1.1.4: Simple Present-Pronunciation and Spelling
- Page ID
- 257400
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Pronunciation and Spelling: Adding -s and -es
We add -s and -es for two reasons:
1. The word is a noun, and we are making it plural.
table → tables
chair → chairs
2. The word is a verb, and it agrees with the subject (he, she, or it–3rd person singular)
I wait → she waits
they cook → he cooks
Pronunciation
In English the same letters can have different sounds. For example, the letter “c” can sound like /k/ in cat, but it can also sound like /s/ in ice.
For words that end in -s or -es, there are three different sounds: /s/, /z/, and /ɪz/. We can predict how the -s or -es ending will sound by the last sound of the word before we add the -s or -es ending.
When you see the two slashes / / it means that we are talking about sound. For example, the word laugh is shown as /læf/. This symbol / / shows the sounds of the word and not the spelling.
| If the word ends with these sounds: | This is the sound made by adding -s or -es: | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| /f/ /k/ /p/ /θ/ or /t/ | → /s/ | laughs, drinks, sleeps, births, writes, gets |
| /b/ /d/ /g/ /l/ /m/ /n/ /ŋ/ /r/ /v/ /ð/ and all vowel sounds |
→ /z/ | grabs, rides, hugs, comes, runs, sings, lives, sees, goes, plays, buys, studies |
| /ʤ/ /z/ /ks/ /s/ /tʃ/ or /ʃ/ | → /ɪz/ | changes, quizzes, fixes, kisses, uses, teaches, pushes |
/θ/=th as in bath /ð/=th as in that /ʤ/=j as in judge /tʃ/=ch as in church /ʃ/=sh as in wash
Exercise 4.1: Pronunciation
Directions: Look at the words and sentences below. Follow the rules above and choose the final sound of the word.
| Target Word | Ending Sound (Circle your choice) |
|---|---|
| 1. teaches | /s/ /z/ /ɪz/ |
| 2. teachers | /s/ /z/ /ɪz/ |
| 3. asks | /s/ /z/ /ɪz/ |
| 4. kicks | /s/ /z/ /ɪz/ |
| 5. does | /s/ /z/ /ɪz/ |
| 6. reads | /s/ /z/ /ɪz/ |
| 7. watches | /s/ /z/ /ɪz/ |
| 8. begins | /s/ /z/ /ɪz/ |
| 9. pushes | /s/ /z/ /ɪz/ |
| 10. listens | /s/ /z/ /ɪz/ |
Exercise 4.2: Listening
Directions: Listen to the teacher say a list of words and then sentences. You will hear each word or sentence two times. Decide if the ending sound is /s/, /z/, or /ɪz/ and choose (by circling or otherwise marking) your choice.
- /s/ /z/ /ɪz/
- /s/ /z/ /ɪz/
- /s/ /z/ /ɪz/
- /s/ /z/ /ɪz/
- /s/ /z/ /ɪz/
- /s/ /z/ /ɪz/
- /s/ /z/ /ɪz/
- /s/ /z/ /ɪz/
- /s/ /z/ /ɪz/
- /s/ /z/ /ɪz
Part 2 Directions: With a partner, say the word or sentence. Your partner will point to the sound they hear.
Spelling
Rule 1:
If a word ends in /s/, /z/, /ch/, /sh/ or /x/ sound → add -es
Only add -es for the he/she/it form of the verb (third person singular).
watch → watches
wash → washes
kiss → kisses
I pass out papers. → She passes out papers.
I wash the dishes. → He washes the dishes.
Exercise 4.3: Spelling Rule 1
Directions: Write the correct form of the verb in parentheses on the lines.
Add -es if the verb ends in /s/, /z/, /ch/, /sh/ or /x/ sounds.
- (watch) I ________ TV in the morning, but she ________ TV at night.
- (wash) They ________ dishes together after dinner. He ________ dishes on weekends.
- (fix) My father and I ________ cars together. My husband ________ the bicycle.
- (teach) They ________ their daughter Ukrainian. Eva ________ her son Amharic.
- (brush) I ________ my teeth twice a day. He ________ three times a day.
- (guess) I never ________ the answer, but Tatiana often ________ the answer.
- (mix) She ________ Spanish and English. They ________ English and Ukranian.
- (cash) I ________ my check at the bank. He ________ his check too.
- (notice) I always ________ mistakes. She never ________ mistakes when she writes.
- (ask) I ________ for vegetarian food. Natasha ________ for Ukrainian food.
Rule 2:
If a word ends in a consonant plus -y, change -y to i and add -es. If the word ends in a vowel plus -y, just add -s.
Consonant + -y
Change -y to i and add -es
cry → cries
study → studies
Vowel + -y
Add -s
pay → pays
buy → buys
Exercise 4.4: Spelling Rule 2
Directions: Write the correct form of the verb on the line in the sentences below.
- (study) I __________ in the morning, but my brother__________ at night.
- (worry) My husband__________ about money. I __________ about him.
- (cry) The cat __________ when I leave. The babies __________ all the time.
- (play) She __________ the piano. We __________ the violin.
- (pay) I ___________ for groceries with a credit card. Jeff__________ with cash.
- (stay) Nam often __________ after class for help. Some other students sometimes __________ after class to talk.
- (worry) My husband __________ about school. I __________ about our health.
- (enjoy) We __________ playing board games. Our children __________ online games.
- (say) My nieces __________ they are busy Friday, but my sister__________ Friday is ok.
- (try) I __________ to study 3 times a week. She __________ to study every day.