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Rise -Fall ^No

Roughly speaking the falling tone of any level and range
expresses "certainty", "completeness", "independence". Thus a

straight-forward statement normally ends with a falling tone since
it asserts a fact of which the speaker is certain. It has an air of

finality, e.g.

Where's John? – He ->'hasn't ,come yet.
What's the time? – It's \nearly 'five o\c1ock.

A rising tone of any level and range on the contrary expresses
"uncertainty", "incompleteness" or "dependence". A general

question, for instance, has a rising tone, as the speaker is uncertain
of the truth of what he is asking about, e.g.

I think I'll go now. – >Are you ,ready?
Michael is coming to London. – \ls he 'coming ,soon?

Parenthetical and subsidiary information in a statement is also
often spoken with a rising tone, or a mid-level tone, because this

information is incomplete, being dependent for its full
understanding on the main assertion, e.g.

I'm not sure I can join you now. – If you > like | we can \go to
the 'picnic \later.

Encouraging or polite denials, commands, invitations, greetings,
farewells, etc. are generally spoken with a rising tone.

What shall I do now? – >Do go ,on.

Could you join us? – >Not ,now.

A falling-rising tone may combine the falling tone's meaning of
"assertion", "certainty" with the rising tone's meaning of

dependence, incompleteness. At the end of a phrase it often
conveys a feeling of reservation; that is, it asserts something and at

the same time suggests that there is something else to be said, e.g.

Do you like pop-music? – ,Some,times. (but not in general)

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