Intonation
Jazz chants are particularly useful in developing comprehension skills. They are based on a combination of repetition and learned response. The essential element in presenting a chant is to maintain clear, steady beat and rhythm.
Suggestions for use. Initially, repeat the lines of the chant following a model provided by the cassette. Once you are familiar with the material, progress from a simple choral repetition of a phrase to giving a response in answer to a question or statement. Be engaged in a dialogue with the teacher. Then transform the dialogue into a three- or four-part exchange. Move from the formal structure of the chants to an informal classroom improvisation, using what you have learned in a situational context. During the role playing, it is important to retain the rhythm and intonation patterns established earlier.
*/. Practice the rising intonation pattern of the yes/no questions, contrasted with the falling intonation of the statement. Mark the intonation.
Are You French?
Are you French? - No, I’m not. I’m Italian.
Is he Korean? - No, he is not. He is Japanese.
Is he Spanish? - No, she is not. She is Venezuelan.
Are they Indonesian? - No, they are not. They are Taiwanese.
Mistaken Identity Isn’t that Jack? - No, that’s Jim.
Isn’t that Bob? - No, that’s Tim.
Isn’t that Sam and his ex-wife Mary? -
No, that’s Sally and her husband Harry.
Isn’t that Bobby and his brother Mac? -
No, that’s Jimmy and his cousin Jack.
Isn’t that Alice and her aunt Christine? -
No, that’s Susie and my friend Eileen.
Aren’t those the Browns with their friends from Maine? - No, those are students from the coast of Spain.
Is there anybody here from Thailand?
Is there anybody here from Thailand?
Are there any students here from Peru?
Is there anybody here from Tahiti?
Is anyone from Katmandu?
Is there anybody here from Bali?
Are there any students here from Rome?
Is there anybody here from Quito?
Are there any students here from Nome?
There’s one student here from Thailand.
There are two students from Peru.
There are three students here from Tahiti.
There’s no one here from Katmandu.
*11. Practice the falling intonation of information questions. Note the rising intonation of Mary who? Mark the intonation.
Where’s Mary?
Where’s Mary? - Mary who?
Mary Brown. - She’s out of town.
Where’s Bill? - He’s very ill.
Where’s Sue? - She has the flu.
Where’s Ted? - He’s home in bed.
Where are Bob and Ray? - They’re absent today.
*111. Practice information questions.
Note the use of the present progressive to talk about future activities. This pattern is very often used with verbs showing movement (go, come, leave, move, start, finish).
When are you leaving? - I’m leaving in July.
How are you going? - I’m planning to fly?
Where is Bob going? - He’s going to Spain.
How is he going? - He’s taking a plane.
Are you leaving next summer? - I’m leaving next fall. Are you going with Bobby? - I’m going with Paul.
*IV. Practice the tag endings. Mark the intonation.
This is Wednesday, isn’t it?
This is Wednesday, isn’t it? - I think, it is. I think so.
This is the first, isn’t it? - I think, it is. I think so.
Is this the door to the roof? - I think so. It must be.
Are these the stairs to the basement? - I think so. They must be.
Is that the main entrance to the building? - I think so. It must be. Those are the stairs to the basement, aren’t they?
-1 think so. They must be.
That’s the exit, isn’t it? - I think so. It must be.
This is the entrance, isn’t it? - I think so. It must be.
*V. Practice using the simple present tense third person, the use of the infinitive form after like, the use of the definite article, the plural nouns. Learn by heart.
Couch Potato
Do you like to swim?
Do you like to ski?
I’m a couch potato. I like TV.
Does he like to swim?
Does he like to ski?
He’s a couch potato.
He likes TV.
He doesn’t like to swim.
He doesn’t like to ski. He’s a couch potato.
He likes TV.
He loves the ocean. He loves the sky.
She loves to travel. She loves to fly.
He likes the country. He loves the clouds. She likes the city.
She loves the crowds.
She loves the telephone. She loves to talk.
He loves the mountains. He loves to walk.
She loves to travel.
She loves to fly.
He loves the ocean.
He loves the sky.
Habits
(Note the use of the frequency words always/never/rarely.)
Bob gets up at six o’clock.
He never wakes up late.
He always gets up early He never sleeps till eight.
He always drinks his coffee black. He never uses cream.
He rarely has a sleepless night. He never has a dream.
He does his breakfast dishes, then puts them on the shelf, walks around the kitchen humming to himself.
*VL Practice the logical questions. Mark the intonation.
This chant illustrates a common pattern of American speech in which the first speaker makes a simple statement that provokes a question, in contrast to the familiar question/answer pattern.
I saw a friend of yours. - Who did you see?
I saw Jack Brown at the A&P. - I met a friend of yours.
Who did you meet?
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I met your teacher on Bleeker Street. She talked about you. What did she say? - She said you spoke very well yesterday.
*VIII. Practice present perfect questions and negative statements. Note the irregular past participles. Remind the contractions. Learn by heart.
N.B. Sushi is a popular Japanese food consisting of raw fish and rice. A California roll is a particular kind of sushi served in Japanese restaurants in the U.S. Kimchi is a popular Korean food consisting of spicy pickled cabbage.
California Roll (song)
Have you ever eaten sushi? or a California roll?
Have you ever eaten kimchi?
Have you ever been to Seoul?
No, I’ve never eaten kimchi.
I’ve never been to Seoul.
And I’ve never ever ever had a California roll.
Have you ever been arrested?
Have you ever gone to jail?
Have you ever had a diamond ring or worn a wedding veil?
No, I’ve never been arrested.
I’ve never gone to jail.
I’ve never had a diamond ring or worn a w'edding veil.
I’ve never lived in Brooklyn.
I’ve never lived in Queens.
I’ve never eaten sushi in a house in New Orleans.
I’ve never eaten kimchi.
I’ve never been to Seoul.
And I’ve never ever ever had a California roll!
No, I’ve never ever ever had a California roll!
SENTENCE
I. Classify the sentences according to the purpose of the utterance. Name the members of the sentence and discriminate between the main and the secondary parts.
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Come here as soon as you can! 2. They are students, aren’t they? 3. Nobody knows anything about it.4. There is a picture on the wall. 5. Don’t translate this word. 6. What a kind woman she is! 7. This is plastic, isn’t it?
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St. Augustine, Florida, was founded in 1565 and it is the oldest city in the United States. 9. Don’t let me down, Mike. You know how important it is for me! 10. Close the windows and pull down the shades, please. 11. Public speaking was always his strong point. 12. Why can’t you help them?
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Studying late is not the best policy. 14. Well, this is a surprise!
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Comment on the syntactic function of the words in a bold type.
1. He is. a geologist and spends his days drawing maps. 2. We usually
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have a huge dinner on Christmas. 3. There were wonderful presents for all the kids in the box. 4. She felt homesick in a foreign country. 5. Helen practices her French every day. 6. Susan looked at Robert admiringly. 7. The girl looked innocent and charming. 8. How can you doubt my word, sir? 9. Go right away, and be as quick as you can. 10. Now she stopped crying and began to work. 11. The boy was smiling to himself as he fell asleep. 12. I had such a delicious big supper last night! 13. My parents don’t seem too sympathetic to my new lifestyle. 14. I think Edward is making a serious mistake. 15. The window must have been broken by the wind.
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Put the adverbs in the proper places in the sentences.
1. Jennie goes to bed around 11 o’clock p.m. (usually, every day). 2. The telephone rang (loudly, at 7 a.m., in the study). 3. He studied (vigorously, at the university, in 1994). 4. Mary spoke to a group of people (lively, at
the registration desk). 5. The orchestra played (at the concert, very well, yesterday). 6. Mark worked (yesterday, very late) and is pretty tired today.
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Chuck spoke (at the conference, very well, last week). 8. The actors performed (at the play, the other day, superbly). 9. Barabara behaved (last week, during our meeting, strangely). 10. Brian drove (last night, carelessly). 11. The speaker droned on /бубнить/ (yesterday, endlessly, at the presentation) and everybody got bored. 12. Cheryl takes notes (in class, always). 13. The Prime Minister spoke on the issue (at the press conference, carefully, the other day). 14. The team played (last week, badly). 15. She sang (extremely well, last night, at the concert).
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Form the right order in the sentences.
1. Give, paper, a piece, of, me, a pencil, and. 2. Week, Mr. Barnett, new, brings, Mary, and, books, magazines, every. 3. Tall, General Henderson, with, hair, a man, white, was. 4. Was putting on, gloves, her, in, Nancy, a way, slow. 5. Show, can, I, something, you, interesting. 6. Good, English, some, have, I, books. 7. Them, can, I, bring, to, the Institute, you, to. 8. Cold, a night, January, was, it. 9. Long, can’t, we, stay, here. 10. In, coffee, the morning, I, like.
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Ask as many questions as you can about the following sentences. Remember the information.
1. The best-known Indo-European language family represents about 1.6 billion people and includes most of the languages of Europe, northern India and several languages of the region in between. 2. Twenty six letters of the English alphabet are based on the Roman alphabet, which is about 2,500 years old. 3. The most complete 13-volume dictionary of the English language, the Oxford English Dictionary, contains 500,000 words. 4. It has been estimated, however, that the present English vocabulary consists of more than one million words, including slang and dialect expressions, scientific and technical terms. 5. There is a bit more than two pounds in a kilogram. 6. Smithsonian Institute in New York is the world’s largest museum complex, containing fourteen museums and the National Zoo. 7. Coffee was first known to the Abyssinians in eastern Africa. 8. London’s population reached its peak of 8.5 million in 1939. 9. Since then it is falling down by around 10% a year as people move out to greener suburbs. 10. Around a million and a quarter commuters travel in and out every day from places as far a field as Oxford, Brighton, or Peterborough. 11. London also receives 23 million visitors a year from all over the globe. 12. The most ancient and romantic symbol of British monarchy is a simple sandstone set at the base of the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey. 13. It came from Ireland, where it was known as Stone of Destiny, and was used to crown the Kings of Tara as early as the fourth and the fifth centuries. 14. The Stone then went to Scotland, and its first recorded use was in 1057, when Macbeth’s stepson Lulach, was crowned King of Scotland at Scone, Perthshire. 15. Edward I carried it off to Westminster in 1296 and it has been used for the coronation of every English monarch since.
REVISION