KANE ZYRIL R.

BERNARDINO
IV-ABEL

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters
Lingayen, Pangasinan

TESL LESSON PLAN

FOUR INTONATION PATTERNS
I. Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
A. Differentiate between /d/ and /ð/ sounds

B. Give the meaning of common idiomatic expressions based on contextual clues

C. Differentiate the functions of different intonation patterns.

D. Identify the proper intonation in a sentence.

E. Give examples of each intonation patterns.

II. Subject Matter:
A. Speech Improvement- /d/ and /ð/ sounds

B. Vocabulary- Idiomatic Expressions

C. Four Intonation Patterns

1. Falling Intonation
2. Rising intonation
3. Rise- Fall Intonation
4. Fall- Rise Intonation
Reference: The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. XIII, No. 11, November 2007
By: Joshua Cohen
III. Instructions
A. Speech

1. Words
/d/ vs /ð/
dose those
day they
 dare there
den then
dough though
die thy
breed breathe
bade bathe
ride writhe
load loathe
2. Phrases

They seized the day

There was a dare
Loathe the load
3. Sentences
There was a dare in the party.
The lathe was used as they laid down the den.
B. Vocabulary
Directions: Read and analyze each sentence. Pick out the clue word/words which
may be used to give the meaning of the underlined word/words in the sentence.
1. The right-wing senators opposed the passage of the SOGIE bill.
a. Liberal
b. A chicken body part
c. Conservative
d. Right-handed
context clue: opposed the passage
2. Filipinos we’re left in the dark when the Spaniards sold the Philippines to
the Americans.
a. At night
b. A dimly lit room
c. Suffering
 d. In a state of ignorance
context clue: we’re left
3. The new model of Mitsubishi Montero is selling like hotcakes.
a. Selling rapidly
b. A freshly cooked pancake
c. Very affordable
d. Very expensive
context clue: new model
4. I’ll move heaven and earth to finish in top 10 percentile in the exam.
a. Make a cheat sheet
b. Make supreme effort
c. Study well
d. Pray to God
context clue: finish in top 10
5. Farmers are angry because of the low prices at which government agencies
are buying their product. Let’s wait for the dust to settle before we negotiate
with them.
a. Wait for the wind to stop
b. Clean the dirt
c. Allow the situation to calm down
d. Escalate the situation
context clue: angry
6. If Kim thinks that I’m going to my math homework, she’s barking up the
wrong tree.
a. Asking the wrong person
b. Rabid dog
c. Getting angry
d. Shameless
context clue: let her copy
7. Alan was excited when he found out that he would have his own front row
parking spot at the university, but that was just the icing on the cake.
a. Wishful thinking
b. Very sweet
c. Additional incentive
d. Illegal
context clue: excited
8. Working at Burger King was at first overwhelming to Kyle, but now he
knows the ropes.
a. Bad at his job
b. Have proper experience
c. Still learning the basics
d. Was fired
context clue: was at first overwhelming
9. After playing for three straight quarters, the quarterback was running out of
steam.
a. Full of energy
b. Hungry
c. Getting tired
d. Really upset
context clue: playing for three straight quarters
10. The Lakers thought that they would easily beat the other team, but when it
was tied with a minute left in the fourth quarter, they knew that this game was
really coming down to the wire.
a. Will play for overtime
b. Winning
c. A losing battle
d. Until the last possible second.
context clue: tied with a minute left
C. Motivation
Do you love dogs? Do you prefer dogs over cats? Why?
D. Presentation

CONVERSATION ABOUT MICHEAL’S NEW DOG

Ana: Hi James!
James: Hello Ana! How are you?
Ana: I’m good. Have you heard of the dog pound near our school?
James: Yes, I’ve heard about it. I want to go there and check if I can adopt a
new furbaby.
Ana: Great. Micheal told me that he recently visited that pound.
James: Is he planning to adopt one?
Ana: Yes, in fact, He got a dog.
James: He got a dog? That’s awesome!
Ana: He adopted an askal.
James: Cool!

E. Comprehension Questions
1. What is the topic of conversation between Ana and James?
Answer: They are talking about Micheal’s new dog
2. How did James react when Ana told him that Micheal adopted a new dog?
Answer: James was surprised.
3.When Ana and James said the phrase “he got a dog”, did they convey the
same thought?
Answer: No, Anna said it as a statement while James said it to ask
for confirmation.
The teacher will now introduce the importance of proper intonation by utilizing
the answers given by the students.
F. Generalization
(a) What are the four intonation patterns? (b) How and when to use the
different intonation patterns in a phrase of sentence?

Intonation describes how the voice rises and falls in speech. The four main
patterns of intonation in English are: falling intonation, rising intonation fall-rise
intonation and rise-fall intonation.
Intonation is about how we say things, rather than what we say, the way the
voice rises and falls when speaking, in other words the music of the
language.
Intonation pattern is the way a person's voice raises and lowers depending
on what they are talking about.
Pitch is the rise and fall of our voice when we speak, sometimes called
"highness" or "lowness." We use pitch to give subtle meaning to sentences.

THREE LEVELS OF PITCH

3 or High Pitch- The most common level of primary word’s stressed syllable.
2 or Middle Pitch- Neutral level, used to start a phrase or sentence.
1 or Low Pitch- Lowest level, often used at the end part of a phrase or
sentence.
KINDS OF INTONATION PATTERNS

1. Falling Intonation (➘)- Falling intonation describes how the voice falls on
the final stressed syllable of a phrase or a group of words. Falling intonation
uses the 2-3-1 pitch pattern.
In a sentence, depending on the focus and the type of sentence, you will
determine which words in each thought group to stress or emphasize by
raising your pitch.
(The pitch of the voice falls at the end of the sentence.)
Falling intonation is the most common intonation pattern in English. It is
commonly found in statements, commands, wh-questions (information
questions), confirmatory question tags and exclamations.

a. Statements (2-3-1 pitch pattern is used to form the proper intonation.)

1. Nice to meet you.

2. I’ll be back in a minute.

3. He studies literature.

4. My brother bought me a new bicycle.

5. Here is the weather forecast.

Although simple independent statements can take any tone, they most often
have a fall. A fall is the default tone for a statement.
The teacher will now ask the students to give an example with proper
intonation.
b. Commands (2-3-1 pitch pattern is used to form the proper intonation.)
1. Write your name here.

2. Show me what you’ve written.

3. Take that picture down.

4. Throw that out.

5. Take your hands out of your pockets.

The teacher will now ask the students to give an example with proper
intonation.

c. Wh- questions (requesting information.) (2-3-1 pitch pattern is used to

form the proper intonation.)
(questions beginning with 'who', 'what', 'why', 'where', 'when', 'which', and
'how')
1. What country do you come from?

2. Where do you work?

3. Which of them do you prefer?

4. When does the shop open?

The teacher will now ask the students to give an example with proper
intonation.

d. Confirmatory Question Tags (statements requesting confirmation

rather than question). (2-3-1 pitch pattern is used to form the proper
intonation.)
 Not all tag questions are questions. Some of them merely ask for
confirmation or invite agreement, in which case we use a falling tone at the
end.
1. He thinks he’s so clever, doesn’t he?

2. She's such a nuisance, isn't she?

3. I failed the test because I didn't revise, did I?

4. It doesn't seem to bother him much, does it?

The teacher will now ask the students to give an example with proper
intonation.

e. Exclamations (2-3-1 pitch pattern is used to form the proper intonation.)

1. How nice of you!

2. That's just what I need!

3. God bless you!

4. What a beautiful voice!

5. You look wonderful!

The teacher will now ask the students to give an example with proper
intonation.

2. Rising Intonation (➚) Rising intonation describes when our pitch rises from
the stressed syllable of the last content word of the sentence and continues to
climb. (2-3 pitch pattern is used to form the proper intonation.)
(The pitch of the voice rises at the end of a sentence.)
Rising intonation invites the speaker to continue talking. It is normally used
with yes/no questions, and question tags that are real questions.
a. Yes/no Questions (Questions that can be answered by 'yes' or 'no'.) (2-3
pitch pattern is used to form the proper intonation.)
1. Do you like your new teacher?

2. Have you finished already?

3. May I borrow your dictionary?

4. Do you have any magazines?

5. Do you sell stamps?

The teacher will now ask the students to give an example with proper
intonation.

b. Questions Tags that show uncertainty and require an answer (real

questions). (2-3 pitch pattern is used to form the proper intonation.)
1. We've met already, haven't we?

2. You like fish, don't you?

3. You're a new student, aren't you?

4. The view is beautiful, isn't it?

The teacher will now ask the students to give an example with proper
intonation.

We sometimes use a combination of rising and falling intonation in the same

sentence. The combination is called Rise-Fall and Fall-Rise intonation.

3. Peaking or Rise-Fall Intonation ( ➚➘) The intonation rises and then falls
and usually happens in words not a syllable of a particular word. We use rise-
fall intonation for choices, lists, unfinished thoughts and conditional
sentences. (2-3-1 pitch pattern is used to form the proper intonation.)
a. Choices (alternative questions.) (2-3-1 pitch pattern is used to form the
proper intonation.)
1. Are you having soup or salad?

2. Is John leaving on Thursday or Friday?

3. Does he speak German or French?

4. Is your name Ava or Eva?

The teacher will now ask the students to give an example with proper
intonation.

b. Lists (rising, rising, rising, falling) (2-3-1 pitch pattern is used to form the
proper intonation.)
Intonation falls on the last item to show that the list is finished.
1. We've got apples, pears, bananas and oranges.

2. The sweater comes in blue, white, pink and black.

3. I like football, tennis, basketball and volleyball.

4. I bought a t-shirt, a skirt and a handbag.

The teacher will now ask the students to give an example with proper
intonation.

c. Unfinished thoughts (partial statements) (2-3-1 pitch pattern is used to

form the proper intonation.)
In the responses to the following questions, the rise-fall intonation indicates
reservation. The speaker hesitates to fully express his/her thoughts.
1. Question: Do you like my new handbag?

Answer: Well the leather is nice... ( but I don't like it.)

2. Question: What was the meal like?

 Answer: Hmm, the fish was good... (but the rest wasn't great).

3. Question: So you both live in Los Angeles?

Answer: Well Alex does ... (but I don't).

The teacher will now ask the students to give an example with proper
intonation.

d. Conditional sentences (The tone rises in the first clause and falls
gradually in the second clause.) (2-3-1 pitch pattern is used to form the proper
intonation.)
1. If he calls, ask him to leave a message.

2. Unless he insists, his plea will be ignored.

3. If you have any problems, just contact us.

The teacher will now ask the students to give an example with proper
intonation.

4. Dipping or Fall-Rise Intonation (➘➚) The voice falls and rises usually
within one word. Fall-rise intonation describes how the voice falls and then
rises. We use fall-rise intonation at the end of statements when we want to say
that we are not sure, or when we may have more to add. (2-1-3 pitch pattern is
used to form the proper intonation.)
The main function of fall-rise intonation is to show that the speaker is not
certain of the answer they are giving to a question, or is reluctant to reply (as
opposed to a falling tone used when there is no hesitation). It is also used in
polite requests or suggestions.

a. Hesitation/reluctance (2-1-3 pitch pattern is used to form the proper

intonation.)
1. Question: So you'd be willing to confirm that?

Answer: Well ... I supose so ...

 2. Question: You didn't see him on Monday?

Answer: Hmm..I don't quite remember ...

The teacher will now ask the students to give an example with proper
intonation.

b. Politeness-Doubt-Uncertainty: (You are not sure what the answer might

be.) (2-1-3 pitch pattern is used to form the proper intonation.)

1. Perhaps we could visit the place?

2. Should we copy the list?

3. Do you think it's allowed?

The teacher will now ask the students to give an example with proper
intonation.

G. Oral Exercises
Identify whether the given phrase or sentence have a Falling Intonation
(FI), Rising Intonation (RI), Rise-Fall Intonation (RFI), or Fall-Rise Intonation
(FRI). Draw the pitch diagram that correspond to the intonation pattern for
each sentence.

___1. Do you like living in Lingayen?

answer: RI
___2. Throw that away.
answer: FI
___3. Are we taking the exam on Monday or Tuesday?
answer: RFI
___4. Well..can we even en..ter airport without ticket?
answer: FRI
___5. What a beautiful voice!
answer: FI
___6. You’re a new student, aren’t you?
answer: RI
___7. Hmm..we’re s..cared of the dark.
answer: FRI
___8. Are you coming to my party?
answer: RI
___9. We’ve got Pomeranians, Golden Retrievers, Shih Tzu’s and Pugs.
answer: RFI
___10. It doesn’t seem to bother him much, does it?
answer: FI

___11. Hmm..do you think it's per..mitted?

answer: FRI
___12. Unless he insists, I'm not going to go.
answer: RFI
___13. The milk was delivered yesterday.
answer: FI
___14. You watched the concert, didn’t you?
answer: RI
___15. For him to pass, he must do his school work.
answer: RFI
___16. Well.. That es..calated quickly.
answer: FRI
___17. When did you arrive?
answer: FI
 ___18. Have you finished your work?
answer: RI
___19. She loves chocolates, flowers, and stuffed toys for valentines.
answer: RFI
___20. Hmm. Should I vi..sit tomorrow?
answer: FRI

H. Enrichment Activity
Have two groups with four members each. Each group must give five
phrase/sentence each for Falling Intonation (FI), Rising Intonation (RI), Rise-
Fall Intonation (RFI), or Fall-Rise Intonation (FRI). Draw the intonation pattern
of each sentences

GROUP 1 GROUP 2
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. FI 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. RI 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. RFI 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.
1 FRI 1.
2.. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.

I. Evaluation- Quiz
Identify the intonation pattern of the given sentences by writing FI for Falling
Intonation, RI for Rising Intonation, RFI for Rise-Fall Intonation, and FRI for
Fall-Rise Intonation. Draw the pitch diagram that correspond to the intonation
pattern for each sentence.

___1. I love your jacket.

answer: FI
___2. Well.. Do you think it’s al..lowed?
answer: FRI
___3. If you have any problems, just contact us.
answer: RFI
___4. How much does that jacket cost?
answer: FI
___5. Do you sell stamps?
answer: RI
___6. Do you want mango or banana?
answer: RFI
___7. Hmm..I’m having se..cond thought on this.
answer: FRI
___8. Where are you going?
answer: FI
___9. He is selfish, uptight, impolite, and obnoxious.
answer: RFI
___10. Do you sell popcorn?
answer: RI
___11. That’s a surprise!
answer: FI
___12. Do I real..ly have to do this?
answer: FRI
___13. He really is a prick, isn’t he?
answer: FI
___14. Do you like Apple or Samsung?
answer: RFI
___15. Will you marry me?
answer: RI
___16. Hmm.. I’m having se..cond thought on this.
answer: FRI
___17. Do you live here?
answer: RI
___18. Are you going to Singapore or Thailand?
answer: RFI
___19. Did you punch him?
answer: RI
___20. Hmm.. I can’t re..call.
answer: FRI

IV. Assignment
In a ½ crosswise, write down five phrases or sentences for each of the four
intonation patterns. Draw the pitch diagram that correspond to the intonation
pattern for each sentence.
(Falling Intonation (FI), Rising Intonation (RI), Rise-Fall Intonation (RFI), or
Fall-Rise Intonation (FRI).)