Listening: Basic Auditory Perception & Discrimination A2 - Lesson 3: Recognizing Basic Intonation Patterns (questions vs. statements reliably)

The Music of English: Intonation

CEFR Level A2

Lesson Goals

In this lesson, you will learn about intonation—the 'melody' of English. You will practice hearing the difference between a falling voice (for statements) and a rising voice (for questions).

Rising vs. Falling Voices

The way a speaker's voice goes up or down at the end of a sentence is called intonation. It's a small change, but it can completely change the meaning of what you say.

Falling Intonation for Statements

A statement is a sentence that gives information. In English, the voice usually falls at the end. This sounds confident and final.

"You are a student."Falling

"He is from Cambodia."Falling

Rising Intonation for Yes/No Questions

A question you can answer with "yes" or "no" usually has a rising voice at the end. This sounds like you are asking for information.

"You are a student?"Rising

"He is from Cambodia?"Rising

Listen to the Difference

Let's compare them side-by-side. Listen carefully to how the 'melody' changes the meaning.

Statement (Falling)

"The market is open."

Question (Rising)

"The market is open?"

Statement (Falling)

"She works at a hotel."

Question (Rising)

"She works at a hotel?"

Key Tip: Why Intonation Matters

Intonation is very important for clear communication. Imagine you are talking to a hotel receptionist in Siem Reap.

• If you say, "The tour is at 8." with a falling voice, you are giving information. You sound confident.
• If you say, "The tour is at 8?" with a rising voice, you are asking a question. You are checking if the information is correct.

Using the wrong intonation can sometimes confuse the listener!

Practice: Statement or Question?

Listen to each sentence in the audio. Is the intonation falling (a statement) or rising (a question)? Choose the correct answer.

1. Sentence 1: Is it a statement or a question?
2. Sentence 2: Is it a statement or a question?
3. Sentence 3: Is it a statement or a question?
4. Sentence 4: Is it a statement or a question?

Show Answers

Answers: 1. Statement (Falling), 2. Question (Rising), 3. Question (Rising), 4. Statement (Falling)

Vocabulary

• Intonation (noun) [សំនៀង]

  The "melody" of a sentence; the way the voice rises and falls when speaking.

• Statement (noun) [សេចក្តីថ្លែងការណ៍]

  A sentence that gives information and usually has falling intonation.

• Question (noun) [សំណួរ]

  A sentence that asks for information and often has rising intonation.

Your Mission

It's time to practice your listening and speaking skills!

1. Practice with a Friend: Say the sentence, "You are hungry." First, say it as a statement (voice down). Then, say it as a question (voice up). Ask your friend if they can hear the difference.
2. Listen to Conversations: When you watch an English movie or TV show, close your eyes for one minute. Don't worry about the words. Just listen to the 'music' of the voices. Can you hear when the voices go up and down?