Grammar dictation.
The link between grammar and pronunciation.
What were the problem areas when listening to the sentences below? Were these problems caused by grammar, vocabulary or the features of fast connected speech?
1) He's veen studying Political Science for 6 years. Present perfect continuous
2) He's had that apartment since he started that job. Present perfect simple
3) By the time we got to the hotel the conference had finished. Past simple & past perfect simple.
4) He hadn't come to the office so he didn't know which file to take. Past perfect simple & past simple
5) He was going to take the train but he changed his mind at the last minute. Future plans in the past
6) I stopped to do the shopping on the way home. Stop + infinitive to show reason for stopping something else.
7) I stopped going to the gym because the membership is too expensive. Stop + gerund to show which activity was stopped.
8) I'm used to having all my work done by the end of the day. To be + adjective + preposition + gerund to talk about a situation you are now accustomed to.
8) I used to have all my work done by the end of the day but I don't anymore. Used (past tense verb) + infinitive to talk about a past habit.
He sold his car last week.
He's sold his car so he's walking to work now.
In the above sentences it is the context, not the pronunciation which tells you what the tense is.
Homework
Listening Practice
Choose a short text to listen to. Listen a couple of times to understand the context then listen again for tenses or verb structures. Do they sound like you expected they would?
Listening Sources
English Central http://www.englishcentral.com/videos#/browse-app?goal=3&browseType=course&difficulty=ADVANCED
BBC Radio 4 http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4
Ted.com http://www.ted.com
Youtube https://www.youtube.com
Going Further
To BEC or Not to BEC?
The main point that came out of today's discussion was that most people felt that they did not have the necessary time needed to prepare for the exam but felt that a course aimed at BEC Vantage would be useful nonetheless. Whether you do the exam (and when you do it) is a personal choice and we can discuss your options throughout the course and in the final tutorial. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or queries regarding either the course or the exam.
No comments:
Post a Comment