rising intonation projects a greater assumption

of a shared perspective and/or that the addressee will agree with the proposition

of the question:

A: There’s a bank machine in the other terminal.

B: Oh, right. Is it far from here?

(open question; no assumption whether it is near or far)

[listening to music]

A: It’s a great CD.

B: Yeah. D’you want to borrow it? I can leave it with you.

A: Mm, thanks. Yeah, can I?

(projecting an assumption that the listener may like to borrow it)

Are you angry with me?

(speaker probably suspects the listener is angry)

Falling intonation can occur with yes-no questions, especially when they are

follow-up questions in a series of such questions:

A: D’you want some soup?

B: No thanks. I’m not very hungry.

A: Would you like some cheese and biscuits?

B: Mm, no, no thanks.

A: D’you want a cup of tea then?

B: Okay. Thanks.