2.2. It's all in words!

A step ahead



What the following video from the BBC about the use of the dipthongs /əʊ/ and /aʊ/.



The sound /əʊ/ appears in words that contain the vowels or diphthongs: o, ow, oa, and oe. Examples are: cold, low, boat, and toe.

The sound /aʊ/ appears in words that contain the diphthongs ow and ou. Examples are: now, and loud.

As you may imagine, it can be difficult at times to decide which of the two sounds to use for words containing ow, especially if you have never heard the word before. In those cases, it is a good idea to check the phonetic transcription in the dictionary.

 

Below is a list of words that contain the sounds  /əʊ/ and /aʊ/. Put the words in the right column of the box.

a.thousand      b.vowel     c.phone   d.house   e.show   f.countdown   g.post  h.mountains  i.road  j.brown  k.no  

 

       /əʊ/       
      /aʊ/      
   
   
   
   
   
   

Caso de estudio

You can check your answers here.

 


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UNIT 2_LESSON 4_PODCAST 7

"In the end, what I learned from Matthew's family is that being polite is not just knowing how to behave on certain occassions. The language you use and how you use it shows your attitude towards life. Politeness is all in words you use!"

Curiosidad

In English speaking countries, it is necessary to use the modals CAN, COULD, and MAY to ask polite questions or to ask for permission. MAY is generally considered more polite than CAN.

So if you want somebody to pass you the salt at the table, it is nicer to ask: "Can you pass me the salt, please?". If you would like to use your mobile phone in a quiet restaurant, you can ask the waiter: "May I use my mobile phone in here?". Finally, imagine you are at a someone's house and you feel very hot, so you would like to open the window. In this case, a question such as "Could I open the window, please?" is the right one. 

Remember to add a "please" after questions starting with CAN and COULD! 

Para saber más

Now have a look at the following situations and write a polite question for each one:


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1.You are at a friend's house and need to use their telephone

2.You need to make an emergency call and ask a stranger to use their phone

3.You see some sweets on your friend's table and would like to eat one

4.You are visiting some relatives you haven't seen for a while, and are very thirsty

5.You are at an exam and your pen has run out of ink so you ask the teacher for one

Caso de estudio

Here are some possible questions for the situations above.