This book is about the melody of speech or intonation. The focus is on how intonation affects the communicative value of spoken discourse in two languages: English and Slovene. It is intended for readers who are interested in the structure of intonation and would like to know more about its many functions in different genres of spoken discourse ranging from rehearsed and interpreted or performed narratives to spontaneous, unrehearsed dialogues. The book is also for all those who believe in the existence of intonation, but find it too difficult and messy for serious linguistic analysis. The author has tried to persuade such individuals that although intonation may be knotted and elusive, it is not entirely without form and meaning. On the contrary, the number of examples quoted from various genres of spoken discourse show the different intonation patterns that we use to make our speech cohesive and coherent or to convey to the addressee our state of mind, emotions, attitudes...
