2.5.- Intonation in questions.

We are going back to questions, now to deal with their pronunciation.This is easy, but you should pay attention because a proper intonation is key to understanding and being understood.

Questions can be pronounced with the voice going up at the end or going down at the end. Normally questions with yes/no answers have a rising intonation, that is, the speaker stresses the ending of the question, and wh- questions have a falling intonation and the speaker stresses the beginning of the question.These are some examples of questions you might hear in an interview. Listen and repeat them out loud paying attention to the intonation pattern.

• Why do you want to work at the Plaza Hotel? Falling.
• What experience have you had? Falling.
• Why do you want to work in hospitality? Falling.
• What attracted you to this job? Falling.
• How well do you work in a team? Falling.
• Can you tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult guest? Rising.
• Are you able to work flexible hours? Rising.