Sunday, June 2, 2019
English Pronunciation
English:
English is a West Germanic language related to Dutch, Frisian, and German
with a significant amount of vocabulary from French, Latin, Greek and many
other languages.
English evolved from the Germanic languages brought to Britain by the
Angles, Saxons, Jutes and other Germanic tribes, which are known collectively
as Anglo-Saxon or Old English. Old English began to appear in writing during
the early 8th century AD.
Approximately 341 million people speak English as a native language and a
further 267 million speak it as a second language in over 104 countries
including the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa,
American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas,
Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, British Indian Ocean Territory, British
Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands and
Denmark.
English alphabet:
Pronunciation:
There are five vowels and twenty-one vowel sounds in English. The short and long vowel sounds together make 12 monophthongs and sliding vowels (diphthongs) are nine in number.
The monophthongs are twelve in number and are -
1. / ɪ / (short vowel sound of ɪ) e.g. pit, bit, hit
2. / ɪ: / (long vowel sound of ɪ) e.g. me, see, key
3. / e / (short vowel sound of e ) e.g. egg, leg, beg
4. / æ / (long vowel sound of æ) e.g. pat, cat, hat
5. / ɑ: / (long vowel sound of ɑ:) e.g. car, jar, par
6. / ɒ / (short vowel sound of ɒ) e.g. hot, pot, got
7. / ɔ: / (long vowel sound of ɔ:) e.g. all, doll, ball
8. / ʊ / (short vowel sound of ʊ) e.g. hood, wood, should
9. / u: / (long vowel sound of u:) e.g. pool, cool, you
10. / ʌ / (short vowel sound of ʌ) e.g. girl, pearl, ulcer
11. / ɜ: / (long vowel sound of ɜ:) e.g. fur, word, heard
12. / ə / (short vowel sound of ə) e.g. aloud, alone, gutter
Nine Diphthongs are :
1. / eɪ / e.g. name, date, bait
2. / əʊ / e.g. home, gone, moan
3. / aɪ / e.g. bye, my, sky
4. / ɑʊ / e.g. now, how, brow
5. / ɔɪ / e.g. boy, toy, joy
6. / ɪə / e.g. here, dear, beer
7. / ɛə / e.g. fair, dare, share
8. / ɔə / e.g. board, hoard, pour
9. / ʊə / e.g. your, pure, sure
Prepositions
Time
English
|
Usage
|
Example
|
On
| ||
In
|
after a certain period of time (when?)
|
in August / in winter
in the morning
in 2006
in an hour
|
At
|
for night
for weekend
a certain point of time (when?)
|
at night
at the weekend
at half past nine
|
Since
|
from a certain point of time (past till now)
|
since 1980
|
For
|
over a certain period of time (past till now)
|
for 2 years
|
Ago
|
a certain time in the past
|
2 years ago
|
Before
|
earlier than a certain point of time
|
before 2004
|
To
|
telling the time
|
ten to six (5:50)
|
Past
|
telling the time
|
ten past six (6:10)
|
to / till / until
|
marking the beginning and end of a period of time
|
from Monday to/till Friday
|
till / until
|
in the sense of how long something is going to last
|
He is on holiday until Friday.
|
By
|
in the sense of at the latest
up to a certain time
|
I will be back by 6 o’clock.
By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages
|
Place (Position and Direction)
English
|
Usage
|
Example
|
in
|
room, building, street, town, country
book, paper etc.
car, taxi
picture, world
|
in the kitchen, in London
in the book
in the car, in a taxi
in the picture, in the world
|
at
|
meaning next to, by an object
for table
for events
place where you are to do something typical (watch a film, study, work)
|
at the door, at the station
at the table
at a concert, at the party
at the cinema, at school, at work
|
on
|
attached
for a place with a river
being on a surface
for a certain side (left, right)
for a floor in a house
for public transport
for television, radio
|
the picture on the wall
London lies on the Thames.
on the table
on the left
on the first floor
on the bus, on a plane
on TV, on the radio
|
by, next to, beside
|
left or right of somebody or something
|
Jane is standing by / next to / beside the car.
|
under
|
on the ground, lower than (or covered by) something else
|
the bag is under the table
|
below
|
lower than something else but above ground
|
the fish are below the surface
|
over
|
covered by something else
meaning more than
getting to the other side (also across)
overcoming an obstacle
|
put a jacket over your shirt
over 16 years of age
walk over the bridge
climb over the wall
|
above
|
higher than something else, but not directly over it
|
a path above the lake
|
across
|
getting to the other side (also over)
getting to the other side
|
walk across the bridge
swim across the lake
|
through
|
something with limits on top, bottom and the sides
|
drive through the tunnel
|
to
|
movement to person or building
movement to a place or country
for bed
|
go to the cinema
go to London / Ireland
go to bed
|
into
|
enter a room / a building
|
go into the kitchen / the house
|
towards
|
movement in the direction of something (but not directly to it)
|
go 5 steps towards the house
|
onto
|
movement to the top of something
|
jump onto the table
|
from
|
in the sense of where from
|
a flower from the garden
|
Other important Prepositions
English
|
Usage
|
Example
|
from
|
who gave it
|
a present from Jane
|
Of
|
who/what does it belong to
what does it show
|
a page of the book
the picture of a palace
|
By
|
who made it
|
a book by Mark Twain
|
On
|
walking or riding on horseback
entering a public transport vehicle
|
on foot, on horseback
get on the bus
|
In
|
entering a car / Taxi
|
get in the car
|
Off
|
leaving a public transport vehicle
|
get off the train
|
out of
|
leaving a car / Taxi
|
get out of the taxi
|
By
|
rise or fall of something
travelling (other than walking or horse riding)
|
prices have risen by 10 percent
by car, by bus
|
At
|
for age
|
she learned Russian at 45
|
about
|
for topics, meaning what about
|
we were talking about you
|
Regular Verbs.
Infinitive
|
Past
|
Participle
|
Accept
|
Accepted
|
Accepted
|
Act
|
Acted
|
Acted
|
Achieve
|
Achieved
|
Achieved
|
Admire
|
Admired
|
Admired
|
Advise
|
Advised
|
Advised
|
Affect
|
Affected
|
Affected
|
Agree
|
Agreed
|
Agreed
|
Amaze
|
Amazed
|
Amazed
|
Amuse
|
Amused
|
Amused
|
Answer
|
Answered
|
Answered
|
Appear
|
Appeared
|
Appeared
|
Arrange
|
Arranged
|
Arranged
|
Arrive
|
Arrived
|
Arrived
|
Ask
|
Asked
|
Asked
|
Attack
|
Attacked
|
Attacked
|
Bake
|
Baked
|
Baked
|
Behave
|
Behaved
|
Behaved
|
Believe
|
Believed
|
Believed
|
Belong
|
Belonged
|
Belonged
|
Blame
|
Blamed
|
Blamed
|
Borrow
|
Borrowed
|
Borrowed
|
Bother
|
Bothered
|
Bothered
|
Call
|
Called
|
Called
|
Cancel
|
Canceled
|
Canceled
|
Carry
|
Carried
|
Carried
|
Cause
|
Caused
|
Caused
|
Celebrate
|
Celebrated
|
Celebrated
|
Clean
|
Cleaned
|
Cleaned
|
Clear
|
Cleared
|
Cleared
|
Climb
|
Climbed
|
Climbed
|
Close
|
Closed
|
Closed
|
Compare
|
Compared
|
Compared
|
Compete
|
Competed
|
Competed
|
Complete
|
Completed
|
Completed
|
Contain
|
Contained
|
Contained
|
Continue
|
Continued
|
Continued
|
Cook
|
Cooked
|
Cooked
|
Correct
|
Corrected
|
Corrected
|
Cough
|
Coughed
|
Coughed
|
Count
|
Counted
|
Counted
|
Crash
|
Crashed
|
Crashed
|
Create
|
Created
|
Created
|
Cross
|
Crossed
|
Crossed
|
Curse
|
Cursed
|
Cursed
|
Change
|
Changed
|
Changed
|
Chase
|
Chased
|
Chased
|
Chat
|
Chatted
|
Chatted
|
Check
|
Checked
|
Checked
|
Damage
|
Damaged
|
Damaged
|
Dance
|
Danced
|
Danced
|
Date
|
Dated
|
Dated
|
Decide
|
Decided
|
Decided
|
Deliver
|
Delivered
|
Delivered
|
Depend
|
Depended
|
Depended
|
Describe
|
Described
|
Described
|
Design
|
Designed
|
Designed
|
Destroy
|
Destroyed
|
Destroyed
|
Decrease
|
Decreased
|
Decreased
|
Die
|
Died
|
Died
|
Disagree
|
Disagreed
|
Disagreed
|
Discover
|
Discovered
|
Discovered
|
Discuss
|
Discussed
|
Discussed
|
Disturb
|
Disturbed
|
Disturbed
|
Dress
|
Dressed
|
Dressed
|
Dry
|
Dried
|
Dried
|
Eliminate
|
Eliminated
|
Eliminated
|
End
|
Ended
|
Ended
|
Enjoy
|
Enjoyed
|
Enjoyed
|
Entertain
|
Entertained
|
Entertained
|
Excuse
|
Excused
|
Excused
|
Exercise
|
Exercised
|
Exercised
|
Exhibit
|
Exhibited
|
Exhibited
|
Expect
|
Expected
|
Expected
|
Express
|
Expressed
|
Expressed
|
Film
|
Filmed
|
Filmed
|
Fill
|
Filled
|
Filled
|
Fish
|
Fished
|
Fished
|
Fix
|
Fixed
|
Fixed
|
Follow
|
Followed
|
Followed
|
Freeze
|
Freezed
|
Freezed
|
Fry
|
Fried
|
Fried
|
Greet
|
Greeted
|
Greeted
|
Guess
|
Guessed
|
Guessed
|
Hail
|
Hailed
|
Hailed
|
Handle
|
Handled
|
Handled
|
Happen
|
Happened
|
Happened
|
Hate
|
Hated
|
Hated
|
Help
|
Helped
|
Helped
|
Hope
|
Hoped
|
Hoped
|
Hunt
|
Hunted
|
Hunted
|
Identify
|
Identified
|
Identified
|
Ignore
|
Ignored
|
Ignored
|
Imagine
|
Imagined
|
Imagined
|
Impress
|
Impressed
|
Impressed
|
Improve
|
Improved
|
Improved
|
Include
|
Included
|
Included
|
Increase
|
Increased
|
Increased
|
Interview
|
Interviewed
|
Interviewed
|
Introduce
|
Introduced
|
Introduced
|
Invite
|
Invited
|
Invited
|
Jog
|
Jogged
|
Jogged
|
Join
|
Joined
|
Joined
|
Jump
|
Jumped
|
Jumped
|
Knock
|
Knocked
|
Knocked
|
Label
|
Labeled
|
Labeled
|
Land
|
Landed
|
Landed
|
Last
|
Lasted
|
Lasted
|
Learn
|
Learned
|
Learned
|
Like
|
Liked
|
Liked
|
Link
|
Linked
|
Linked
|
List
|
Listed
|
Listed
|
Listen
|
Listened
|
Listened
|
Live
|
Lived
|
Lived
|
Locate
|
Located
|
Located
|
Look
|
Looked
|
Looked
|
Love
|
Loved
|
Loved
|
Manage
|
Managed
|
Managed
|
Mark
|
Marked
|
Marked
|
Match
|
Matched
|
Matched
|
Measure
|
Measured
|
Measured
|
Mention
|
Mentioned
|
Mentioned
|
Miss
|
Missed
|
Missed
|
Move
|
Moved
|
Moved
|
Name
|
Named
|
Named
|
Need
|
Needed
|
Needed
|
Note
|
Noted
|
Noted
|
Notice
|
Noticed
|
Noticed
|
Number
|
Numbered
|
Numbered
|
Offer
|
Offered
|
Offered
|
Open
|
Opened
|
Opened
|
Order
|
Ordered
|
Ordered
|
Organize
|
Organized
|
Organized
|
Pack
|
Packed
|
Packed
|
Paint
|
Painted
|
Painted
|
Pamper
|
Pampered
|
Pampered
|
Pardon
|
Pardoned
|
Pardoned
|
Park
|
Parked
|
Parked
|
Participate
|
Participated
|
Participated
|
Pass
|
Passed
|
Passed
|
Perform
|
Performed
|
Performed
|
Pick
|
Picked
|
Picked
|
Plan
|
Planned
|
Planned
|
Play
|
Played
|
Played
|
Please
|
Pleased
|
Pleased
|
Practice
|
Practiced
|
Practiced
|
Predict
|
Predicted
|
Predicted
|
Prefer
|
Preferred
|
Preferred
|
Present
|
Presented
|
Presented
|
Program
|
Programmed
|
Programmed
|
Protect
|
Protected
|
Protected
|
Provide
|
Provided
|
Provided
|
Purchase
|
Purchased
|
Purchased
|
Push
|
Pushed
|
Pushed
|
Rain
|
Rain
|
Rain
|
Receive
|
Received
|
Received
|
Recommend
|
Recommended
|
Recommended
|
Relate
|
Related
|
Related
|
Relax
|
Relaxed
|
Relaxed
|
Release
|
Released
|
Released
|
Remember
|
Remembered
|
Remembered
|
Repair
|
Repaired
|
Repaired
|
Repeat
|
Repeated
|
Repeated
|
Resist
|
Resisted
|
Resisted
|
Rest
|
Rested
|
Rested
|
Return
|
Returned
|
Returned
|
Review
|
Reviewed
|
Reviewed
|
Sail
|
Sailed
|
Sailed
|
Save
|
Saved
|
Saved
|
Scan
|
Scanned
|
Scanned
|
Scare
|
Scared
|
Scared
|
Share
|
Shared
|
Shared
|
Shop
|
Shopped
|
Shopped
|
Shout
|
Shouted
|
Shouted
|
Skate
|
Skated
|
Skated
|
Slow
|
Slowed
|
Slowed
|
Sneeze
|
Sneezed
|
Sneezed
|
Snow
|
Snowed
|
Snowed
|
Solve
|
Solved
|
Solved
|
Spell
|
Spelled
|
Spelled
|
Start
|
Started
|
Started
|
Step
|
Stepped
|
Stepped
|
Stop
|
Stopped
|
Stopped
|
Stress
|
Stressed
|
Stressed
|
Study
|
Studied
|
Studied
|
Substitute
|
Substituted
|
Substituted
|
Suggest
|
Suggested
|
Suggested
|
Surprise
|
Surprised
|
Surprised
|
Talk
|
Talked
|
Talked
|
Taste
|
Tasted
|
Tasted
|
Terrorize
|
Terrorized
|
Terrorized
|
Thank
|
Thanked
|
Thanked
|
Touch
|
Touched
|
Touched
|
Travel
|
Traveled
|
Traveled
|
Try
|
Tried
|
Tried
|
Tune
|
Tuned
|
Tuned
|
Turn
|
Turned
|
Turned
|
Underline
|
Underlined
|
Underlined
|
Use
|
Used
|
Used
|
Vary
|
Varied
|
Varied
|
Wait
|
Waited
|
Waited
|
Walk
|
Walked
|
Walked
|
Want
|
Wanted
|
Wanted
|
Warn
|
Warned
|
Warned
|
Wash
|
Washed
|
Washed
|
Watch
|
Watched
|
Watched
|
Water
|
Watered
|
Watered
|
Welcome
|
Welcomed
|
Welcomed
|
Wish
|
Wished
|
Wished
|
Witness
|
Witnessed
|
Witnessed
|
Work
|
Worked
|
Worked
|
Worry
|
Worried
|
Worried
|
Wrestle
|
Wrestled
|
Wrestled
|
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