In certain combinations, the tone meaning depends not on the nuclear tone alone but on a particular combination of prenuclear pattern and tone.

1. PRENUCLEAR AND NUCLEAR
TONE MEANING
FINER DISTINCTIONS OF TONE
5.8

2. COMBINATION OF PRENUCLEAR PATTERN
• TONE MEANING = NUCLEAR TONE + a particular combination of
PRENUCLEAR pattern and TONE
• HEADS before a FALL and a LOW RISE
• DEFAULT head before a fall is the HIGH HEAD
• USING a LOW RISING HEAD adds a special tone meaning = PROTEST
• We’ve /waiting for hours.
• You /shouldn’t keep on complaining like that.
• What on /earth does she thinks she’s doing?

3. COMPARE

4. (COMBINATION OF) PRENUCLEAR PATTERN
The HEAD with a LEADING DEPENDENT LOW RISE may be high or low, al least in
British English:
♦ I 'opened the /door | and 'looked in. or
♦ I ͅopened the /door | and 'looked in.
♦ In 'central /London | there’s a congestion charge. or
♦ In ͅcentral /London | there’s a congestion charge
With a TRAILING DEPENDENT RISE, the prenuclear pattern is always low:
♦ You can 'do what you like, | as ͅfar as /I’m concerned.

5. With an INDEPENDENT RISE, the choice of prenuclear pattern may affect the tone
meaning. In statement or command, a high head or prehead with a low rise creates
SOOTHING and REASSURING effect, SOUND PATRONINZING:
♦ Now 'don’t /worry. | I’m 'not going to /hurt you.
♦ 'Could I make a sug/gestion?
A LOW LEVEL HEAD before a rise, sound DEFENSIVE, GRUDGING & NON-SUPPORTIVE:
♦ The top's fallen off. ♦ I ͅͅdon’t suppose it /matters.
♦ Her per'formance was /dire! ♦ Oh it ͅwasn’t as bad as /that.
With YES-NO QUESTIONS, a HIGH HEAD plus a LOW RISE = FORMAL (BrE) a LOW PRENUCLEAR
PATTERN plus HIGH RISE suggest INFORMATILITY
♦ D’you 'come here ̷often? (only Bre, can sound formal)
♦ D’you ͅcome here /often? (Casual)

6. A WIDE RISE may have either a LOW or (BrE) a HIGH PRENUCLEAR pattern:
♦ D’you 'come here ¦often? (surprised)
♦ D’you ͅcome here ¦often? (surprised, only in BrE)
Before a HIGH FALL-RISE, the usual HEAD is a HIGH (i.e LEVEL) head.
The HEAD pattern is thus the same for the HIGH RISE, just as the TONE MEANING is similar
to that of the HIGH RISE
You 'think he’s doing ˅what?
'No one is blaming ˅you.
That’s 'not what i’ve ˅said. (indignant)
'Don’t start till they’re ˅ready. (warning)