Stylistic use of intonation

Intonation plays a very important role in the stylistic distinction of oral texts. Such intonational means as pitch, stress, tempo of speaking, pauses, rhythmical patterns signal different kind of information conveyed in speech: intellectual ideas, feelings, attitudes, intentions etc. In many cases, it is not possible to separate the use of intonation from lexical and grammatical meanings expressed in words and grammatical structures (verbal context) and from the co-occurring communicative situation (non-verbal context). The meaning of intonation cannot be judged in isolation. However, intonation does not necessarily coincide in a literal way with the verbal context accompanying a particular extra-linguistic situation. The following example shows it:

E.g. You KNOW | I think he’s RIGHT.

You KNOW I think he’s right.

One can observe certain tendencies in the use of intonational means in different kinds of social situations. Under the influence of extra-linguistic factors, a speaker tries to choose appropriate intonation patterns which can enable him to achieve his aim in communication. These intonation patterns depending on extra-linguistic factors form systems of intonational means called intonational styles.

An intonational style can be defined as a system of interrelated intonational means which is used in a certain social sphere and serves a definite aim in communication.

The purpose of communication appears to be one of the basic factors in classifying intonational styles. The following five intonational styles can be distinguished according to this principle:

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