Activity Questions 1.5

Based on the information in the sources, intonations help in both resolving ambiguity and imbuing the speaker’s state of mind in the spoken words.

Therefore, the correct option is c) Both (a) and (b).

Here’s how the sources support this:

• Resolving ambiguity: The sources explicitly state that intonation can resolve ambiguity. Using the example sentence “Did you want to go home?”, the sources demonstrate how placing rising intonation on different words (you, want, go, home) changes the meaning and helps rule out other possible interpretations. Paying attention to intonation at one place helps us rule out the rest of the meaning, making it a function of resolving ambiguity.
• Imbuing the speaker’s state of mind in the spoken words: Intonation helps us express several things, including giving an idea about the emotional aspects of the speaker. The sources mention that intonation helps identify things like shock, surprise, anger, sarcasm, pleasure, [and] interest. These are described as “attitudinal issues where it helps us identify things”. Therefore, how people speak and use intonation allows listeners to infer the speaker’s attitude or state of mind.

Based on the information in the sources, the sentence “The sun rises in the east.” would ordinarily be spoken in a Flat intonation.

Here’s why, drawing from the sources:

• Intonation is a feature of pronunciation noticeable in spoken language. There are three types: rising, falling, and flat.
• The sources state that “we use flat intonation, mostly for statements. Our declarative sentences usually have flat intonation”.
• “The sun rises in the east.” is a declarative sentence, stating a fact or general truth.
• Rising intonation is often used at the end of a sentence to mark a question, even for sentences that look like statements. While intonation can vary to express attitude or emphasis, the ordinary way a declarative sentence is spoken, according to the direct explanation in the sources, is with flat intonation.

Therefore, according to the sources, the standard or usual intonation for this type of sentence is flat.

Based on the information in the sources, the statement “The intonation of words can be made out through text alone” is False.

The sources define intonation as a feature of pronunciation which “becomes prominent only when we start speaking”. It is described as being related to the “melody” of speech and created by changing the pitch of the voice.

Crucially, the sources explicitly state that intonation is “not visible in written form of the language”. While writers might sometimes use specific strategies to try and indicate their intentions, “unless it is done that way, we do not see the impact of these things in written language”. When discussing the impact of intonation, the sources mention “we are keeping reading and writing aside” and focusing on how intonation impacts spoken language and how it’s interpreted by the listener.

Therefore, according to the provided material, the intonation of words is primarily a feature of spoken language and cannot ordinarily be discerned from text alone.

Drawing on the information in the sources and our conversation history regarding the impact of stress on meaning in English speech, when the word “you” is stressed in the sentence “Did you know that Alex and John are moving to Bombay?”, it highlights the subject of the verb “know”.

According to the sources, stressing a word can change the meaning of a sentence by highlighting the stressed element and often implying a contrast. In the example provided in the sources, stressing “I” in “I thought your brother was a bus conductor” means “not someone else thought it, it was me who thought”. This shows that stressing the subject contrasts that subject with other potential subjects.

Applying this principle to your sentence, stressing “you” contrasts the listener with others who might know or not know the information about Alex and John. It focuses the emphasis on you as the person being addressed and questioned about their knowledge.

Let’s examine the options:

• The speaker believes that the person they are talking to would not know that Alex and John are moving to Bombay [implied meaning based on stress on ‘you’]. This option suggests that the speaker finds it notable that you (the listener) might or might not possess this knowledge, possibly implying surprise or an expectation that you might not know. This aligns with the effect of stressing the subject to differentiate them from others (in this case, others who might already know or others the speaker might have expected to know).
• The speaker is amazed that Alex and John are moving to a city like Bombay. This meaning would typically be conveyed by stressing “Bombay” to highlight the destination, according to the principle of stressing the element that conveys the most prominent information or contrast.
• The speaker is amazed that Alex and John, of all people, are moving to Bombay. This meaning would typically be conveyed by stressing “Alex and John” to highlight the people involved, contrasting them with others.

Based on the explanation from the sources that stressing the subject “you” contrasts you with other potential knowers, the most accurate implied meaning among the choices is that the speaker is specifically addressing your knowledge state and potentially implying something about their expectation of whether you would know this particular piece of information. The first option best captures this nuance.

Therefore, if the emphasis is on “you” in “Did you know that Alex and John are moving to Bombay?”, the implied meaning is:

The speaker believes that the person they are talking to would not know that Alex and John are moving to Bombay.

Based on the information in the sources and our conversation history regarding how stress affects the meaning of a sentence, stressing a particular word highlights it and can imply a contrast or distinction.

In the sentence “Did you know that Alex and John are moving to Bombay?”, when the stress is placed on the word “know”, the emphasis is on the act of possessing this specific piece of information. The speaker is highlighting whether the listener has this knowledge, perhaps because they expect it to be significant or to provoke a reaction.

Let’s examine the options provided:

• The speaker believes that the person they are talking to would not know that Alex and John are moving to Bombay. This meaning is typically conveyed by stressing “you”, as we discussed previously, highlighting the subject in contrast to others.
• The speaker is amazed that Alex and John are moving to a city like Bombay. This meaning would likely involve stressing “Bombay” to highlight the destination.
• The speaker believes that the person they are talking to would react if they knew that Alex and John were moving to Bombay. Stressing “know” focuses on the listener’s state of having the information. This emphasis can imply that the speaker thinks this news is surprising or important enough to warrant a reaction, and they are checking if the listener possesses this knowledge (and thus might be expected to react).
• The speaker is amazed that Alex and John, of all people, are moving to Bombay. This meaning would typically involve stressing “Alex and John” to highlight the subjects of the move.

Therefore, when the stress is on “know”, the most plausible implied meaning, consistent with highlighting the verb and focusing on the possession of the information, is that the speaker is interested in the listener’s knowledge state in anticipation of their reaction to the news.

The implied meaning of the sentence “Did you know that Alex and John are moving to Bombay?” with the stress on “know” is that:

The speaker believes that the person they are talking to would react if they knew that Alex and John were moving to Bombay.