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Let’s try a quick exercise. I’ll say a statement, and you choose the most appropriate response.

Do you want to see a beautiful umbrella from Japan?

Yes?

Yes.

Yes!

Hopefully, you responded with enthusiasm and said, “Yes!” Yes!

Well here it is. Let me show you the inside.

What do you think?

It’s beautiful?

It’s beautiful.

It’s beautiful!

Well, I hope you gave a compliment and said, “It’s beautiful!” Both times the most appropriate response was neither rising nor falling intonation. It was a combination of the two. A rise-fall. Yes! It’s beautiful!

This is one of the intonation patterns we’ll practice in this video. We’ll focus on intonation to express strong emotions.

Learn intonation patterns in English with Jennifer.

The rise-fall intonation pattern uses a sharp rise before the fall. By “sharp” I mean it’s quick and it’s high.

We use this rise-fall combination to express strong emotions like a good surprise. Wow!

A bad surprise. Wow.

Anger. Idiot! Sarcasm. Wonderful. And delight. Wonderful! You try the pattern.

What if I told you that you wouldn’t have the Internet for a whole month? How would you respond? How would you say these words?

No! That’s horrible! That’s unimaginable!

Again, there’s a sharp rise before the fall. Even if you have only one syllable, you need to go up and then down. As in, “No!” If you have more than one syllable to work with, there can be some stepping.

As in, that’s horrible, That’s horrible. That’s unimaginable! That’s unimaginable!

An exception could be questions that ask for confirmation. Because we feel strong emotion, there’s still that sharp rise, but then you continue rising. That includes yes-no questions, for example: Really?! Or it could be a wh- question that we need to repeat because we’re so surprised by the answer.

What did you just say?! You try the sharp rise. What if I tell you that tomorrow you can have dinner with your favorite celebrity at a five-star restaurant? How would you respond? How would you say these words?

Really? I can?

I should note that there are alternative patterns for expressing negative emotions, like anger and disappointment.

For example, we can use level intonation, where you stay at the same pitch. Or there can be a long fall after a short rise. Our team just got asked to write another report. Yay. Our flight has just been canceled again! Oh no. Great. Let’s try a dialog. It’ll go like this.

Do you know how old this umbrella is?

How old?

I got it about twenty years ago.

You’re kidding! I don’t have anything older than five years.

Really?

Yeah, I don’t like to hold on to things for a long time.

I’m just the opposite.

Now I’ll be person A, and you’ll be person B.

Do you know how old this umbrella is?

I got it about twenty years ago.

Really?

I’m just the opposite.

Let’s try switching, Okay?

I’ll take role B, and you take role A.

How old?

You’re kidding!

I don’t have anything older than five years.

Yeah, I don’t like to hold on to things for a long time.

Be sure to practice the dialog a few times. I’ll also give you a few more models now that you can use for listen-repeat practice. They’re all models of strong emotion.

Wonderful!

That’s great!

Really?

Great.

No way!

I can’t believe it.

He said that?

That was perfect.

Don’t do that.

I absolutely Love it.

That’s all for now. Thanks for watching and happy studies!