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Lesson 22 - And/Or series, "or" questions

Imitation​

As you imitate the speech in this story, pay special attention to the non-final intonation.

Review​

As I say the following words, match them to the intonation patterns below:

  • want to
  • want

non final

Practice reading the following sentences will all three pronunciation patterns. (Note that the "if" clause can't use the finished pattern.)

  • A friend of the wise becomes wise; a friend of fools becomes a fool.
  • I'd like to, but I'm busy that night.
  • If you smile, I'll take your picture.

"And" Series​

When you have three or more things in a list, you separate them with commas and put an "and" before the last one.

Here is an example:

  • I like ice cream, chocolate, and pickles.

When you have this type of series, the first items use a rising intonation and the final item uses a falling intonation.

and series 1

Here it goes normal-to-high for the first items, but it is also common to hear high-to-normal. Both of these mean "unfinished".

and series 2

It is only at the last item of the series that you have high-low or high-to-low which signifies that the list if finished.

  • Let's look at some more examples:
  • She can speak English, Chinese, and Mongolian.
  • He'd like a hamburger, some french fries, and a Coke.
  • One, two, three, four, five, six, seven!

You can hear this intonation in the game Duck, Duck, Goose:

"Or" Series​

You can get a similar pattern with a list with "or":

  • We can eat at McDonald's, KFC, or Pizza Hut.
  • You can choose between red, white, brown, or green.

"Or" Questions​

There are two different kinds of "or" questions and many students of English give the wrong answer because they misunderstand the intonation.

Have a look at these apples:

Apples Or comparison

Looking at each one, let's ask the following two questions:

Is the apple red or green?

Is the apple red or green?

Can I smoke or drink on campus?

Can I smoke and drink on campus?

no smoking and drinking

Here are some more. Chose the best intonation.

  • Do you prefer pop music or classical music?
  • In the winter do you like to skate or ski?
  • Will you have coffee or tea?
  • Have you ever played volleyball or basketball?
  • Is the traffic light red or green?
  • Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Final exam dialog​

Where do you see today's intonation in the final exam dialog?

Final exam dialog

Homework​

Take the IPA exam on the app again. 50 double sounds. Have you improved?