Unit 55. Here? Yes, Here!

Asking and Checking Tones

Unit 55; Part A

Important for listening!
Questions can be pronounced with the voice going up at the end or goingdown at the end. You can hear the difference in this conversation. Twopeople are fixing a place to meet. Listen to the way A pronounces histhree questions.

           A:   Where?    (A's voice goes down at the end.)
           B:   Here.
           A:   Where?    (A's voice goes up at the end.)
           B:   Here.
           A:   Here?       {A's voice goes up at the end.)
           B:   Yes, here.

A's first question is an 'open' question. The answer could be anyplace; he nas no idea. A's questions 2 and 3 are 'check' questions. Hethinks he knows the answer and he just wants to check. The voice usually goes down at the end of 'open' questions and up at the end of 'check' questions.

Unit 55; Part B

Important for listening!

Here is another example. A is asking directions to B's house. Noticehow both of them use 'check' questions (in black) to make sure theyunderstand each other. Listen.
55.3.jpg

Note: In the sentence It's opposite the farm? we know the speaker is asking a question from the context. Also, the voice going up at the end makes it sound like a question.

Exercises

1 Tick the questions.

Read these short conversations and tick the questions. Then listen and check.

1 A: When?
   B: Tomorrow.
   A: When?
   B: Tomorrow.
   A: Tomorrow?
   B: Yes, tomorrow.
2 A: Which way?
   B: Left.
   A: What?
   B: Left.
   A: In front of the shop?
   B: Yes.

Follow up: Listen and repeat A's lines.

2 Tell which way the speaker is going from the check questions.

Listen. You will hear one half of a conversation on a mobile phone. Youcan tell which way the speaker is going from the check questions. Drawthe route on the map.

55.2.jpg

3 Do this phrases sound like questions?

Listen to the phrases or sentences. Do they sound like questions?Write (?) after the questions and (.) after the ones that are notquestions.

Example:
      Go straight across (.)
1   Right at the lights (_)
2   Next to the supermarket (_)
3   It's this one (_)
4   It's opposite the school (_)
5    It's a long way (_)
6    Under the bridge (_)
7    Take the next left (_)

Unit 54 Unit 55 Unit 56