| Author(s) | Lafi M. Alharbi |
| Affiliation | Associate Professor, Department of English, Kuwait University, Kuwait |
| Title | Grammaticality of Intonation: A Case Study of ‘Tonality’ and Clause Structure |
| Source | Journal of King Saud University. Arts. Volume 16, No 2. (2004/1424) |
| Abstract | This paper reports on the investigation of the interdependency of intonation phrasing and some grammatical constructions of an utterance. Tonality -as the basic component of intonation- is examined in order to assess its correspondence with the clause structure. Two recorded texts of spontaneous speech (3308 words) made by male speakers of Arabic, in various language situations, are analyzed. More than 790 intonation groups are examined in conjunction with various grammatical constructions. ‘One clause is one tone group" is a misrepresentation of the interdependency of the intonation and the grammar of an utterance. Findings suggest that interlocutors communicate, more informatively, by means of producing intonation phrases that coincide, at different degrees, with elements of a clause. Thus, tonality is best associated with element(s) of a clause rather than the clause as a whole. |
