Practice Makes Perfect

 268
practice makes perfect Basic 
English
P·6
EXERCISE
Pronunciation of -
S
 on Verbs
When 
-s
 is added to the verb for third person singular in the simple present tense,
it must be firmly pronounced.
he runs 
the boy jumps
she sings 
my mother cooks
it walks 
the dog barks
Listen carefully and repeat the following sentences.
1. She eats meat and poultry.
2. It barks all day.
3. Roy writes music.
4. The phone rings all day.
5. My boss wears a tie every day.
6. She drinks black coffee.
7. It needs some work.
8. The machine gives change.
9. She buys nice perfume.
10. Not everybody snores.
11. He hates winter but he loves summer.
12. Marco rents a small apartment.
13. It reminds me of you.
14. The movie ends in 20 minutes.
15. It bothers me when you do that.
16. She swims like a fish.
17. That man says hello to everybody.
18. He owes me money.
19. Caroline believes you.
20. Bobby acts like a child.
21. Sandra gossips about everyone.
22. It jumps really high.
23. Linda feels better today.
24. It disturbs everyone around you.
25. Jeremy earns a good salary.
26. My husband makes breakfast for me every morning.
27. He parks his car in the parking lot.
28. The show starts at 8 o’clock.
29. She owns a busy restaurant downtown.
30. Your son draws really well for his age.
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Pronunciation Exercises 
269
P·7
EXERCISE
Pronunciation of -
S
 on Nouns and Verbs
When 
-s
 is added to the verb for third person singular in the simple present tense and the 
nouns that follow are plural, the 
-s
 must be firmly pronounced on the verb and all nouns.
He likes apples, pears, and bananas.
She plays with kittens, puppies, and dolls.
It buries balls, bones, and sticks.
Listen carefully and repeat the following sentences.
1. My dog likes bones and other treats.
2. He blames the girls for that.
3. She dislikes spiders and snakes.
4. He works with his hands.
5. Marco lives with his friends.
6. He sells cars, trucks, and motorcycles.
7. Grace thinks that cookies are better than muffins.
8. Ruby writes short stories and poems.
9. It weighs 40 pounds.
10. My aunt moves every two years.
11. She wears blue jeans and white socks almost every day.
12. Anne likes braids and bows in her hair.
13. My teacher uses pictures and lots of examples when she explains the lessons.
14. Mr. King paints bedrooms and bathrooms but not kitchens.
15. My neighbor grows carrots, peppers, tomatoes, yellow beans, and cucumbers in her 
garden.
16. The maid cleans bathtubs, sinks, and showers but not toilets.
17. She knows the names of all the students.
18. He collects stamps and old coins.
19. Uncle George repairs bikes, clocks, and broken toys.
20. It costs thousands of dollars.
21. Elizabeth wears rings on her fingers and toes.
22. My grandmother knits slippers, scarves, mittens, and hats for the kids.
23. Chris scribbles on the lockers and desks at school.
24. He works days, nights, and weekends.
25. That store sells balloons, candles, games, and other things for birthday parties.
26. Judy sees birds and butterflies when she walks in the woods.
27. She plants tulips, daffodils, lilies, and daisies in the summer.
28. Virginia spends her money on shoes, belts, hats, and coats.
29. He brings snacks and drinks when he travels with his kids.
30. My son orders books, lamps, blankets, and other household items online.
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 270
practice makes perfect Basic 
English
P·8
EXERCISE
Pronunciation of -
ES
 on Verbs
When 
-es
 is added to verbs that end in 
ch
, 
s
, 
se
, 
ge
, 
ce
, 
sh
, 
x
, and 
z
 for third person 
singular in the simple present tense, the 
-es
 ending is firmly pronounced as a separate 
syllable.
he fixes 
he passes 
he changes
she washes 
she loses 
she quizzes
it catches 
it bounces 
it sneezes
Listen carefully and repeat the following sentences.
1. She teaches French at the adult education center.
2. David seizes every opportunity.
3. He crushes grapes to make wine
4. Ronald passes by my house every day.
5. He pushes the employees too hard.
6. Jean watches every game on TV.
7. He fixes all the broken furniture.
8. My brother kisses all the girls in school.
9. She mixes all the ingredients in a bowl.
10. She matches her pants with her sweaters.
11. It bounces when you drop it.
12. Claude manages four apartment buildings.
13. The bee buzzes in my garden.
14. Ben chooses to join the army.
15. He guesses all the answers in class.
16. Paul recognizes a lot of people at the conference.
17. She excuses herself every time she sneezes.
18. Lynn discusses everything with her husband.
19. Our boss notices our hard work and dedication.
20. Robert changes his car every two years.
21. Katrina blushes when the teacher asks her a question.
22. My aunt washes her pantyhose in the sink.
23. The baby reaches for everything.
24. It reduces this risk of heart disease.
25. The lake freezes in November.
26. Tina waxes her legs for the summer.
27. Sara wishes that she never quit her job.
28. He raises the prices every year.
29. Roxanne misses her boyfriend.
30. My dog damages everything in the house.
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Pronunciation Exercises 
271
P·9
EXERCISE
Pronunciation of -
ED
 on Verbs Ending in 
T
 or 
D
When 
-ed
 is added to verbs that end in 
t
 or 
d
, the ending 
-ted
 or 
-ded
 must be firmly 
pronounced as a separate syllable.
to want 
→
wanted
to accept 
→
accepted
to paint 
→
painted
to attend 
→
attended
to decide 
→
decided
to guide 
→
guided
Listen carefully and repeat the following sentences.
1. His father founded this company in 1953.
2. We expected a better return from our investment.
3. We loaded everything into the truck.
4. The snowman melted in the spring.
5. Our relationship ended last summer.
6. The two colors blended well together.
7. We chatted for a long time on the computer.
8. Not everyone attended the annual company picnic.
9. Laura hated vegetables when she was young.
10. I posted the job openings on the bulletin board.
11. Randy presented the prize to the winner.
12. It sounded like my boss on the phone.
13. We decided to move to the country.
14. It tasted like chicken.
15. Sue started her new job yesterday.
16. He nodded to show his approval.
17. I negotiated the terms of the contract.
18. He included pictures in his presentation.
19. Suzanne consulted a specialist for her skin condition.
20. I waited outside in the car.
21. Everybody benefited from the profits we made.
22. She added more garlic to the sauce.
23. They visited Niagara Falls last summer.
24. I painted my room blue but I don’t think I like it.
25. He adjusted the mirrors on the car.
26. He donated it to charity.
27. The teacher divided the kids into groups of four.
28. We elected Steven.
29. She depended on the support of her family.
30. I submitted the report last Thursday.
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 272
practice makes perfect Basic 
English
P·10
EXERCISE
Pronunciation of -
ED
 on Verbs Not Ending in 
T
 or 
D
When 
-ed
 is added to verbs that do not end in 
t
 or 
d
, the 
-ed
 is not pronounced as a 
separate syllable but as a one syllable ending. The final sound for verbs ending in 
f
, 
k
, 
p
, 
s
, 
ch
, and 
sh
 is 
t
. The final sound for verbs ending in 
b
, 
g
, 
j
, 
l
, 
m
, 
n
, 
r
, 
v
, and 
z
 is 
d
. 
Note that sometimes other sounds are produced by certain letters. The letter 
c
 may sound 
like 
s
, the 
gh
 may sound like 
f
 and the 
s
 may sound like 
z
.
to share 
→
shared
d
to walk 
→
walked
t
to raise 
→
raised
d
to chase 
→
chased
t
Listen carefully and repeat the following sentences.
1. I dreamed that I danced with a prince.
d t
2. She complained about everything the whole time we talked.
d 
t
3. It surprised me when she signed the check.
d 
d
4. The children touched and smelled the flowers in the garden.
t 
d
5. She blushed when he whispered in her ear.
t 
d
6. We walked along the river and talked all afternoon.
t 
t
7. I brushed the cat and watched the news at the same time.
t 
t
8. She punished her son because he scratched her car with his bike.
t 
t
9. He hurried into the house and answered the phone but he missed the call.
d 
d 
t
10. She noticed that she earned more than her husband last year.
t 
d 
11. As soon as he arrived, I told him that he still owed me money.
d 
d
12. Mario denied that he failed the exam.
d 
d
13. It bothered and annoyed me when you picked my roses.
d 
d 
t
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Pronunciation Exercises