The stress in compound and polysyllabic words

INTONATION OF PARENTHESES

Utterances may contain words, phrases or clauses which are only partially related to the main subject-matter, and without which they remain grammatically and semantically complete.

Such words, phrases or clauses, generally known as adjections, fall into three classes: 1. Parentheses; 2. Direct address; 3. Reporting Phrases.

INITIAL PARENTHESES

Parenthetical words and phrases at the beginning of an utterance are used for various purposes:

a) in order to gain time before saying the main remark or to call the listener’s attention to what is going to be said; b) to show the speaker’s attitude towards the subject-matter: supposition, certainty, satisfaction, etc.: Unfortunately, Charles doesn’t know about it.

Initial parenthesis often forms a separate intonation-group which has all the typical characteristics of a non-final group: the choice of the nuclear tone in it depends on the degree of semantic independence and importance of the parenthesis.

A common pattern for an introductory parenthetical phrase is the Low Rising nuclear tone preceded by a normal (or high) prehead and high head (if there is any):

As 'far as I ‚know, | you 'passed your e'xams with 'excellent ‘marks.

Parentheses pronounced with the Falling nuclear tone sound weighty and make the whole utterance more important:

‘Anyway, | it’s 'all ‘your problem.

Additional emphasis or contrast is conveyed by the Falling-Rising nuclear tone: