Abstract: With the rapid development of globalization, cross-culture communications become more and more frequent, so does the use of English. People who speak English should not only pay attention to the content of what they say, but also to the way they say it. Intonation, without which the intended meaning of a speaker could not be conveyed, is one of the significant tools in successful communication. This paper aims to systematically restudy functions of English intonation from the perspective of pragmatics. The examples used in the paper are daily expressions, and will be interpreted by speech act theory. This paper is divided into five parts. The first one is the introduction. The second part is literature review both at home and abroad. The third part introduces theoretical basis of the paper, and the fourth part analyzes functions of English intonation from the perspective of pragmatics, namely, attitudinal function, accentual function and discourse function. The last one is conclusion. This paper tries to help EFL learners to use proper intonation in different occasions, and presents some guidance for teaching and interpretation.
Key Words: English intonation; speech act theory; pragmatics; attitudinal function; accentual function; discourse function

摘要：随着全球化的飞速发展，跨文化交际越来越频繁，英语也被广泛使用。说英语的人不仅要留意他们说话的内容，还必须更加注意讲话的方式。语调是成功交际的重要工具之一，它可以表达说话者的本意。本文旨在重新系统地从语用学角度研究英语语调的功能，试图帮助英语学习者在不同的场合使用合适的语调，并对教学和口译给出建议。文中的举例都是日常用语，作者将运用言语行为理论进一步阐述。本文分为五个部分，第一部分是绪论，第二部分是国内外研究现状，第三部分介绍了本文的理论基础，第四部分从语用学角度分析了英语语调的表态功能，强调功能和语篇功能，最后一部分是本文的结论。
关键词：英语语调；言语行为理论；语用学；表态功能；强调功能；语篇功能
   
Each human language does have intonation. As is known to all, intonation, one of the important communication tools, plays a significant role in a successful communication. Besides, intonation is vital to the transmission of various messages, and the expression of speaker’s different moods or attitudes in almost every language, especially in a language like English.
English intonation should be treated with caution. If it is used in a wrong way, the meaning conveyed may not be in line with the speaker’s real intention, or leave the listener confused, even bring about communication failure. What’s worse, if English intonation is used improperly in a situation, it will result in embarrassment. Concerning English intonation of Chinese EFL learners, it sometimes makes native speakers puzzled, or leads to misunderstandings due to the influence of their mother tongue.