Pronouncing the plural marking morphemes –s and–z

Examples: Instructions: Pronounce the plural marker in each of the words given in bold right after your teacher.

1. Leafs: The winds blew the leaves off the trees.
2. Cuffs: He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his shirt cuffs.
3. .Books: She stacked the books neatly on the shelf.
4. Knives: They used the knives to cut the vegetables.
5. Claps: The audience gave loud claps after the performance.
6. Lists: He made lists of all the items needed for the trip.

-Remember that the plural marker –s is pronounced as–s after voiceless sounds (f, h, k, p, s, t)

Instructions: Pronounce the plural marker in each of the words given in bold right after your teacher.

1. Beds: “There are three beds in the bedroom.”
2. Dogs: “The dogs are playing in the yard.”
3. Lives: “She has lived in many different cities.”
4. Mouths: “They opened their mouths in surprise.”
5. Cars: “There are many cars parked on the street.”

In each of these examples, the plural form “-s” is pronounced as “-z” because the consonant preceding it is voiced (b, d, g, l, m, n, r, v, w, y, z).

Revision: Pronouncing interdental voiced and voiceless sounds[Ɵ] and [ð]

Instructions: Your teacher will read out a sentence which consists of one of the words given below . Listen to her/him and write the word that you have heard and then write it in your notebook.

[θ] (Voiceless dental fricative):

• Thin: She was a thin woman with delicate features.
• Teeth: He brushed his teeth twice a day to keep them clean.

[ð] (Voiced dental fricative):

• This: This is the book I was telling you about.
• Father: Her father always gave her good advice.

[θ] (Voiceless dental fricative):

• Think: I need more time to think about your proposal.
• Math: Math has always been my favorite subject in school.

[ð] (Voiced dental fricative):

• They: They are planning to visit us next month.
• Feather: The bird’s feather was soft and colorful.

[θ] (Voiceless dental fricative):

• Health: Eating vegetables is good for your health.
• Path: We walked along a narrow path through the woods.

[ð] (Voiced dental fricative):

• Weather: The weather forecast predicts rain later today.
• Breathe: Remember to breathe deeply during yoga.

[θ] (Voiceless dental fricative):

• Author: She is a famous author of mystery novels.
• With: He arrived with his friends at the party.

[ð] (Voiced dental fricative):

• This: Is this the correct answer to the question?
• Brother: Her brother is studying abroad this year.

[θ] (Voiceless dental fricative):

• Earth: We need to take care of the Earth for future generations.
• Birth: The birth of their first child was a joyful occasion.

[ð] (Voiced dental fricative):

• Bathe: She likes to bathe in warm water after a long day.
• Feather: The feather from the bird was bright blue

  Pronouncing the diphthongs [ai] and [ei]

Pronounce the following words with the diphthongs Group A [ai] and Group B [ei] correctly:

Group A	IPA Transcription [ai]	Group B	IPA Transcription [ei]
kind	/kaɪnd/	late	/leɪt/
find	/faɪnd/	fake	/feɪk/
outside	/ˌaʊtˈsaɪd/	make	/meɪk/
gigantic	/dʒaɪˈɡæntɪk/	lake	/leɪk/
try	/traɪ/	hate	/heɪt/
wide	/waɪd/	weight	/weɪt/
tide	/taɪd/	freight	/freɪt/
hide	/haɪd/	eight	/eɪt/
bind	/baɪnd/	date	/deɪt/
ride	/raɪd/	place	/pleɪs/

  Revision: Expressing Agreement and Disagreement and Giving Opinion

Giving Opinions	Expressing Agreement	Expressing Disagreement
In my opinion…	I agree with you.	I see what you’re saying, but…
From my perspective…	That’s a good point.	I’m not so sure about that.
I believe that…	Exactly!	I respectfully disagree because…
Personally, I think…	I could agree more.	I’m afraid I have to disagree because…
As far as I’m concerned…	That makes sense.	I see things differently.
It seems to me that…	You’re right about that.	I’m not entirely convinced because…

These expressions can help you articulate your opinions clearly, show agreement with someone else’s viewpoint, or respectfully disagree while explaining your perspective.