Daily English - Day 33

Words are often broken down or not fully pronunciated. Two and three words are sometimes squeezed together to create easy-to-say phrases. I'll show you what I mean. Look at this phrase, going to try. When we reduce the phrase, it becomes gonna try. All we do is combine the words. I'm gonna try to finish this book. Repeat it with me. Gonna try. Want to eat becomes wanna eat. Do you wanna eat at seven o'clock? Repeat with me. Wanna eat. Have to start becomes have to start. I really have to start studying for that test. Repeat. Have to start. Has to try becomes has to try. He has to try harder. Repeat. Has to try. Got to leave becomes gotta leave. I really gotta leave. In fifteen minutes. Repeat. Gotta leave. Ought to believe becomes ought to believe. She really ought to believe what he is saying. Repeat. Ought to believe. To believe becomes ought to believe. She really ought to believe what he is saying. Repeat. Ought to believe. To believe becomes ought to believe. She really ought to believe what he is saying. Repeat. Ought to believe. Repeat, out of bed becomes out of bed. I got out of bed when I heard the alarm clock. Repeat, out of bed. Did you go becomes did you go. Did you go to the store? Repeat, did you go. Would he help becomes would he help. Would he help me move the furniture? Repeat, would he help. Won't you play becomes won't you play. And don't forget about that correct O sound in the word won't. Won't you play one more song on the piano? Repeat, won't you play. Didn't you know becomes didn't you know. Didn't you know that she was coming home tomorrow? Repeat, didn't you know. Is he becomes is he. Is he the one that called? Repeat, is he. What do you want becomes what do you want. Repeat, what do you want. What do you want. Give it to me becomes give it to me. What do you want. Give it to me becomes give it to me. Give it to me right now. Repeat, give it to me. Very good. You'll find the better you get at speaking English, the more you will be using these phrase reductions. The key is to still be easily understood. You'll find that almost all of the rules that I have taught you, especially the ones having to do with voicing, remain the same. In the last example, give it to me, the only big change comes from the T's being pronounced as D's. And this happens because the T's fall between two vowel sounds. If you remember in American pronunciation, when T's fall between two vowels, they become voiced and are pronounced as D's. Now, even though you rules that I've been showing you throughout this program. Language, as we speak, our words and phrases go all the way up, and then they come all the way down, much like music does. Now, as you can see, I'm trying. Many foreign-born speakers of English use a flat intonation pattern or a monotone. This can create uninteresting and misunderstood speech. Everything is very flat. From that example, what I'm talking characteristic rhythm are given more emphasis with increased loudness, a higher pitch, and sometimes a longer duration. Listen to my intonation and notice how I slowly step up, and then emphasis with increased loudness, a higher pitch, and sometimes a longer duration. Listen to my intonation and notice how I slowly step up, and then I work my way down again. Listen to the following made-up advertisement for Diane's Donuts. Listen to how the words in each sentence are stressed. Have you ever tried one of Diane's Donuts? They are so delicious. I have eaten many different kinds of donuts from all over the country. However, I have never tasted anything quite like donuts made by Diane. I have been told that she uses the finest and freshest ingredients that money can buy, the best flour, the best eggs, and the best milk. I am sure that once you taste these incredible donuts, you will run and tell all of your friends. Now, I recommend that you practice that paragraph again along with me. Do your best at emphasizing the important words by increasing your loudness as well as raising your pitch. OK? Very good. Now let's talk about asking questions. Notice how my voice goes up at the end of a question like this. Are you sleeping? And notice how my voice comes down at the end of a sentence that is not a question like this. He is not sleeping. Very often, if you don't use proper intonation when asking a question, the person you are speaking to won't understand that you even asked them a question to begin with. So rising up at the end of a question is very important. OK, now let's talk about syllable stress. In words that contain more than one syllable, there is always one syllable which receives the most stress or given a higher pitch. Now, although there are many exceptions, it is most common that two-syllable words have stress on the first syllable. Let's go over some examples. Repeat after me. Sofa. Oven. Sofa. Oven. After. Finger. Station. Second. Enter. Often. Uncle. Carpet. Father. Children. Walking. Jacket. Lucky. Comment. Good, now here are a few two-syllable words that are stressed on the second syllable. Delete. Decline. Survive. Protect. Adopt. Advance. Below. Resolve. Protect. Adopt. Advance. Below. Resolve. Advice. Acquit. Control. Arrive. Involve. Massage. Disease. Relate. Very good, now again, although there are exceptions, most three-syllable words are stressed on the second syllable. Reduction. Arrangement. Audition. Companion. Detective. Ambitious. Companion. Appliance. Discover. Unlawful. Conclusion. Assemble. Adjustment. Affected. Acceptance. Ferocious. Very good, practice using syllable stress in these sentences. The pictures are fantastic. Fantastic. He needs permission. To find a solution. A solution. The party is. The party. Is in honor. Of his retirement. Her son exhibited. Bad behavior. On their vacation. Retirement. On their vacation. Her son exhibited bad behavior. On their vacation. Very good. You know, stress and intonation can have a big impact on the meaning. Get across. Let's compare some of these sentences. Joe drinks cheap wine. The meaning you are trying to get across. Let's compare some of the. Joe drinks cheap wine. These sentences. Joe drinks cheap wine. Sue only drinks. Sue only drinks expensive. Expensive wine. Don't forget his birthday. We would never forget. We would never forget his birthday. His birthday. He's planning to leave tomorrow. He made plans to leave a month ago. The teacher's meeting is at 9 o'clock. He made plans to leave a month ago. The teacher's meeting is at 9 o'clock. The students announced that they will. Never have a meeting. My telephone isn't working. The telephone needs to work by lunchtime. He's painting his house blue and green. Your house would look terrible if it were green.