Lesson 4 Simple Consonant Graphemes

Like in the Russian language there are voiced and voiceless consonants in the English one. The following simple consonant graphemes read the sounds 1) without voice: f [f], t [t], p [p], k [k], h [h]; 2) with voice d [d], b [b], z [z], n [n], m [m], l [l], r [r. Doubled consonant letters are read as one sound: e.g. egg [eg], butt [bAt].

The sound values of the following consonants depend on their position in a word.

c	g	s	x
[k] before the vowel letters a, o, u; before consonants; at the end of the word catch, cod, cub; crop, Arctic; Atlantic [s] before the vowel letters e, i, y; before the final mute e cent, pencil, cycle; since, fence [S] in the medial position, before e and i; before the suffix -ion, -ian ocean, speciality; physician, suspicion	[g] before the vowel letters a, o, u; before consonants; at the end of the word gave, got, gum; great, gloomy; twig, fog, plug [G] before the vowel letters e, i, y; before the final mute e preceded by a long vowel, a diphthong or a consonant; in the endings -ege, -age gentle, giant, gypsy, huge, siege, change; manage, college exceptions: get, give, girl, gift, giggle	[s] in the beginning of the word before any vowel or the consonants [k], [l], [m], [n], [p], [t], [v], [w]; after voiceless consonants; after u; in the suffix -ist and the prefixes mis- and dis-; in the words ending in -sis, -osity, sing, sound, simple, stop; gets, pass, guess; us; bus; satirist, misread, disqualify; thesis, explosive, curiosity, hypocrisy [z] after vowels; after voiced consonants; in the suffix -ism; in the suffixes -ese and -iseis, rises, rose, desert; buds, bounds, girls; realism; Chinese, advertise [S] before the suffix -ion, if it is preceded by a consonant or the vowel [W]: e.g. declension, extension, conversion, excursion; in the beginning and middle of the following words: sugar, sure, sensual, tonsure [Z] before the suffixes -ion and -ure if they are preceded by a vowel sound allusion, division, measure, treasure + usual, casual	[ks] box, exercise, exclamation [gz] if the vowel following the x is stressed exam, exist, exhibit, exact

Exercise 1. Read the following words.

a) cist – cyst cell – Celt cell – cent cess

b) cab – cad – cam can – camp – cap cob – cod – con clog – cop – crop cum – scum – cut cub – cud – scud

c) since – fence mince – pence since – mince fence – pence

Exercise 2. Read the following words.

a) sell – cell – Kent sent – cent – kept sit – cyst

b) lap – clap slump – clump slip – clip slot – clot

c) at – cat stud – cud sob – cob sum – cum Sam – cam sup – cup

d) act – pact strict – sect fact – pact tact – duct crab – scrap crib – script crag – crack

e) crimp cress cross crumb cram clip clap crop crump cramp

Exercise 3. Find all the words with single s for [S].

mi-ion ver-ion aggre-ion declen-ion preten-ion

pa-ion expre-ion posse-ion convul-ion comprehen-ion

expan-ion excur-ion commi-ion inver-ion confe-ion

suspen-ion conver-ion profe-ion permi-ion ten-ion

Exercise 4. Read the following words.

a) gem – gym gest – gist gip – gyp gin – gym

b) gap – gas – gad got – god – gob gut – gust – gulp golf – gulf – gas gum – gun – gull

c) glad – grab – grub gum – glum – grunt grog – gloss – gosh

Exercise 5. Read the following words.

bag – lag – hag – brag – crag

beg – leg – keg – meg – peg

big – pig – brig – grig – big

bug – lug – hug – fug – plug

bog – log – hog – fog – flog

Exercise 6. Find all the words with g for [G].

a) -eneral -entle -enerous -enius -ymnast -eniune	ori-in ima-ine lo-ical hydro-en pi-eon ve-etable	messa-e posta-e challen-e dama-e carria-e folia-e	porri-e knowle-e bu-et ba-er fri-id
b) [eI] sta-e wa-e ca-e pa-e	[e] ple-e e-e sle-e he-e	[A] ju-e gru-e bul-e	[I] bri-e ri-e

Exercise 7. Read the following words.

is – his sip bus – is

his – is set plus – is

as – has sent us – is

us – bus

Exercise 8. Copy the given words into two columns: 1) the words with s; 2) the words with c. Get ready to explain wherever possible the choice between s and c for [s].

Australia, pulse, once, cigarettes, excitement, dishonest, decisive, sausage, answer, this, glimpse, crisis, sensible, victorious, central, comparison, expense, display, voice, conference, course, exceed, sequence, contents, purse, concert, announce, heresy, defensive, mysterious, force, encyclopaedia, France, pretence, acts, Mike’s, mathematics, gas, loose, hoarse, emphasis, bacillus, fierce, sentence, romance, mercy, prospectus, verse, minus.

Exercise 9. Insert the missing letters for [s].

a) nur-e pur-e for-e hoar-e cour-e fier-e hor-e

pul-e pen-e chan-e el-e spa-e ba-e gee-e

pea-e mou-e loo-e li-e thri-e jui-e ca-e

u-e (n) gra-e nie-e ni-e goo-e clo-e (adj) pie-e

ver-e grea-e collap-e addu-e abu-e (n) sour-e essen-e

b) -eiling -entre -eremony -ecret

-eries -entral -ensor -enator

-ynic -ivilize -ituation -ylinder

-ene -ent (n)

c) -ircu- -igarette de-i-ive -au-ge mi-understand -ilence

cri-i- -en-ible -in-e -en-e -equen-e my-teriou-

-erious -end di-iple the-i- di-tan-e a-i-tant

en-ircle -u-pen-e exi-ten-e -ati-fy -ickness ba-illu-

Exercise 10. Insert the missing letter or letters for [z].

a) re-ume re-emble re-idence re-ign re-ult

po-ition re-ence pre-erve pre-ident po-ession

de-ign de-ire de-erve di-aster di-ease

-ip -oology -ebra -ephyr -enith

Bu- a- serie- specie- ja-

b) a wi-e wi-ard a dazzling bla-e a cra-y de-ire the sea-on of mai-e noi-y mu-ic a plea-ant pri-e excu-e my do-ing mi-erable re-ults a po-itive propo-al hi- ama-ing re-embance

the re-idence of the pre-ident of Bra-il an amu-ing joke showing -eal for the cau-e a fro-en li-ard an unplea-ant di-iness hi- vi-ible he-itation soft buzzing of bee- the ri-ing bree-e

3. 1. The Japane-e u-e Chine-e characters in writing. 2. He re-ents critici-m. 3. She always abu-e- her la-y hu-band. 4. Wedne-day is early-clo-ing day in England. 5. What si-e i- that ro-y blou-e? 6. Pack the ra-ors in do-ens. 7. They puzzled their brain- how to relea-e the pri-oner. 8. I- Eli-abeth on bu-iness in Ari-ona? 9. He refu-ed to re-erve hi- decision. 10. Squee-e -ome chee-e out of the tube. 11. Ha-e i- often cau-ed by heat. 12. Hi- despi-ing the cou-in wa- ama-ing. 13. The citi-en- were sei-ed with panic. 14. He wa- prai-ed and given the pri-e.

Exercise 11. Group the given words into two columns: 1) with s before -ion and 2) with t before -ion.

action pretension distortion collection conviction apprehension comprehension assertion distraction destruction

version conversion declension connection detection mansion fiction conversion distinction expansion

faction excursion abortion extension junction suspension inversion tension resurrection infection

Exercise 12. Insert the missing letters.

а) lei-ure sei-ure supervi-ion colli-ion revi-ion

transi-ion u-ual fu-ion confu-ion conclu-ion

b) a fair divi-ion the illu-ion of the bour-oisie occa-ional inva-ions precautionary mea-ures

c) 1. Watching televi-ion is not always a plea-ure. 2. The explo-ure in the gara-e caused much confu-ion. 3. U-ually she does not put any rou-e on her face.

Exercise 13. Read the following words.

a) fix text ox ax mix next

fox flax six sex box Max

b) fix six pyx ox next text

ax fox box flax Max