4. Showing interest through intonation
You can show interest in a conversation by using rising intonation in some words or expressions:
- Oh!
- Oh yeah?
- Really?
- Oh really?
- Is that right?
You can also show interest by emphasizing other particles in the sentence. Watch the following video to find out:
Video by English with Kim on YouTube

Para saber más
Listen to the following audio and pay attention to how the speaker shows interest by using rising intonation in question tags as well as other expressions.
Source of audio: https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1210_how_to_converse/page15.shtml
Now use expressions, question tags or questions in order to show interest about the following facts about the Earth. Don't forget to use rising intonation.
1. The Earth's rotation is gradually slowing.
2. The Earth was once believed to be the center of the universe.
3. The Earth has a powerful magnetic field.
4. There is only one natural satellite of the planet Earth.
5. The Earth is the only planet not named after a god.
6. The Earth is the densest planet in the Solar System.
Source: https://space-facts.com/earth/
![]() Image on Flickr by Marc Wathieu under CC license |
With a partner, discuss the facts about the Earth you have read in the previous section. Why do you think they might be/once were true? Use vocabulary you have learned throughout this lesson.
Talk for about 5 minutes.