Practice Makes Perfect

273
14. I scraped my elbow and injured my arm when I tumbled down the stairs.
t 
d 
d
15. He smiled and kissed me then vanished into the night.
d t 
t
16. The man reached into his pocket, pulled out a tissue, and wiped her tears.
t d t
17. I closed my eyes and listened to the soft music.
d 
d
18. We believed her because she proved it.
d 
d
19. He destroyed my grass when he parked his tractor on it.
d 
t
20. We all agreed that Simon managed the company very well.
d 
d
21. She spelled my name wrong, so I erased it.
d 
t
22. We ordered a lot of wood for the winter and we chopped it all weekend.
d 
t
23. It rained after we washed our car.
d 
t
24. She cooked the meat and boiled the vegetables.
t 
d
25. Cory passed his final exam and obtained his certificate.
t 
d
26. The boat sailed peacefully on the lake while we observed the stars in the sky.
d 
d
27. She dressed the baby before the babysitter arrived.
t 
d
28. My students laughed and joked all day in class.
t t
29. She mixed and stirred my drink, then poured it into a tall glass.
t d 
d
30. We thanked her for her hospitality, then we waved goodbye.
t 
d
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 274
practice makes perfect Basic 
English
P·11
EXERCISE
Pronunciation of Verbs Ending in -
ED
 – Mixed Exercise
Pronounce the following past tense verbs ending in 
-ed
 with the 
ted
, 
ded
, 
t
,
or 
d
 sound as indicated.
Listen carefully and repeat the following sentences.
1. We rented a car for the weekend.
2. I cleaned and tidied the house, then I relaxed all evening.
d d 
t
3. Sara inherited the property from her grandparents.
4. She dedicated the book to her children.
5. They lowered the price, so we purchased two.
d 
t
6. Frank repeated the same mistake twice.
7. The teacher extended the due date to Friday.
8. My plane landed at eleven o’clock.
9. That’s why I suggested that you stay overnight.
10. The mechanic repaired my car and I saved a lot of money.
d d
11. They needed help with the fundraiser, so we helped them.
t
12. They argued and yelled all night and it disturbed the neighbors.
d 
d 
d
13. We reported it to the police.
14. The storm only lasted a couple of hours.
15. Amanda wished, hoped, and prayed for a baby sister.
t t 
d
16. We toasted the marshmallows over the fire.
17. No one accepted the new working conditions.
18. I asked the waiter for the bill then realized that I forgot my wallet.
t 
d
19. It helped when we employed extra workers for the season.
t 
d
20. I wanted to call you but I fell asleep.
21. Our employer provided all the training.
22. He connected the two wires together.
23. Your dog chased me and I jumped over the fence and I ripped my pants.
t t 
t
24. I looked both ways then proceeded to cross the street.
t
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Pronunciation Exercises 
275
25. Who created this work of art?
26. All the money was there when I counted it.
27. The kids played in the pool and jumped on the trampoline all afternoon.
d 
t
28. I indicated my overtime hours on my timesheet.
29. She requested a slow song.
30. We liked it when you lived next door.
t 
d
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 276
practice makes perfect Basic 
English
P·12
EXERCISE
Pronunciation of 
S
 like 
Z
The 
s
 in most words is pronounced like 
s
 as in:
class 
see taps first hopes
s s 
s 
s 
s
The 
s
 in some words is pronounced like 
z
 as in:
music has arrives beans choose
z z 
z z z
Listen carefully and repeat the following sentences.
1. How many days are in a week?
z
2. Did you see the big moose in the forest?
s 
s s
3. It was our anniversary yesterday.
z 
s s
4. Does the train stop at all the stations?
z 
s 
s z
5. She studies Chinese and finds that it is so easy to learn.
s 
z 
z 
z 
z s 
z
6. I am as wise as you.
z z z
7. Who is making all the noise downstairs?
z 
z 
s z
8. The bus is always late. 
s z 
z
9. Blow your nose, please.
z z
10. I like country music also.
z s
11. Her eyes are blue.
z
12. Which purse did you choose?
s z
13. Don’t stand so close to the flames.
s s s 
z
14. Please close all the blinds and the doors.
z z 
z 
z 
15. I will advertise my new business in the newspapers.
z 
z s 
z z 
16. He advised us that he was working at the casino.
z s 
z 
s
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Pronunciation Exercises 
277
17. She says that she’s busy, so please be silent for a few seconds.
s z 
z z s 
z 
s 
s 
z
18. I cut the roses with the scissors.
z z 
s z z
19. I guess that my cousin knows the answer because he is smart.
s 
z 
z 
s 
z 
z s
20. He gets gas near his house when he goes to work.
s s 
z s 
z
21. Our boss is very wise to give us a raise this year.
s 
z 
z 
s z s
22. Susan cries when she sees spiders and snakes.
s z 
z 
s z s 
z 
s 
s
23. She pretends that she knows what it means.
z z z
24. My husband snores when he snoozes on the sofa.
z s z 
s z 
s
25. It seems that he approves of my grades this semester.
s 
z 
z 
z 
s s 
s
26. He lives in a big old house that belongs to his relatives.
z 
s 
z z 
z
27. This means that if he decides to quit, I get the promotion and raise that I deserve.
s z 
z 
z 
z
28. She says that she hears strange noises in the basement.
s z 
z s 
z z 
s
29. Bears, wolves, raccoons, and skunks live in the woods.
z z 
z s s 
z
30. He loves to eat beans, eggs, and toast with his sister every Sunday.
z 
z 
z 
s 
z s s 
s
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 278
practice makes perfect Basic 
English
P·13
EXERCISE
Pronunciation of Words with 
TH
 (1)
One of the most difficult sounds to pronounce in English is 
th
. It takes a lot of practice to be 
able to correctly pronounce this letter combination.
Sometimes 
th
 has a very pronounced and distinct sound.
bath 
three 
thesaurus 
thumb 
Thursday
Other times 
th
 is more subtle and has a softer pronunciation.
that 
the weather father 
they
Listen carefully and repeat the following sentences.
1. I thought of thinking of thanking you—so thanks.
2. He has a thorn in his thumb.
3. I am very thirsty.
4. I think that Thelma has thirteen thousand dollars in the bank.
5. This is the thousandth thoughtful thank-you card that I received this week.
6. My mother, brother, and father thought that Theodore the Third was thirteen on
Thursday.
7. There’s a thick thesaurus over there.
8. We are enthusiastic about the growth in our company this year.
9. The panther is a ruthless hunter.
10. This facecloth is filthy.
11. He can’t talk because he has a mouthful of mouthwash.
12. I won three hundred and thirty-three thousand three hundred and thirty-three dollars in 
the lottery.
13. Both birds are bathing in the birdbath.
14. It is an authentic amethyst and it is my birthstone.
15. Nevertheless, your theory is bothersome.
16. What are the length, width, and depth of this bathtub?
17. There are other soothing methods for childbirth.
18. They will gather berries further down the path.
19. One of my brothers is a blacksmith and the other is a locksmith.
20. Neither the author nor the coauthor told the truth about everything.
21. You have to swear, otherwise the oath means nothing.
22. Did the athlete finish ninth or tenth in the marathon?
23. You don’t have the authority to authorize anything.
24. What is the aftermath of the earthquake?
25. Although he has arthritis, he is healthy and athletic.
26. Anthony wants to celebrate his thirtieth birthday with them in Athens.
27. Your bathrobe is on the bathmat in the bathroom.
28. There is a thumbtack underneath the desk.
29. I don’t know whether they went north or south.
30. They think that their thin thighs are thick.
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Pronunciation Exercises