Lesson T4.3.3

T4.3.3 Using intonation, tone, volume, silence and stillness Quiz: KS3 English, Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T4.3.3, Using intonation, tone, volume, silence and stillness: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 English (National Curriculum), Unit 4: Spoken English, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is 'intonation' in speech?

    • The length of the pauses that a speaker takes between sentences in a formal talk.
    • The rise and fall of pitch in the voice, which can show emotion, question or emphasis.
    • The volume of the voice, which is the loudness at which a speaker delivers the words.
    • The number of words spoken per minute, which measures how fast a speaker talks in public.

  2. How does a rising intonation at the end of a sentence usually sound?

    • It sounds like a final statement, which closes the topic and signals no further questions.
    • It sounds like a whisper, which shows that the speaker is sharing a secret with the room.
    • It sounds like a firm command, which the listener is expected to obey without any delay.
    • It sounds like a question, or shows uncertainty about what is being said.

  3. Why is silence effective in a performance?

    • It makes the scene impossible to hear, so the audience must guess what the characters said.
    • It means the performance has ended, so the audience should leave the hall at once.
    • It builds tension and gives the audience time to react to what has just happened.
    • It shows that the performer has forgotten their lines and is waiting for a prompt.

  4. What does 'stillness' add to a performance?

    • It focuses attention on a character and can make a moment feel powerful or tense.
    • It makes the audience stop watching, so that they can read the programme notes instead.
    • It shows that the performer does not know how to move, so the audience should be disappointed.
    • It means the performer is ill and cannot continue with the scene until they are better.

  5. Which vocal choice would show that a character is angry?

    • A high, sing-song tone with a steady pitch and no change of stress on any word at all.
    • A loud, sharp tone with a strong stress on key words and a sudden change of pitch.
    • A flat tone that is the same for every line, so that the audience cannot tell the feeling.
    • A quiet, slow tone with long pauses between each word, delivered in a calm voice.

  6. What is the effect of changing tone in a line of dialogue?

    • It shows that the performer has memorised the line in the wrong order during rehearsal.
    • It shows the attitude or feeling behind the words, even when the words stay the same.
    • It makes the words harder to hear, so the audience must work harder to understand the scene.
    • It changes the meaning of the words on the page, so the script must be rewritten to match.

  7. Why might a performer use mood to shape a performance?

    • Mood is a matter of costume only, so it does not affect how the lines are delivered at all.
    • Mood changes the actual words of the script, so the performer can say new lines on stage.
    • Mood sets the atmosphere of a scene and guides how the audience should feel.
    • Mood is used only in musicals, so it is not appropriate for a poetry or drama performance.

  8. What is the effect of a sudden change in volume during a performance?

    • It shows the performer is tired and needs to stop, so the audience should expect a break soon.
    • It makes the scene quieter overall, so that the audience can concentrate on the set design.
    • It means the microphone has failed, so the audience should move to the front of the hall.
    • It creates surprise or shock and draws the audience's attention to the moment.

  9. Why does a performer use stress on particular words in a line?

    • To show that the words are spelled incorrectly on the script that the performer is reading.
    • To highlight the meaning the performer wants the audience to notice most.
    • To signal that the line is the end of the scene, so the lights should go down at once.
    • To make the line sound like a question, even when the line is a statement in the play.

  10. Which combination of vocal and physical choices best shows nervousness in a character?

    • A calm, smooth voice with long, even pauses and a straight, proud posture.
    • A shaky voice with quick, uneven pauses and a stiff, hunched posture.
    • A slow, drawling voice with no pauses and a loose, carefree way of moving on stage.
    • A loud, confident voice with a steady pace and an open, relaxed stance.

  11. What is 'pace' in a performance?

    • The number of performances given in a single week by a school drama group together.
    • The length of the interval between the acts, measured in minutes by the stage manager.
    • The speed at which the lines and action unfold, which affects tension and clarity.
    • The distance that a performer walks across the stage during a single scene of the play.

  12. Why might a performer pause before an important line?

    • To make the scene shorter, so that the performance ends before the audience gets bored.
    • To show that they have forgotten the line completely and must start again from the top.
    • To build anticipation and give the line extra weight when the audience hears it.
    • To check that the lights are still on, so that the line can be spoken clearly.

  13. Which vocal technique is most useful for reaching the back of a large hall?

    • Whispering the lines so the audience at the back has to lean forward to hear them clearly.
    • Shouting every line at the same volume, so the audience can hear the whole performance.
    • Speaking into the floor so that the sound bounces up and reaches the back rows naturally.
    • Projecting the voice from the diaphragm, with clear and open articulation of each word.

  14. What does 'articulation' mean in performance?

    • The use of a stage prop that is hinged, so that it can open and close during the scene.
    • The ability to write a script with well-jointed sentences that connect each scene together.
    • Clear and precise pronunciation of each word, so the audience can understand the lines.
    • The movement of the joints in the body, which dancers use to make their actions look smooth.

  15. Why might an actor vary their tone to show irony?

    • Saying a line in a tone that suggests the opposite of its literal meaning, so the audience notices.
    • Saying the line so quickly that the audience cannot understand the words at all in the scene.
    • Saying the line in a whisper, because irony can only be understood when the words are hushed.
    • Saying the line in exactly the same tone as the previous line, so the audience sees no change.

  16. What is the effect of a tense, held silence after a question in a scene?

    • It makes the audience wait for an answer, which increases the tension in the moment.
    • It means that the actor has forgotten the answer, so the scene must be restarted from the beginning.
    • It makes the question disappear from the script, so the audience will never learn the answer.
    • It shows that the scene is over, so the audience can start to leave the hall quietly now.

  17. Which combination best communicates confidence in a performer?

    • Turning away from the audience and speaking very quietly into the corner of the stage.
    • Fidgeting with hands and a rushed voice that speeds up whenever the performer feels unsure.
    • An open posture, steady eye contact and a clear, well-paced voice.
    • A hunched posture, eyes fixed on the floor and a voice that trails off at the ends.

  18. Why is the use of intonation important when reading a poem aloud?

    • It makes the poem sound identical each time, so that listeners can memorise the words more easily.
    • It is only important in songs, so it has no effect on how a poem is understood by listeners.
    • It helps show the meaning, mood and grammatical structure of the lines to the listener.
    • It stops the audience from noticing the rhymes, which would otherwise spoil the performance.

  19. What is 'projection' in performance?

    • Writing a plan of the play before rehearsal begins so that each scene is clearly sequenced.
    • Showing a slide on a screen behind the actors during the performance in a theatre space.
    • Directing the voice and energy outwards so that the performance reaches the whole audience.
    • Making a mistake on purpose so that the audience feels surprised and wakes up quickly.

  20. Which vocal effect would best show that a character is trying to hide their true feelings?

    • A giggling tone with rising pitch that makes every word sound like a joke to the audience.
    • A loud, wild tone with sharp stresses and exaggerated gestures that reveal every thought.
    • A steady, controlled tone with a deliberately flat delivery, despite a tense expression.
    • A sobbing tone that breaks on every word so that the audience knows exactly how they feel.

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