Phát âm tiếng anh nâng cao – Unit 48: Yêu cầu và “sự dành trước” – Học Hay

A

- Khi chúng ta muốn nhờ ai đó làm điều gì đó cho mình, ta thường thể hiện điều này một cách lịch sự bằng cách sử dụng ngữ điệu xuống-lên (fall-rise):

I need to get to the airport by six. Don’t suppose you can give me a LIFT (fall-rise)?

You couldn’t carry it upSTAIRS for me (fall-rise)?

I suppose I could come over on Saturday, but Sunday would be EAsier (fall-rise).
(= yêu cầu ai đó thay đổi kế hoạch của họ)

- Tuy nhiên, lưu ý rằng, nếu chúng ta đề nghị làm điều gì đó cho ai đó, câu nói sẽ nghe có vẻ chân thành hơn, như một lời đề nghị giúp đỡ chân thực hơn, nếu ta sử dụng ngữ điệu xuống thay cho ngữ điệu xuống-lên (fall-rise) (Unit 43C ):

Do you want a HAND (fall)?         nghe chân thật hơn là:

Do you want a HAND (rise)?        hoặc: Do you want a HAND (fall-rise)?

B

- Ta thường sử dụng ngữ điệu giảm-tăng (fall-rise) khi muốn chỉ ra “sự dành trước” về một cái gì đó. Ví dụ khi ta có thể không hoàn toàn đồng ý với điều gì đó hoặc khi biết rằng những gì mình đang nói chỉ đúng một phần hoặc khi không chắc chắn rằng những gì mình đang nói sẽ được chấp nhận:

A: Do you like her paintings?
B: YES (fall). (=I do)          but: B: YES (fall-rise). (= tôi không chắc hoặc tôi thích một số)

A: Is it an interesting town?
B: The OLD parts are (fall-rise). (= những phần khác thì không)

A: You lost again, I hear.
B: I did my BEST (fall-rise). (= người nói rõ ràng là kỳ vọng nhiều hơn)

- Ta cũng dùng ngữ điệu xuống-lên để nói về một sắp xếp bị hủy bỏ:

A: Are you going to the conference next week?
B: Well, I was PLANning to go (fall-rise), but I’ve got too much WORK (fall).

C

- Trong câu phủ định, đôi khi có sự khác biệt trong ý nghĩa khi ta dùng ngữ điệu giảm hoặc ngữ điệu giảm-tăng (fall-rise).

A: It’s a pity Ann was ill and missed the party.
B: She didn’t miss the party because she was ILL (fall-rise). (=  mà do 1 lý do khác)

but: A: I wonder why Ann missed the party.
B: She missed it because she was ILL (fall). (= đây là lý do)

A: I’ll get some cheese while I'm out.
B: I don’t want ANy cheese (fall-rise). (= tôi muốn 1 loại cụ thể)

but: A: How much cheese shall I get?
B: I don’t want ANy cheese (fall-rise). (= không muốn bất kỳ loại cheese nào)

48.1 Listen to these sentences and underline the syllable where the fall-rising tone starts.

EXAMPLE: I don’t suppose you'd like to buy one?

1 You couldn’t do me a favour?

2 Do you want to borrow my umbrella?

3 [’d rather meet at ten, if you can make it.

4 Couldn’t you come another day?

5 Will you be able to write a reference for me?

6 Can I open the door for you?

7 Can you get something for me from town while you’re there?

Now say the sentences aloud. Make sure you use a fall-rising tone, starting on the underlined syllable. Which two of the sentences would sound more polite or sincere with a falling tone?

48.2 Match A's statements with B's responses, which express reservation. Then underline the syllable in B's responses where you think the fall-rising tone will start.

A: Mr Brown's an excellent dentist. A: I've put on a lot of weight recently. A: Dali's paintings were so strange. A: You're very good at chess, aren't you? A: Great news about Martha's new job. A: It's a pity you couldn't come skiing with us.

…………….. B: His later ones were. ………….. B: I wanted to come. ……1……..B: He's very good with children. …………..B: It was certainly unexpected. …………..B: Well, | used to play well. …………..B: You still look fit, though.

Now listen and check your answers. Press ‘pause’ before each B part and read it aloud. Then press ‘play’ again and compare your pronunciation with what follows.

48.3 Tick (X) the more likely continuation in each case.

Example: I didn’t decide not to buy the hat because it was too exPENsive (fall-rise)...
(i) I just didn’t like the colour. (X)                              (ii) I don’t have much money at the moment.

1 I didn’t buy the car because it was CHEAP (fall)...   2 She didn’t fail the exam because she was LAzy (fall-rise)... 3 He won’t play in ANy tournaments (fall-rise)...     4 I don’t like ANyone borrowing my bike (fall)...

(i) I'd have been happy to pay a lot more for it. (ii) So I guessed it wouldn’t be reliable. (i) I was always telling her to work harder. (ii) She was really ill on the day. (i) He says he’s too old. (ii) He only plays where there’s a lot of prize money. (i) It’s really valuable. (ii) I only lend it to my closest friends.

 

Now listen and check your answers. Then say the sentences aloud, including the correct continuation.

ĐÁP ÁN

48.1

1 You couldn’t do me a favour?

2 Do you want to borrow my umbrella?

3 I’d rather meet at ten, if you can make it.

4 Couldn’t you come another day?

5 Will you be able to write a reference for me?

6 Can I open the door for you?

7 Can you get something for me from town while you’re there?

Numbers 2 and 6 would probably sound more polite or sincere with a falling (rather than a fall- rising) tone, as they are offers.

48.2

(Speaker A = Spain)

A: Mr Brown's an excellent dentist. A: I've put on a lot of weight recently. A: Dali's paintings were so strange. A: You're very good at chess, aren't you? A: Great news about Martha's new job. A: It's a pity you couldn't come skiing with us.

……3……  B: His later ones were. ……6……..B: I wanted to come. ……1……..B: He's very good with children. ……5……..B: It was certainly unexpected. ……4……..B: Well, I used to play well. ……2……..B: You still look fit, though.

 

48.3

1 ii

2 ii

3 ii

4 i