Sentence type and communicative function
Sentence types: Grammatical resources for
forming acceptable sentences
Declarative (S+V+X)
John’s going away. We have to read chapter 6
Imperative ([S] V+X)
(Don’t) Go away! (You) Read chapter 6!
Exclamatory (Wh + S+V)
What wonderful news that is!
Wh-interrogative (Wh (+S) +V)
Where’s he going? What do we have to read? Who
wants to read chapter 6?
Yes-no interrogative (aux +S+V+X)
Is John going away? Do we have to read chapter
6?
Tag interrogative (declarative + V+S)
John’s going away, isn’t he? We don’t have to read
chapter 6, do we?
Communicative function: What the speaker wants
to do with the utterance, how s/he wants the
hearer to respond
Task to
perform
Statement
Give
information
Command
Demand
goods &
services
Typical
Example
intonation
John’s
Falling
going
a\way
Falling
Go a\way
What
Express
Falling
wonderful
Exclamation
emotion
(HF)
\news that
is
WhAsk for
Falling
Where’s
question
information (HF)
he \going?
Ask for
Is John
Yes-no
information: Rising (LR) going
question
“True-false”
a/way?
Note: There is a typical, but not necessary
relationship between sentence type and
communicative function:
Declarative  Statement (Ex 3a)
Imperative  Command (Ex 3f)
Exclamatory  exclamation
Wh-interrogative  Wh-question (Ex 3i)
Yes-no interrogative  Yes-no question (Ex 3l)
Tag interrogative  Yes-no question or statement
depending on intonation (Ex 3 r, s, t)
John’s going a\way | /isn’t he
John’s going a\way | \isn’t he
Note:
 Communicative functions are worked out on
the basis of sentence type, intonation and
context.
 E.g. rising intonation can make a declarative
function as a question (ex. 3b)
 Many communicative functions do not have a
typical realization, e.g. offer, invitation,
suggestion, request.
4 Low Fall Nucleus
A falling tone with much the same meaning as the
High Fall, but less lively and involved.
Note lower starting point than the High Fall
Examples on handout – listen and repeat!
Note: LF occurs with high head or emphatic high
head. A prehead is usually low, and the tail is low.
(As with HF)
Note contrast with High fall – they convey different
attitudinal meanings. LF  calm, serious, neutral.
HF  lively, involved (emotional, e.g. cheerful,
enthusiastic, agitated etc.)
5 High Rise Nucleus
A rising tone with a higher starting point than LR.
More restricted use than LR. Sounds casual, not
too involved. Non-conclusive.
Occurs with high head or emphatic high head. Tail
is rising (as with LR).
Examples: Listen and repeat.
Grammatical factors determining the use of
weak forms in English
Incomplete phrases
Weak forms of prepositions (with the exception of
// for <to>) are only used when the rest of the
prepositional phrase follows.
e.g.
| Did they COME from (/f/) TOWN? |
BUT: | WHERE did they COME from
(RP: //, GA //)
The weak form /t/ of the infinitive marker ‘to’ is
only used when the infinitive verb follows.
e.g. | They want to /t/ GO |
BUT
| Will they WANT to //, Jane? |
Weak forms of auxiliary verbs are only used when
the main verb occurs in the clause.
e.g. | They can (//) GO | Can (//) they
go?)
BUT
| They can’t GO, can (/æ/) they? |
Note also that weak forms of auxiliary verbs are
not used when the weak form /nt/ of ‘not’ is added
e.g. | They wouldn’t (//) GO |
4: Grammatical function
Auxiliary verbs vs. main verbs
DO: WHO does (/) he think he IS? WHO does
(/) the ACCOUNTS?
HAVE: I have (//) READ it. I have (//) the
book at HOME.
But note have to, has to, had to: always strong
form of have.
I have to (/ /) read it SOON.
BE: Weak when unstressed even when main verb.
I was (//) at home.
I was (//) reading.
THAT:
Relative pronoun (=’som’): weak when unstressed
& non-final
Conjunction (=’at’): weak when unstressed & nonfinal
Demonstrative pronoun/determiner (=’den’/’det’):
always strong.
SOME:
= ‘an unspecified amount/number of…”: weak
when unstressed & non-final
Other meanings of some: always strong
some of: always strong
some without following noun: always strong
‘
THERE:
Existential there (=’det’): usually weak (i.e. when
unstressed)
Locative there (=’der’/’dit’): always strong.