{"id":50671,"date":"2019-11-05T01:15:29","date_gmt":"2019-11-05T01:15:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/127.0.0.1\/aee\/aee-1255-does-intonation-matter-it-sure-does\/"},"modified":"2023-04-25T15:43:06","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T15:43:06","slug":"aee-1255-does-intonation-matter-it-sure-does","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/aee-1255-does-intonation-matter-it-sure-does\/","title":{"rendered":"AEE 1255: Does Intonation Matter? It Sure Does!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"English<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Have you heard people use the word \u201csure\u201d in English conversations?<\/p>\n

Does it feel as though this is a word that has multiple uses in English?<\/p>\n

If you have ever felt confused by this word, you are not alone.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to look at the different uses for the word \u201csure,\u201d and why intonation is so important with this. <\/p>\n

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Make sure you understand every word you hear on All Ears English.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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We have a listener question and story that may interest you on this topic. <\/p>\n

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Hello, I am Misa from Japan. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I am a sophomore in college, and pursuing a degree in Business Administration in North Dakota. I had actually never heard of this state before, so it\u2019s interesting that I chose this place to live. Anyway I started listening to your podcast three years ago. I was enjoying it on everyday, but then I stopped listening after I graduated high school. I am back now and catching up on a lot of episodes that I missed.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I have a job cleaning at my university, and it\u2019s quite boring. Your episodes keep me going and make things more interesting. I really appreciate that! I can also understand more content than before, so I\u2019m happy to see my improvement. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve told a lot of my story, and now I have a question. I sometimes get confused when I hear \u201csure\u201d as a response. For example, \u201cDo you want to use the towel?\u201d \u201cSure\u201d. To me, \u201csure\u201d doesn\u2019t sound like a positive and willing answer. It actually sounds like a bit of an unwilling response when people think \u201cSince you ask me\u2026 I will do it.\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

So as I mentioned before, if they want to use the towel they should say \u201cYes\u201d rather than \u201cSure\u201d. Do I understand the nuance of \u201csure\u201d wrong? Are there multiple ways you can use this word? I would really appreciate it if you could make an episode about this question. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you, you guys are awesome!:) <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

By the way I really like how you guys love Japan and bring it to e conversation often. I hope I can meet you guys in person someday. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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The Complexity of Some English Words<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The truth is that \u201csure\u201d is a VERY complex word. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of those words that can be used in many different ways and that can make it a bit confusing at first.<\/p>\n

For example, you can use it as \u201cyou\u2019re welcome\u201d as shown in episode 702 You\u2019re Welcome, Sure, No Problem\u2013What\u2019s The Difference?<\/a> <\/p>\n

It can also be used to show that you don\u2019t believe someone and this can be a bit negative in how it is said and received.<\/p>\n

It can be used to show you are certain of something, so you might say something like \u201cI\u2019m sure I left the newspaper on your desk.\u201d<\/p>\n

These are just a couple of examples of how you can use the word \u201csure\u201d in conversation.<\/p>\n

There are many more, but today we\u2019re going to focus on using \u201csure\u201d when someone asks if you want to do something or if you can do something.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s All About The Tone of Voice<\/strong><\/h3>\n

So when you see that there are multiple uses for the word sure, you might wonder what helps to differentiate how it is used in conversation.<\/p>\n

When you look at the multiple uses for the word sure, it comes down to one thing that separates it in conversation\u2013Intonation! <\/p>\n

Intonation is important in every aspect of English, even when you are taking the IELTS Exam.<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s all about how you say \u201csure,\u201d and that will dictate how it is received too. <\/p>\n

If you say sure in an enthusiastic way then it\u2019s received well. <\/p>\n

In that instance you would say \u201csure!\u201d<\/p>\n

If however you say it negatively or sarcastically then it isn\u2019t received poorly, like if you said \u201cyeah sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Different Uses For This One Word<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you keep in mind that the intonation is what it\u2019s all about, then that can help you.<\/p>\n

There are a couple of different ways that you can use it, even within this one focus.<\/p>\n

You can start to see how this can be confusing since it can be used in so many different ways.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at a couple of different ways you can use \u201csure\u201d in this capacity.<\/p>\n