Unit 56. Where Were You Born?
Tones in Asking for Information
Unit 56; Part A
We pronounce an 'open' question differently from a 'check' question. An'open' question is where we ask for information we didn't have before,and the voice usually goes down at the end. A 'check' question is wherewe make sure that the information we have is correct The voice usuallygoes up at the end. Listen to the examples in this conversation.  |
Unit 56; Part B
| Listen to A's second question in recording again. The voice startsgoing down in the last word only, because this is the word the speakeris emphasising, or 'underlining'. Where were you born↓? But we may 'underline' any of the words (see Units 49 to 53). Listen. Notice that the voice movement begins at the word with the underlining and continues to the end.  | |
 Note: In check questions the voice sometimes goes down before it goes up at the end. This is shown in the lines in the boxes. | |
Exercises
 Listen to the questions below. Are they open or check? Draw a down or an up line.Key.1. ↓ 2. ↑ 3. ↓ 4. ↓ 5. ↑ 6. ↑ 7. ↓ Example: Are you a student? ↑ 1 Have you been to America? 2 What do you study? 3 What time is it? 4 Are you over eighteen? 5 Can you drive? 6 Where's he going? 7 Do you like it? |
 Listen. After each sentence below, there is a question. Which wordin the question does the speaker 'underline' with his voice? Underlinethe word. Then draw the voice movement line, starting in the box belowthe underlined word. The voice goes down in all of them.Key.   | |
Follow up: Listen again and repeat |
| Look at the questions in black below. Underline the word you think the speaker will emphasise. Then listen and check. Key.1 a Do you have any children? b Do you have any children? 2 a What's your first language? b What's your first language? 3 a What do you do on Sundays? b What do you do on Sundays? 4 a ... why did he do it? b ... why did he do it? 5 a ... where are my glasses? b ... where are my glasses? Example: a So your sister's a teacher? Where does she work? b Oh, so she doesn't work here? Where does she work? 1 a So you're married? Do you have any children? b I have two daughters. Do you have any children? 2 a So French is your second language? What's your first language? b My first language is Urdu. What's your first language? 3 a So you work Mondays to Saturdays? What do you do on Sundays? b So your favourite day is Sunday? What do you do on Sundays? 4 a I know how he did it, but... why did he do it? b She was going to do it, so ... why did he do it? 5 a My glasses aren't here, so ... where are my glasses? b Here are your glasses, but... where are my glasses? |
 | Unit 55 Unit 56 Unit 57 |  |