Unit 11: The. That's right - the! Learn all about it in 90 seconds
The definite article
Select a unit
- 1 Go beyond intermediate with our new video course
- 2 Reported speech in 90 seconds!
- 3 If or whether?
- 4 5 ways to use 'would'
- 5 Let and allow
- 6 Passive voice
- 7 Unless
- 8 Mixed conditionals
- 9 The zero article - in 90 seconds
- 10 The indefinite article - in 90 seconds
- 11 The. That's right - the! Learn all about it in 90 seconds
- 12 The continuous passive
- 13 Future perfect
- 14 Need + verb-ing
- 15 Have something done
- 16 Wish
- 17 Word stress
- 18 Different ways of saying 'if'
- 19 Passive reporting structures
- 20 The subjunctive
- 21 When and if
- 22 Inversion
- 23 Phrasal verbs
- 24 The future
- 25 Modals in the past
- 26 Narrative tenses
- 27 Phrasal verb myths
- 28 Conditionals review
- 29 Used to - review
- 30 Linking words of contrast
Session 4
When speaking English naturally there are times when extra sounds are added between words to help them flow together smoothly. Tim gives some tips on the sounds that are added between a word that ends with a vowel sound and one that begins with a vowel sound.
Activity 1
Stop saying!
Vowel to vowel linking
As you probably know, in natural English speech words are often linked together. Most usually this is when one word ends in a vowel sound and the following word begins with a vowel sound. Where this happens another sound is used to help one word flow to the next.
Tim is here to tell you more about this. Listen out for the examples he gives.
Watch the video and complete the activity
Summary
Vowel to vowel linking happens in different ways.
If the first word ends with one of these sounds:
then the sound /j/ can be used to link them together.
- The /j/ end
- I /j/ always have lunch at one o'clock.
- The way /j/ I go home totally depends on traffic.
If the first word ends in these sounds:
then the sound /w/ can be used to link them together.
- Go /w/ over there please.
- Why did you take your shoe /w/ off?
To do
Can you choose the correct sound to link words together?
Linking sounds
5 Questions
In each question there is a word which ends in a vowel sound followed by a word that starts in a vowel sound. Click and drag the sentence to the sound that is used to link the words together.
Help
Activity
In each question there is a word which ends in a vowel sound followed by a word that starts in a vowel sound. Click and drag the sentence to the sound that is used to link the words together.
Hint
Find the two words that have a vowel to vowel link. What sound does the first word end in?Help
Activity
In each question there is a word which ends in a vowel sound followed by a word that starts in a vowel sound. Click and drag the sentence to the sound that is used to link the words together.
Hint
Find the two words that have a vowel to vowel link. What sound does the first word end in?Help
Activity
In each question there is a word which ends in a vowel sound followed by a word that starts in a vowel sound. Click and drag the sentence to the sound that is used to link the words together.
Hint
Find the two words that have a vowel to vowel link. What sound does the first word end in?Help
Activity
In each question there is a word which ends in a vowel sound followed by a word that starts in a vowel sound. Click and drag the sentence to the sound that is used to link the words together.
Hint
Find the two words that have a vowel to vowel link. What sound does the first word end in?Help
Activity
In each question there is a word which ends in a vowel sound followed by a word that starts in a vowel sound. Click and drag the sentence to the sound that is used to link the words together.
Hint
Find the two words that have a vowel to vowel link. What sound does the first word end in?Question 1 of 5
Link with a /w/
Link with a /j/
Excellent! Great job! Bad luck! You scored:
Linking sounds
5 Questions
In each question there is a word which ends in a vowel sound followed by a word that starts in a vowel sound. Click and drag the sentence to the sound that is used to link the words together.
Help
Activity
In each question there is a word which ends in a vowel sound followed by a word that starts in a vowel sound. Click and drag the sentence to the sound that is used to link the words together.
Hint
Find the two words that have a vowel to vowel link. What sound does the first word end in?Question 1 of 5
Help
Activity
In each question there is a word which ends in a vowel sound followed by a word that starts in a vowel sound. Click and drag the sentence to the sound that is used to link the words together.
Hint
Find the two words that have a vowel to vowel link. What sound does the first word end in?Question 2 of 5
Help
Activity
In each question there is a word which ends in a vowel sound followed by a word that starts in a vowel sound. Click and drag the sentence to the sound that is used to link the words together.
Hint
Find the two words that have a vowel to vowel link. What sound does the first word end in?Question 3 of 5
Help
Activity
In each question there is a word which ends in a vowel sound followed by a word that starts in a vowel sound. Click and drag the sentence to the sound that is used to link the words together.
Hint
Find the two words that have a vowel to vowel link. What sound does the first word end in?Question 4 of 5
Help
Activity
In each question there is a word which ends in a vowel sound followed by a word that starts in a vowel sound. Click and drag the sentence to the sound that is used to link the words together.
Hint
Find the two words that have a vowel to vowel link. What sound does the first word end in?Question 5 of 5
Excellent! Great job! Bad luck! You scored:
End of session
Congratulations, that's the end of this session.
Many thanks to the staff and students of International House London for their help with this feature.
Next
It's time to pop into your favourite restaurant, the White Elephant. Everyone is celebrating Mary's success except Gordon who thinks nobody is more successful than he is. Find out his reasons.
Session Vocabulary
Linking vowels
Use the sound /j/ to link words that end in:
- ee as in sea, me, bee
- eye as in eye, sky, die
- ay as in say, play, may
Use the sound /w/ to link words that end in:- oh as in go, snow, Joe
- ooh as in shoe, glue, knew