For VOA Learning
English, this is Everyday Grammar.
Today we have a special guest host. Betty Azar is the
most successful writer of grammar textbooks in the world. Generations of
English learners will recognize her best-selling book Understanding
and Using English Grammar.
The famous blue grammar book, now
in its fourth edition, is in use at language schools across the world. Ms. Azar
also supports research and professional development in the English language
teaching field. Today Ms. Azar will offer some advice on how to hear the sounds
of grammar.
STUDENT: "English speakers talk too fast! I can't
understand what they're saying."
BETTY AZAR: Does that sound familiar? It's
a common complaint of English language learners, one I've heard often from my
university-level ESL students through the years.
Normal contracted speech, especially in everyday
conversational usage, can speed by like a bullet train. It can leave learners
feeling a little dazed as they try to catch the meaning.
For most adult
learners, reading is, of course, much easier to understand. When understanding
English is just between you and the written page, you can go as slowly as you
want. You can go back and read words again, perhaps break down the grammar. You
can even leisurely look up the meaning of a word.
And at least in
writing there are spaces between words. If only that were true in speaking! If
only speakers paused briefly between words, it would be so much easier for
learners.
Teachers in second
language classes often speak slowly and distinctly, as I am doing now. But in
the real world, well, it's not going to happen. Or, to say that in normal
contracted speech,
Well, i'snotgonnahappen.
Speakers squeeze sounds together, or drop sounds, or
say them so softly and quickly that a listener can barely hear them. When you
listen to my sentence again, notice that the t is almost completely
dropped from it's, and going to becomes gonna.
Well, i'snot gonna happen.
As a teacher, I've
often heard students say things like
Bye. I leaving now. I see you tomorrow.
What's missing? The
grammar sounds are missing, in this case the m and l sounds for am and will.
Listen for them in the corrected sentences:
Bye. I'm leaving
now. I'll see you tomorrow.
The m and l sounds are barely said aloud. But a
native speaker hears them. Do you? Listen again.
Bye. I'm leaving
now. I'll see you tomorrow.
And then, sometimes
native speakers drop not only sounds but complete words. Listen to this:
Bye. ‘M leavin' now. See you tomorrow.
If you're saying
"Not fair!," you're not the first English learner to feel that way!
Grammar students learn
that am, is, are and helping verbs (for example, will, have, would) are often contracted with pronouns in
both speaking and writing, as in I'm
and I'll. But most
students also find it helpful to know that in everyday spoken English these
verbs are usually contracted with nouns and question words, too.
Here's a sentence
about a man named Tom. Tom is a noun.
In writing, you will
see
Don't
worry. Tom will be here soon.
In speaking, you will
hear
Don't worry. Tom'll be here soon.
Listen for Tom will again:
Don't worry. Tom'll be here soon.
Here's another example
of a contraction with a noun:
My book is on the table.
becomes
My book's on the table.
And another example,
this time with are:
In writing you will
see
My books are on the table.
In speaking you will
hear
My books're on the table.
Again:
My books're on the table.
The verb sounds are so
quick that it's almost impossible to hear them unless you expect to hear them.
Listen again:
My book's on the table.
My books're on the table.
Question words (such
as where, when, why) are
similarly contracted in speech.
In writing, each word
is separate. For example:
Where are the students? Where
have they gone?
In spoken English, the
question word is contracted with the verb:
Where're the students? Where've they gone?
Again:
Where're the students? Where've they gone?
No wonder it's hard
for learners to catch these grammar sounds! If you think English speakers talk
really fast, you're right. They do!
Do and did are also often reduced. Listen for do you :
D'you know Mrs. Lee?
Again:
D'you know Mrs. Lee?
Did can be a quick d sound when it's combined with a question word. Listen
forwhere did and what did:
Where'd she go? What'd she do?
Again:
Where'd she go? What'd she do?
Here's another example
of shortened spoken English that my students usually enjoy. Two people are
talking.
D'ja eat yet?
No, d'joo?
In other words, spoken
slowly:
Did you eat yet?
No, did you?
Did is a good example of a function word. A function word gives grammar
information. In the sentence Did
you eat yet?, did tells us that the speaker is talking
about the past and is asking a question. In contrast, eat is a content word. So are words such
as Tom, yesterday, lunch. Content words have
specific meanings. Function words are the ones that are the hardest to hear in
speech. Content words are usually said more clearly and loudly.
Along with helping
verbs, other common function words are and,
to, the, and a. Let's look at and. And shows the relationship between two nouns: Bob and Tom tells us there are two people.
Like most function
words, and is usually reduced:
I had lunch with Bob ‘n Tom yesterday.
A learner could easily
think that "Bobbintom" is one word!
To is usually reduced to a slight t sound:
Let's ask Tom to come with us.
sounds like
Let's ask Tom t'come with us.
Again:
Let's ask Tom t'come with us.
The and a can be especially hard for
learners to hear. Listen for the and a:
In class yesterday, I asked the teacher a question.
Even if you know the and a are supposed to be there, you have to
listen hard to hear them. Listen again:
In class yesterday, I asked the teacher a question.
Native speakers can
hear the softer sounds of function words, but it can be very difficult for
second language learners to hear them. Knowing some grammar can help. For
example, learners are more likely to hear and to say Bye. I'm leaving now. I'll
see you later if
they are familiar with the forms and meanings of verb tenses.
If learners don't know
what grammar sounds they're supposed to hear, chances
are they won't hear them. If they don't hear them, chances are they
won't include them in their own speaking and writing. In other words, an
awareness of grammar can prepare you to understand what you're hearing, and
hearing the sounds of grammar can, in
turn, help you use English more accurately.
I'm Betty Azar.
Words in This Story
contracted – participial adj.
shortened
dazed – participial adj. confused and surprised
squeeze – v. push close together
leisurely – adv. in a slow, relaxed way
contraction – gramm. two words combined into one word,
e.g., I am = I'm
chances are (that) - idiomatic phrase. it is probable (that)
in turn - idiomatic phrase. as a result
Try this quiz on the article to test your
understanding.
Quiz - Everyday Grammar: The
Sounds of Grammar with Betty Azar
See how well you can
understand the reduced forms by taking this quiz.
Question 1
Play video 1, then answer the question.
What does the example of contracted speech say?
Video 4