Learn English Now © Lesson A0.

01
A0.01 THE PHONETIC SOUNDS
TEACHER'S NOTES: Find a word (in the student's own language), to match
each one of the following English sounds. These sounds should then be
spoken aloud, practiced, and used as a guide for all future pronunciation.

VOWELS & DIPHTHONGS / 'vauwəls ænd 'dɪfθɒŋz /

 Although there are only five vowels; there are twenty vowel sounds.
 The short vowel sounds are sharp and spoken quickly.
 The long vowel sounds have : written after them. They are stronger.
 The dual sounds are diphthongs. This means that the second sound is
pronounced immediately after the first one.

ɪ ʊ ʌ ɒ ə e æ Short
bit good cup hot the red black

i: u: ɑ: ᴐ: ᴈ: Long
green blue car saw word

ɪə ʊə ɑɪ ᴐɪ əʊ eə ɑʊ eɪ Dual
hear tour I boy go air now may

CONSONANTS (click for audio) / 'konsənənts /

 The soft consonants are not voiced – that is, they have no vowel sound.
Just a small breath which passes the lips.
 The voiced consonants are harder and more audible. Try to make a
sound in your throat when you pronounce them.

p t ʧ k f θ s ʃ Soft
pin top church kick four thin sad she

b d ʤ g v ð z ʒ Voiced
baby did judge get voice this zoo pleasure

m n ŋ h l r w j Other
man no sing how leg red wet yes

www.Learn-English-Now.co Page 1 of 8
© Kaycontinental 2010-2017. All rights reserved. Do not copy, edit, sell or post online.
 Learn English Now © Lesson A0.01
The emphasis (stress) must be voiced on the syllable after the apostrophe '

SAYING HELLO
/ 'seɪŋ hel'əʊ /

HELLO / HI GOOD MORNING GOOD-DAY

he'ləʊ / hɑi gʊd 'mɔ:nɪŋ gʊd'dei

GOOD AFTERNOON GOOD EVENING NICE TO SEE YOU

gʊ'dɑftənʊ:n gʊ'di:vnɪŋ nɑɪs tu sɪ: jʊ

HOW ARE YOU? I HOPE YOU'RE WELL HAVE A GOOD DAY

hɑʊ ɑ: jʊ? ɑɪ həʊp jʊə wel hæv ə gʊd deɪ

SAYING GOODBYE
/ 'seɪŋ gʊd'bæɪ /

SEE YOU LATER SEE YOU SOON GOODBYE

si jʊ 'leitə sɪ jʊ 'sʊ:n gʊd'bɑi

SEE YOU AGAIN SEE YOU TOMORROW GOODNIGHT

si jʊ ə'geɪn sɪ jʊ tʊ'mɔrəʊ gʊd'nɑɪt

MORE VOCABULARY
/ mɔː vo'kæbiu'leiri /

I APOLOGIZE YOU’RE WELCOME

ai 'ə'pɔləʤɑɪz jʊə 'welkʌm

PLEASE pli:z THANK YOU 'θænk ju

MAY I? 'mei-jai OF COURSE ɒv 'kɔ:s
EXCUSE ME ek'skjuz mɪ WITH PLEASURE wið p'leᴣə
I’M SORRY ɑim 'sɔri IT’S NOTHING itz 'nʌθɪŋ
DO YOU MIND? dʊ jʊ mɑɪnd? HAVE A NICE DAY. hæv ɑ nɑɪs deɪ

www.Learn-English-Now.co Page 2 of 8
© Kaycontinental 2010-2017. All rights reserved. Do not copy, edit, sell or post online.
 Learn English Now © Lesson A0.01
SUBJECT PRONOUNS & VERB ‘TO BE’

/ s'ʌbjekt 'prəʊnaunz / vɜ:b tʊ bi: /

The Subject Pronouns are also called the 'Personal Pronouns' as they refer to 'persons'.
A pronoun is a word that we use instead of a noun to mean the same thing:

Singular siŋiulə Plural plʊrəl

I ai WE wi:

YOU jʊ YOU jʊ

HE / SHE / IT hi: / ʃi: / ɪt THEY ðei

NOTE:In English we don't use a formal pronoun for the second person.
We address everybody as YOU, both in the singular and the plural.

THE VERB TO BE THE AFFIRMATIVE FORM

tʊ bi: ðɪ: ae'fᴈ:maetɪv fᴐ:m

In spoken English, we normally use short forms or contractions.

FULL FORM fʊl fᴐ:m CONTRACTION kən'trækʃən

I AM ai æm I’M aim
YOU ARE jʊ ɑ: YOU’RE jʊə
HE / SHE IS hi: / ʃi: ɪz HE’S / SHE’S hi:z / ʃi:z
IT IS ɪt ɪz IT’S ɪtz
WE ARE wi: ɑ: WE’RE wɪə
YOU ARE jʊ ɑ: YOU’RE jʊə
THEY ARE θei jɑ: THEY’RE ðeiə

We use personal pronouns in English when we are talking about the

subject of the sentence, but we don’t want to repeat the full name:
For example: John went to see Mary; he went to see Mary.

www.Learn-English-Now.co Page 3 of 8
© Kaycontinental 2010-2017. All rights reserved. Do not copy, edit, sell or post online.
 Learn English Now © Lesson A0.01
SOME USEFUL PHRASES /sʌm 'freiziz /

HELLO, WHAT’S YOUR NAME? 'hələʊ, wɔts jɔː neɪm?

HI, MY NAME IS __________. mɑɪ neɪm ɪz __________.
NICE TO MEET YOU. nɑɪs tʊ mɪ:t jʊ.
PLEASED TO MEET YOU TOO. plɪ:zd tʊ mɪ:t jʊ tʊː.
HOW ARE YOU? hɑʊ ɑ: jʊ?
VERY WELL, THANK YOU. 'verɪ wel 'θænk-jʊ, ænd-jʊ?
I FEEL GREAT THANKS! ɑɪ fɪ:l greɪt θænks
WHERE ARE YOU FROM? weə ɑ: jʊ frɔm?
I AM FROM ENGLAND, AND YOU? ɑɪ æm frɔm 'ɪŋlænd, ænd jʊ’
ARE YOU ENGLISH? ɑː jʊ 'ɪngliʃ?
YES, I AM FROM LONDON. jes ɑɪ æm frɔm 'lʌndən
I AM FROM ______, BUT I LIVE HERE. ɑɪ æm frɔm _____ bʌt æɪ lɪv hɪə
I AM A FOREIGNER. ɑɪ æm ə 'fɔrɪnə
WHAT DO YOU DO? wɔt dʊ jʊ dʊ?
ARE YOU A STUDENT? ɑ: jʊ ə s'tʊdənt?
YES I AM A STUDENT. jes, ɑɪ æm ə s'tʊdənt
NO, I’M NOT A STUDENT, I WORK. nəʊ, ɑɪm nɔt ə stʊdənt, æɪ wɛ:k
WHERE DO YOU WORK? weə dʊ jʊ wɛ:k?
I WORK IN A BANK / IN A SHOP. ɑɪ wɛ:k ɪn ə bænk / ɪn ə shɔp
I AM A DOCTOR / I AM RETIRED. ɑɪ æm ə 'dɔktə / ɑɪ æm rɪ'tɑɪəd
CAN YOU SPEAK MORE SLOWLY? kæn jʊ spɪ:k mɔ: s'ləʊlɪ?
WHAT IS THIS CALLED? wɔt ɪz θɪs kɔ:ld?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? wɔt dʌz ðæt mɪ:n?
CAN YOU HELP ME, PLEASE? kæn jʊ help mɪ: plɪ:z?
HOW MUCH IS THIS? hɑʊ mʌtʃ ɪz ðɪs?
WHERE IS THE BATHROOM, PLEASE? weə ɪz ðə 'bɑ:θrʊ:m, plɪ:z?
SORRY, I DON’T UNDERSTAND. 'sɔrɪ, ɑɪ dəʊnt ʌndəs'tænd
WHAT TIME IS IT, PLEASE? wɔt tɑɪm ɪz ɪt plɪ:z?
MAY I HAVE A COFFEE, PLEASE. meɪ ɑɪ hæv ə 'kɔfɪ:, plɪ:z
DO YOU HAVE A MENU, PLEASE. dʊ jʊ hæv ə 'menjʊ plɪ:z
I'M HUNGRY / THIRSTY ɑɪm 'hʌngrɪ / 'θɛ:stɪ
IS THE HOTEL NEAR HERE? ɪz ðə həʊtel nɪə hɪə?

www.Learn-English-Now.co Page 4 of 8
© Kaycontinental 2010-2017. All rights reserved. Do not copy, edit, sell or post online.
 Learn English Now © Lesson A0.01
YOUR FIRST TWO PREPOSITIONS
/ fɛ:st tʊ: prepə'zɪʃənz /

OF / ɒv / TO / tʊ /

Of just means that something relates to or belongs to something else.

1. A part of something, i.e. The collar of his jacket.
2. Relating to something, i.e. A tale of two cities.

WHAT IS THIS TABLE MADE OF?

This table is made of wood.
WHEN IS THE BEGINNING OF SPRING?
Spring starts on the 21st of March.
I AM VERY PROUD OF MY DAUGHTER.
She gets a lot of good grades.
I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY.
But I have lots of friends.

To is used in various ways – here are a few of the important ones:

1. Moving in the direction of something, i.e. She went to the shops.

2. Showing relationship between two people, i.e. He was attached to her.
3. For telling the time, i.e. It's ten to ten (9.50).
4. For marking the infinitive of a verb, i.e. To walk, to run, etc.
JOHN, WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO?
I'm going to work at the factory.
WHAT WILL YOU DO IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION?
I will talk to the teacher and ask her to explain it.
WHAT TIME DID YOU GET TO WORK YESTERDAY?
Oh, I got to work at about a quarter to nine.
WHAT IS THE INFINITIVE OF THE VERB 'READ'?
The infinitive of the verb 'read' is 'To Read'.
WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?
I am talking to the man who lives next door.
DO YOU FIND THE PHONETICS EASY TO DO?
Yes, I am able to write them quite easily..

www.Learn-English-Now.co Page 5 of 8
© Kaycontinental 2010-2017. All rights reserved. Do not copy, edit, sell or post online.
 Learn English Now © Lesson A0.01

A0.01 — EXERCISES

EXERCISE A.
Write the following in English:

1. 'hələʊ, wɔts jɔː neɪm?

2. mɑɪ neɪm ɪz ʤɒn, wɔts jɔː neɪm?

3. ɑɪm 'meɪrɪ, nɑɪs tʊ mɪ:t jʊ.

4. plɪ:zd tʊ mɪ:t jʊ tʊː

5. weə ɑ: jʊ frɔm?

6. ɑɪ æm frɔm 'ɪtalɪ

7. 'meɪrɪ, wɒt duː juː duː?

8. ɑɪ æm ə s'tʊdənt, ɑɪ æm 'stʌdiɪŋ ˈɪŋglɪʃ. wɒt duː juː duː?

9. mi? ɑɪ wɛ:k ɪn ə bænk.

10. ɪt wɒz ˈvɛri naɪs tuː miːt juː. aɪ həʊp tuː siː juː əˈgɛn.

11. ðə wɜːd ɒv ʤʌst miːnz ðæt ˈsʌmθɪŋ rɪˈleɪts tuː ɔː bɪˈlɒŋz tuː ˈsʌmθɪŋ ɛls.

12. ðə wɜːd tuː ɪz juːzd ɪn ˈveərɪəs weɪz

13. fɜːst ˈmuːvɪŋ ɪn ðə dɪˈrɛkʃən ɒv ˈsʌmθɪŋ

14. ænd ˈɔːlsəʊ fɔː ˈtɛlɪŋ ðə taɪm

www.Learn-English-Now.co Page 6 of 8
© Kaycontinental 2010-2017. All rights reserved. Do not copy, edit, sell or post online.
 Learn English Now © Lesson A0.01
EXERCISE B.

Fill in the blanks using one of the words in red:

CONVERSATION 1

Tony: Hello, ________ name’s Tony. What’s your name?

Susie: Hi. My name is Susie.

a. Your b. My c. You d. I’m

CONVERSATION 2

Susie: Hi, Clare. ________ are you?

Clare: I’m very well, ________ .

a) hello b) what c) How d) and

a) hello b) you c) thank you d) fine

CONVERSATION 3

Fred: Peter, this is Mary. Mary, ________ Peter.

Mary: Hello, Peter. Fred: Hello, Mary.

a) this is b) is this c) this d) is

CONVERSATION 4

Tom: Hi, pleased to meet you. My ______ Tom.

Anna: Hello, _____ Anna, good to meet you too.

a) name b) name’s c) called d) this is

a) I b) I’m c) my d) your

CONVERSATION 5

Anita: Where are _____ from? Fred: I am ______ Japan.

a) my b) it c) you d) is
a) from b) to c) come d) of

www.Learn-English-Now.co Page 7 of 8
© Kaycontinental 2010-2017. All rights reserved. Do not copy, edit, sell or post online.
 Learn English Now © Lesson A0.01
A0.01 — ANSWERS

EXERCISE A.

1. 'hələʊ, wɔts jɔː neɪm?

Hello, what's your name?
2. mɑɪ neɪm ɪz ʤɒn, wɔts jɔː neɪm?
My name is John, what's your name?
3. ɑɪm 'meɪrɪ, nɑɪs tʊ mɪ:t jʊ.
I'm Mary, nice to meet you.
4. plɪ:zd tʊ mɪ:t jʊ tʊː
Pleased to meet you too.
5. weə ɑ: jʊ frɔm?
Where are you from?
6. ɑɪ æm frɔm 'ɪtalɪ
I am from Italy.
7. 'meɪrɪ, wɒt duː juː duː?
Mary, what do you do?
8. ɑɪ æm ə s'tʊdənt, ɑɪ æm 'stʌdiɪŋ ˈɪŋglɪʃ. wɒt duː juː duː?
I am a student, I am studying English. What do you do?
9. mi? ɑɪ wɛ:k ɪn ə bænk.
Me, I work in a bank.
10. ɪt wɒz ˈvɛri naɪs tuː miːt juː. aɪ həʊp tuː siː juː əˈgɛn.
It was very nice to meet you. I hope to see you again.
11. ðə wɜːd ɒv ʤʌst miːnz ðæt ˈsʌmθɪŋ bɪˈlɒŋz tuː ˈsʌmθɪŋ ɛls.
The word OF just means that something belongs to something else.
12. ðə wɜːd tuː ɪz juːzd ɪn ˈveərɪəs weɪz
The word TO is used in various ways.
13. fɜːst ˈmuːvɪŋ ɪn ðə dɪˈrɛkʃən ɒv ˈsʌmθɪŋ
First, moving in the direction of something.
14. ænd ˈɔːlsəʊ fɔː ˈtɛlɪŋ ðə taɪm
And also, for telling the time.

EXERCISE B.

1. b. 2. c, c. 3. c, a. 4. a. 5. b, b.

www.Learn-English-Now.co Page 8 of 8
© Kaycontinental 2010-2017. All rights reserved. Do not copy, edit, sell or post online.