Read the following text and speak on Direct Address (DA) and its positions in a sentence

Direct address (DA) can occur in the sentence initial, medial and final positions.

¨ in the sentences initial position DA normally forms a separate tone unit which is pronounced with the Fall-Rise in a friendly conversation or to attract the interlocutor’s attention and with the Low Fall in formal speech situations, e.g.

_ÊÍMichael,| hurry up, we’re are going to be late again!

Mrs_.ÊBoddington, |why haven’t come on time?

¨ in sentence medial and final positions DA often sounds as an unstressed or partly-stressed tail of the preceding intonation group; sometimes DA in these positions can sound with the Low Rise if the preceding content word is pronounced with the Low /High Fall, thus making a part of the Fall-Rise,

e.g. Good _Íbye, Sam!What’s the _Êmatter with you, Mr. Walker?

Don’t do such a silly _Êthing, _ÍMax!

Pronunciation Practice.

4.1. Listen to the dialogue “Summer Rent”, mark stresses and tunes according to the model. Practice its reading after the speakers.

Summer Rent

Don:Good morning, Homefinders. Don speaking. How may I help you?

Mr.Adams:Good morning. I’m calling to enquire about renting a summer cottage for the month of August.

Don:Right. Which area did you have in mind, sir?

Mr.Adams: Well, somewhere quiet by the sea.

Don:I see. And how many bedrooms are you looking for?

Mr.Adams:Just one.

Don:Alright, let me see what we have … ah yes, we have a lovely cottage in Portsmouth.

Mr.Adams:How much is it?

Don:It’s £200 a week.

Mr.Adams:That sounds promising! Can you send me the details?

Don:Of course.

Prepare test reading of the dialogue and then act it out with your partner in front of the group. Your pronunciation skills will be evaluated according to the following scheme.

Pronunciation Grading Scheme

Point-to-Grade Conversion Scale