A.: How do you think we ought to start?
B.: My idea is this. Suppose we just say a few ordinary sentences. After that we’ll go back again and notice how we’ve said them, and what sort of tunes we’ve used, and then we’ll try to make some clear and [bad word] about them.
A.: Yes, that’s a good idea. Now the first thing I said was this: How do you think we ought to start? I wonder if the listeners can hear the tune? How do you think we ought to start?
B.: You see, listeners, that sentence starts on a fairly high note and it continues on that same note until it reaches the word ought. Just listen. How – How do you think we – How do you think we ought to start? Like that, you see. The word ought is said on a slightly lower note, and the sentence continues on that lower note until it gets to the very last syllable.
A.: How do you think we ought to start? How do you think we ought to start?
B.: Again, you see, the word start is on a slightly lower note and not only that, it falls as you say it: start – start.
A.: Yes, it does. It falls right down to the bottom of my voice, listen: How do you think we ought to start? How do you think we ought to start?
B.: So the sentence is really in three parts, corresponding to the number of stressed syllables: how followed by four weak syllables; then ought followed by one weak syllable; and lastly start, followed by nothing at all.