Prosodic Patterns in English Conversation

audio examples for Chapter 2: Bookended Narrow Pitch Regions

Marking Contrast

2.1) yes, but it's also supposed to be windy

2.2) it's also supposed to be windy

2.3) it is also supposed to be windy

2.4) it's supposed to be windy tomorrow

2.5) it's also supposed to be beautiful

2.6) if you were doing that during working hours, that would be a different story

2.7) I mean, the problem with that is

2.8) and it's like in the middle of the night, that too, but

2.9) I can't hear you ... without the microphone

The Narrow Pitch Region and the Bookends

2.10) well, yeah, I saw that it will hit 80

2.11) but it's also supposed to be windy

2.12) it's also supposed to be windy (musing)

2.13) it's also supposed to be windy (incomplete-sounding)

2.14) I'd feel wrong graduating in May, and still having a class left over

Uses in Contradictions

2.15) elephantiasis isn't incurable!

Other Meanings

2.16) it's annoying, how much homework is given

2.17) I hear a lot of static

2.18) well, I don't like to complain, but

2.19) now, I don't like to complain, but

2.20) the rest of 'em were broken

2.22) my muffler of course started going bad

2.23) twenty minutes and we still haven't seen a waitress

2.24) Waiter, what's this fly doing in my soup

2.25) it does like, it does everything. As far as I've seen

2.26) you really kicked my butt with that last assignment

The Core Meaning: Consider This

2.27) it's supposed to be windy tomorrow

2.28) nobody ever listens to anything I say

2.29) . . . those stupid politicians . . .

2.30) I don't like it when you do that (downslope)

2.31) I don't like it when you do that (bookended narrow pitch)

2.32) you're wrong.

2.33) why'd you take two of them? I didn't take two of them...

Prosodic Bandwidth and Cultural Values

2.34) we can't skip the quality checks