The Functional Relationship between Intonation and Punctuation and their Indispensable Roles in Spoken and Written language

Abstract

Intonation and punctuation are complex and difficult areas where much depends on the correct interpretation of certain patterns and symbols. When we talk about intonation, we are actually referring to different features depending on whether we think in terms of production, perception or systematic use as a structuring device. On the other hand, when we refer to punctuation, we are referring to symbols that indicate the structure and organization of written language. This implies that both punctuation and intonation are vital tools that are vividly employed to disambiguate the meaning of sentences. Therefore, intonation and punctuation play similar roles in speech production and written language in their bid to enhance meaning, perception and comprehension. Unfortunately, the teaching and use of intonation and punctuation have often been neglected and this is probably responsible for as many serious failures in ESL performance. The main thrust of this paper therefore is to x-ray the relationship between intonation and punctuation in written and oral language, their features cum relative importance in the English language.