ICCEP

UNIT 11

Refer back to the [ ] sound from Unit 10

Exercises

Ex. 1. Practise pronouncing the following words. Notice the [ ] sound in each:

Ex. 2. Read the following sentences with correct pronunciation of the sound [ ]:

1.'Where are their parents?

[ ]

2.Mary is upstairs | 'airing the room | and 'dusting the chairs.

[ ]

3.I 'shot an 'arrow into the air. It 'fell to earth | I knew not where.

[ : : ]

4.They could 'barely 'spare the 'money for their fare.

[ ]

The Vowel Phoneme [ ]

In pronouncing the nucleus of the diphthong [ ] the bulk of the tongue is in the back part of the mouth and very low, though not so low as for the vowel [ ]. Thus the nucleus is a vowel intermediate between [ ] and [ :], but slightly closer to [ :]. The opening between the jaws

during the pronunciation of the nucleus is wide. The lips are slightlyrounded.

In pronouncing the glide the tongue moves forward and upward, i.e. in the direction of the position for [ ], without actually reaching it. The glide sounds like a weak [e]. The opening between the jaws becomes narrow.

Russian learners are apt to replace the nucleus of the diphthong [ ] by the Russian vowel [о]. In order to prevent or correct this mistake the same directions should be given as for the

prevention and correction of mistakes in the pronunciation of the English vowel [ ]. Ex. 1. Read these words. Make sure that you pronounce the[ ] sound correctly:

The Vowel Phoneme [ ]

In pronouncing the nucleus of this diphthong the bulk of the tongue is in the back part of the mouth cavity. The back of the tongue is raised as high as for the vowel [ ].

Thus the nucleus of [ ] may be defined as back-advanced, close (a broad variation of the high position of the tongue), slightly rounded, short and lax. The opening between the jaws is narrow. In pronouncing the glide the tongue moves down to the position of the vowel [ ], which is actually pronounced. The opening between the jaws becomes a little wider.

Russian learners are apt to replace the diphthong [ ] by [ ] or [u:], especially before the sonorant [r]. The omission of the glide [ ] in the diphthong [ ] can be prevented by trying to pronounce a weak unstressed Russian [ ] sound after the nucleus of the diphthong [ ].

Russian learners of English often make the nuclei of the English diphthongs too long before a voiceless consonant and too short at the end of a word before a voiced consonant.

Ex. 2. Practise reading the words with the back diphthong [ ]:

[u:] – [ ] – [ ]

Thriphthong

Listen to the dialogue “Passports, please” of London Linguaphone Course by Ann Bake,r write it down, translate, intone and act it out.

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A: Oh, | a dictionary.

B: That’s right.

A: And this!

B: That’s a 'Spanish text-book.

A: Oh, I see. Thank you.

B: Not at all.

Grammar: Personal and Possessive Pronouns

Sets of questions:

1)with possessive pronouns in the function of an attribute in the singular;

2)with possessive pronouns in the function of an attribute in the plural;

3)with possessive pronouns in the function of a predicative in the singular;

4)with possessive pronouns in the function of a predicative in the plural.

See Grammar Supplement

Sets of Questions (№ 4, 5, 6, 7)

Reading Material

Pay attention to the forms of the possessive pronouns.

Exercises

Ex. 1. Transcribe the following words:

wrist, tear, heard, stare, furious, sure, forehead, hours, point

Ex. 2. Read the following sentences, transcribe them and write the tonogrammes:

1.'Let’s 'sing a song. – 'Sing a song? Yes, let’s.

2.'What’s the day to day? – 'What day? It’s Sunday ( Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,

Thursday, Friday, Saturday).

3.'What month is it now? – 'What month? It’s January ( February, March, April,

May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December).

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Ex. 3. Read the following imperative sentences. Comment on the cases of assimilation and reduction:

go to the theatre re peat this song

Let’s learn this poem Oh, yes, let’s con sult a doctor

send for Billshut that window

Ex. 4. Put questions to the italicized words or to the whole sentence:

1.Sunday is her day off (special). 2. February is the third winter month (general, special).

3.It is not Monday today (disjunctive). 4. It is Thursday today (disjunctive, general).

Questions to be answered

1. In what position is the tongue in the mouth cavity while pronouncing the diphthong

[ ]?

2.Is the opening between the jaws during the pronunciation of the nucleus [ ] wide or

narrow?

3.What mistake are Russian learners apt to make while pronouncing the English

diphthong [ ]?

4.What makes it difficult for Russian learners to pronounce the English diphthong [ ] correctly?

5.Where does the conversation in the dialogue “passports, please” take place?

Additional tasks

1.Write 10 words in your note-books with triphthongs and transcribe them.

2.Name grammatical categories characteristic of personal pronouns.

3.Dwell on syntactic functions of personal pronouns in the Nominative and Objective

Case.

4.Speak about syntactic functions of possessive pronouns in the Conjoint and Absolute

forms.

5.Make up 12 sentences in your note-books with the possessive pronouns in the Conjoint and Absolute forms in different functions.

Tests

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Revision Exercises

For more practice read the following exercises with correct pronunciation.

Ex. 1

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[ :] to continue [ : ] to command [ ] faculty [ i: ] magazine

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