Pronunciation and Spelling in English

Ex. 7.5 Indicate how the letter c is pronounced in the words: [s], [∫], [k].

 

Ex. 7.6 Indicate how the letter g is pronounced in the words: [g], [d3].

Ex. 7.7 C, k, ck, que or ch for [k]? Complete the words by spelling the sound [k].

 

Ex. 7.8 Underline the letters which are pronounced [∫] in the following sentences. 
List the ways you found to spell this sound.

1. If you are an ambitious language learner, you should work hard on pronunciation and dictation.

2. So, after graduation you will be able to do translation and hold conversation taking part in negotiations.

3. He is impatient to go to the exhibition. Its expositions resulted from the exploration of the culture of ancient civilizations.

4. If you are anxious about future generations, please take part in our conversation project.

5. I don’t think I need your permission to go on an excursion.

6. Flies spread infectious disease. You’d better take measures against them.

7. I’m sure we won’t finish our work without financial support from a social organization.

 

Ex. 7.9 Fill in the missing letters s or z. Some words can be spelt both ways.

1. I must apologi_e for disturbing you so late.

2. Do you want to try on this sweater? I think it’s your si_e.

3. Everybody was surpi_ed at his calm.

4. She received the Nobel Pri_e for phy_ics.

5. What do you think of medicine adverti_ing on TV?

6. The doctor advi_ed him to take more exerci_e.

7. My parents do not sympathi_e with my ambition to go on a stage.

8. I could hardly recogni_e him. He looked different in his new suit.

9. Stop critici_ing everybody! Mind yourself!

10. It was very wi_e of you not to go there.

 

Ex. 7.10 Read the proverbs. Explain the rules of reading.

1. To let the cat out of the bag.
2. Appearances are deceitful.
3. The devil is not so black as it is painted.
4. The tongue is not steel, yet it cuts.
5. To stew in one’s own juice.
6. Well begun is half done.
7. The game is not worth the candle.

 

READING OF ENDINGS -(e)s, -(e)d

 

    The ending -(e)s of plural forms of nouns and of the 3^rd singular present indefinite of verbs is read

 
 

     The ending -(e)d of regular forms of verbs is read

       
 
 
 
 

Ex. 7.11 ( , track 10)

Each line contains either verbs or adjectives ending in <-ed>, or verbs or nouns ending in <-s>. Decide which is the odd one out in terms of the way that the ending is pronounced. Then check your answer with the recording.

 

Example:  seas   picks   pays   digs

 
 

     Ex. 7.12 Read the words according to the rule:

     a) with the ending -(e)s

inches, hands, chiefs, shoes, maps, boxes, safes, dishes, machines, roofs, classes, wives, babies, benches, books, bottles, boys, brings, burns, buzzes, cages, capes, cars, catches, cats, checks, clashes, clings, clocks, crooks, dates, dishes, doctors, dresses, edges, faces, feeds, fetches, fifths, fingers, foxes, gains, gnats, hooks, hopes, horses, jobs, kites, knives, knows, ladies, leaps, lies, matches, moths, noses, nurses, pages, papers, parts, phones, pies, picks, pipes, places, pumps, roses, seats, sites, skies, sofas, swims, taxes, teachers, thinks, ties, trays, wages, waves, weeks, wives, writers.

 

     b) with the ending -(e)d

acted, added, advised, agreed, begged, called, camped, carried, compiled, composed, concreted, concurred, crashed, decided, defended, differed, dressed, ended, enjoyed, entered, explained, failed, finished, fired, followed, founded, handed, hoped, hurried, joked, listed, listened, looked, marked, mended, opened, packed, painted, placed, pronounced, pumped, reminded, rested, rounded, sacked, shouted, seemed, seized, skated, smoked, started, stayed, robbed, tacked, talked, turned, typed, waited, walked, washed, packed, arrived, moved, worked, played, needed, smashed, ended.

 

Ex. 7.13 Put the words into columns:

     a) with the ending -(e)s

 

Cats, touches, drops, pencils, coats, poses, gods, cured, ports, causes, fits, its, adds, tends, courses, boxes, mottos, toes, heroes, saves, boxes, spies, memories, tomatoes, drivers, potatoes, matches, plays, pockets, fingers, sources, marches, invalids, secrets.

 

     b) with the ending -(e)d

 

Forced, recorded, swamped, saved, treated, brushed, connected, viewed, waited, stopped, used, enjoyed, needed, tended, dressed, helped, danced, opened, played, counted, decided, answered, wanted, cried, studied, traveled, used, skipped, stopped, hated, trusted, published, switched, named, sounded.

 

Ex. 7.14 Find the odd word:

1. noses, pieces, years, dresses, dollies.
2. stopped, used, traveled, smelled, agreed.
3. pens, hens, pets, lessons, heads.
4. coasted, ended, resulted, resisted, suffered.
5. tips, backs, points, models.
6. places, matches, cases, shocks.
7. passed, worked, dropped, needed.
8. hated, promoted, landed, licked.

 

Ex. 7.15 Add the word according to the rule:

1. toys, arms, fingers, hairs, ...
2. displeased, smelled, pervaded, ...
3. secrets, tickets, shocks, foots, ...
4. hands, legs, years, eyes, ...

 

Ex. 7.16 Find a way from Start to Finish. You may not pass a square if the word contains the sound [z]. You can move horizontally or vertically only.

start

    ↓

     ↑finish

 

Ex. 7.17 The pronunciation of the possessive “s” is the same as for plural endings. For example: Peter’s [z], John’s [z], Philips [s], Steph’s [s], Gearge’s [Iz], Alice’s [Iz].

Put the words in italics in the correct column, according to the pronunciation of the possessive “s”.

 
 

Ex. 7.18 Read the text, underline the past verbs with –ed ending and explain the rule of reading.

   Robin Tailor was born in Birmingham on the 27th of December 1958. His mother died the same day. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor adopted him.  In 1960, the Taylor family immigrated to Perth in Western Australia. Last year, Robin was in Britain on holiday. He traveled to Birmingham and asked about his family. He discovered that he had a twin brother! Robin phoned a BBC radio programme and told his story. He asked for information about his brother. That afternoon he received a phone call from Perth in Scotland. The next day he went to Scotland and met his brother for the first time.

 

Ex. 7.19 Read the proverbs. Explain the rules of reading.

1. He laughs best who laughs last.
2. What can’t be cured must be endured.
3. Exception proves the rule.
4. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
5. Where the shoe pinches.
6. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
7. It’s the early bird that catches the worm.
8. The devil is not so black as it’s painted.
9. Still waters run deep.

 

READING OF COMBINATIONS OF VOWELS WITH CONSONANTS