Each syllable, consisting of one or more consonants and a simple or compound vowel (possibly inherent or implied, and thus not written) has a tone determined by several factors, including the type and presence of consonants (consonants are divided into three classes for this purpose), the vowel duration, and the presence of one of four tone marks. Some people incorrectly assume that the tone marks identify all necessary tones, or perhaps force certain tones, but neither of these is correct. Actually the final tone of a syllable is determined by the tone mark in conjunction with factors mentioned above.
Grammar