For Day 7 of 30 Days of Intonation, we're going to look at using a common tag question the way we do here in the US:

You did?

Rather than explain precisely how Americans commonly use tag questions, I'm going to show you how much can be expressed through your voice.

Let's start by looking at how to say "You did?" in order to verbally nod your head with non-committal, wavy intonation.

This is a good way to show active listening and keep the other person talking.

To show interest or curiosity, you want to use rising intonation to express that you are checking and confirming what the other person.

This higher pitch signals your desire to hear more.

To take your intonation further, you can show stronger shock, surprise, or excitement by increasing your pitch and lengthening your vowels.

Remember, starting from a higher pitch immediately signals enthusiasm or amazement!

Of course, we can't forget showing annoyance or disappointment by using flat intonation - by now, you should have a clearer understanding of why it is so important to learn how to vary your pitch to avoid sounding like a robot!

Related Examples: