Fingers’ Pronunciation

AUDIO DR FINGERS’PRONUNCIATION

Hello everyone and welcome to my English pronunciation course! OK, let’s get pronouncing! (The answers to the exercise are on page 48)

Irregular Past Tense Verbs

This is the second part in our series on irregular past tense verbs and their pronunciation. Due to popular demand, I have been persuaded to write another one of my famous poems. But this is the very last one, I promise… unless there is a national emergency. Right, here goes. This poem will clearly demonstrate the complete lack of logic and sense regarding the pronunciation of irregular past tense verbs in English.

“Why Oh Why Oh Why Oh Why?”

I’m sure you know there are some verbs, Whose pasts will not get on your nerves, Of “mean” it’s “meant”, and “send” it’s “sent”, And “lose” it’s “lost” and “lean” it’s “leant”, These are the ones I like to hear, Because they are so nice and clear.

“Cost”, “cut” and “shut” are not a pain, Because the pasts are just the same, But beware of words like “blew” and “drew”, That look like “sew” but sound like “you”, And worst of all, the past tense “heard”, That looks like “beard” but sounds like “bird”.

Now all this thought it drives me wild, When usually I’m so meek and mild, So take a break and drink a pint, To calm you down and clear your mind.

By Dr Fingers - copyright, 2004.

Listen & Repeat

Now let’s get on with some pronouncing. Listen and repeat these verbs and their irregular pasts:

Infinitive Past

Mean Meant Lean Leant Lend Lent Send Sent Smell Smelt

Blow Blew Fly Flew Draw Drew Grow Grew Know Knew Throw Threw

Hear Heard Hurt Hurt Learn Learnt Burn Burnt

Connected Speech

Now let’s look at these verbs in connected speech. As you can see, some of these irregular past tense verbs end with the letter “w”, such as “blew”, “threw” and “knew”; and most of the others end with the letter “t”. Well, these letters “w” and “t” often connect with the vowel sounds of following words to form new sounds. For example: “I meant it”, which is like this in connected speech, “I mean tit”. Can you see how the “t” of “meant” joins with “it” to form “tit”? Here’s another example: “She knew it”, which is like this in connected speech, “she kne wit”. Can you see how the “w” of “knew” joins with “it” to form “wit”?

Listen to some more examples. See if you can hear how the final letters “t” and “w” join together with the vowels to form new sounds? We’ve written the sentences in connected speech too: 1. She lent a hundred pounds (She len ta hundred pounds). 2. He drew a picture (he dre wa picture). 3. They threw a glass (they thre wa glass). 4. She flew a hundred miles (she fle wa hundred miles).

Exercise

Now let’s try an exercise. Listen to the following sentences and repeat them with me. Then, listen again and try to write them normally, and then in connected speech. We’ve done the first one for you. Good luck!: 1. He leant against the wall = he lean tagainst the wall. 2. ____________________________ 3. ____________________________ 4. ____________________________ 5. ____________________________ 6. ____________________________ 7. ____________________________ 8. ____________________________ 9. ____________________________ 10. ____________________________

G L O S S A R Y

to get on your nerves exp to irritate someone meek and mild adj quiet, reserved and not aggressive a pint n a measure - it is about half a litre to calm you down phr vb to make you calm and less stressed to clear your mind exp to do something so you stop being confused

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