Read the sentences. Remember to link the verbs in the past where possible.

I played a game and bugged it. I ended up paying for it.

She kicked him in the balls and he cried like a baby. It turned out that being kicked in the
family jewels hurts like a bitch.
I crashed my car and then someone carried me on his back. He then chopped off my leg. It
was a damned cannibalistic hillbilly.

Now try reading the following.

I can see why you stopped by my place, yet I can’t help you.
I can do many things. However, one thing I can’t do is help you speak Chinese.
Can you shut your mouth while I´m speaking? Yes, I can.
Can´t you look it up? Sorry, I can´t.

How can you tell the difference between can and can´t?
Is there any trick to this?
Do you hear the [t] in can´t?

Can is usually unstressed and pronounced as [kən], but can´t is usually stressed and
pronounced as [kæn].
Return to the previous sentences and read them again.
Watch the following scene from a movie. When the main characters speak, do they
say can or can´t?

Voiced th /ð/ and Unvoiced th' /θ/

I´d like to have a smoothie with my mother, but my sensitive teeth won´t let me. I´d rather
brush them with my special toothpaste.
I like neither your father nor your brother. None of them likes going shopping at a clothing
store to get some clothes. They tried to clothe me with a piece of cloth, though.
I loathe that pathetic author. The themes in his book come across as nonsensical theories to
me.
Dan is taller than I thought. He went to Thailand to buy some thyme.