10. The terrace

The only common use for the Terrace is for non-final word groups; and, as the following examples make clear, this tone group is readily used to show non-finality with all five sen­tence types.

STATEMENTS

>Soon | it'll be ^‛Spring again. ||

If you 'don't >want it | I should 'just ^‛leave it ||

I 'found the >bottle, | 'took out the >cork | and 'poured a ^‛drink.

I 'went across the >road | with ^‛murder in my heart ||

>Six, | >seven, | >eight, | >nine, | ^‛ten. ||

WH-QUESTIONS

'When did you ˚see >John | to 'ask him about ^‛money? ||

'How can we de>cide | if we 'haven't ˚got the ^‛facts? ||

'Why did you >act | so 'very im^‛pulsively? ||

YES-NO QUESTIONS

Is 'that the ˚best you can >do | to 'patch it ,up? ||

'Are you >ready | to 'make a 'real ^‛effort? |

'Did >John | 'ever ˚give you that ,money back? ||

COMMANDS

'Come over >here | and 'tell me ˚all a^‛bout it. ||

'Don't make accu>sations | with'out ^‛evidence. ||

'Let me have a >look | and I'll ^‛tell you. ||

INTERJECTIONS

'What a >pity | you 'just ˚couldn't ^‛manage it! ||

'How >strange | that they 'never ˚really ^‛tried! ||

'Good>bye | and 'good ^‛riddance! ||

In all these examples the Terrace shows simply that the word group is introducing something more. It creates none of the expectancy about what follows which we mentioned in con­nection with the Low Bounce and which even the High Bounce expresses, though to a much smaller extent. It is fair to say that the Terrace implies continuation and nothing else in non-final word groups.

With final word groups the Terrace is rare. It is possible with statements and interjections; and then it gives an im­pression of calling out to someone, as if at a distance.

Examples

Where are you, John? 'Just >coming.

What did you say? 'Dinner's >ready.

I've brought your hammer. 'Good >girl! || 'Thank >you!

25