朗阁雅思培训教师表示：某些句型由于句尾语调的改变而引起意义改变的现象。
1. 使用疑问词who, which, what, how, when, where, why的特殊疑问句可以用降调也可以用升调，但含义是不同的。如：
1) A: Mr. Smith thinks we ought to get the money in hand first.
B: Who? （↗）
A: Mr. Smith.
B用升调说“Who”，表示听不清对方谈话中的某一部分，要求对方再重复那一部分。
2) A: We''d like to have someone to say a word at the beginning to welcome the group．
B: Who? （↙）
A: We thought that you or Dr. Johnson might do it.
B用降调说“Who”，其意思是问，对方想让谁在开场时致欢迎词。
2. 附加疑问句可以读升调也可以读降调，意思是不相同的。降调表示发问者相信陈述句的内容，只等对方证实。升调表示发问者对陈述句内容的真实性没有把握，希望对方作出自己的判断。如：
3) A: You will finish the work, won''t you? （↙）
B：Yes, I will.
A用降调提问，意思是：I know you will finish the work, but I want you to confirm it.
4) A: You will finish the work, won''t you? （↗）
B：Yes, I will.（或No, I won''t.）
A用升调提问，表示A心中没有把握，因此，得到的回答既可能是肯定的，也可能是否定的。
因此，如果听到下面的对话并就所提问题进行选择时，哪个选项正确也就不言而喻了。
5) W: Mary says she likes playing tennis.
M: But she doesn''t play tennis often, does she? （↙）
Q: What does the man imply about Mary? （B）
[A] She plays a lot of other sports.
[B] She doesn''t really like tennis.
[C] She only likes watching tennis.
[D] She has a lot of things to do.
3. 语调可以反应谈话人的互动性。如：
6) A: Are you Mr. Blake?
B: Yes. （↙）
A: Room twenty-six.
在这个例子中，B用降调说“Yes”，表示B的认可，这是一个封闭式的回答，这表明如果A没有新的问题要问或新的信息要告知，也许他们的对话就可以结束了。
7) A: Are you Mr. Blake?
B: Yes? （↗）
A: Ah, the secretary would like a word with you.
在这个例子中，B用升调回答“Yes”，表示这是一个开放式的回答，相当于：“Yes. But why do you ask?”或是“Yes. But who wants to know?”之意。这也就是说，B在回答A的问题的同时又向A提出了一个新问题，并要求A予以回答。
掌握了这一点之后，对于下面的对话所提问的问题，就不难回答了。
8) M: How long shall we stay at the Grand Canyon?
W: A day? （↗）
Q: What does the woman mean? （B）
[A] We shall stay at the Grand Canyon for one day.
[B] Shall we stay at the Grand Canyon for one day?
[C] To stay at the Grand Canyon for one day is too short.
[D] To stay at the Grand Canyon for one day is enough.
4. 陈述句式一般读降调，用以陈述事实。若读升调，往往表示对所说事情的怀疑。如：
She lent him her car. （↙）（用以陈述事实）
She lent him her car? （↗）（表示惊奇、怀疑，含有“Did she really lend her car to him?”之意。）
再请看下面的试题：
9) M: I started driving at 8:00 yesterday and arrived here at 5:30 this morning.
W: You drove all night? （↗）
Q: What does the woman mean?
[A] Night driving can be dangerous.
[B] You shouldn''t have driven during the night.
[C] Why don''t you drive all night?
[D] Did you really drive all night?
答案为D。
5. 有些一般疑问句的句式读作降调，实际上表示感叹。如：Hasn''t she grown! （↙）这句话实则表示：她长得多快！请看下面的试题：
10) M: Wasn''t Sam''s speech great! （↙）
W: Are you serious?
Q: What does the man say about Sam''s speech?
[A] Sam''s speech wasn''t great, was it?
[B] Sam''s speech was great, wasn''t it?
[C] Sam gave a serious speech.
[D] Sam was not serious.
答案为B。
这里顺便说一下，问句不表示疑问的另一种情况：当一方提出一个问题，而另一方用问句作为回答时，这个问句有时是不需要回答的，而实际上相当于陈述句，但别有意味。如：
11) A: Are you going to watch TV again?
B: What else is there to do? （↗）
B反问A一个问题“What else is there to do?”，意思是：（除了看电视）还有什么好干的呢？因此，对下面的问题就不难回答了。
12) M: Do you think Petty is qualified to do the job?
W: If Petty is not, who is? （↗）
Q: What does the woman mean? （C）
[A] Petty is not qualified for the job.
[B] Nobody is qualified for the job.
[C] Petty is well qualified for the job.
[D] All except Petty are qualified for the job.
有些一般疑问句句式也不需要回答，其功能也相当于陈述句，但肯定结构表否定，否定结构表肯定，而且传递了说话人浓烈的情绪。如：
13) W: Haven''t you got anything better to do? （↗）
M: Ok, Mum, I''ll turn off the TV and begin to do my homework.
显然，妈妈的意思是责备儿子不应该看电视，而应该做比看电视更有益的事，也就是说，妈妈认为儿子有更好的事可做。而对话中，儿子当然也明白妈妈的意思，因此说要关掉电视，开始做功课。再如：
14) M: I''ve observed you for ten minutes. What have you been doing?
W: Are you blind? （↗）
Q: What can be inferred about the woman''s attitude toward the man? （B）
[A] Polite.
[B] Unfriendly.
[C] Indifferent.
[D] Cautious.
女士用肯定结构的一般疑问句说“Are you blind?”，意思是说“你不是瞎子，难道看不见吗？”故而可知，女士不太友善。
总而言之，只要英语学习者内心树立了对语调的重视意识，培养起敏感的感知能力和反应能力，经过多年的英语学习和积累，再加上我们从母语中获得的语调知识，我们肯定能成功应付语调的问题。而在听力考试中，除了我们能听得到的说话人的语音特征，如语速的*调高的语调范围及语调之外，辅之以词汇意义的上下文线索的四个选项所圈定的范围等，选出正确的选项应该不是一个困难的问题。
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