PART 1: THEORY

Question 1: Describe the phoneme of the underlined part in the following

sentences (10 points)
1. Where will you go on your next vacation?
/eə/ /v/
2. A bigger problem might be space sickness.
/ɒ/ /s/
3. I’m reading an article now
/ŋ/ /a/
4. I have the opportunity to study in the UK next year
/ʌ/ /j/
5. If I see John later, I’ll give him the message.
/i:/ /dʒ/
6. I’m thinking about buying a new smartphone.
/ə/ /ɑː/
7. My father gave me one nice car.
/ð/ /w/
8. They left without saying goodbye.
/e/ /ʊ/
9. Try not to get tricked this way!
/t/ /e/
10. Did you have to wait very long?
/h/ /l/

Question 2: Identify aspects of connected speech in the underlined parts of the

following sentences and show your understandings of that aspect as much as
possible (10 points)
1. She’s a good girl in the class.
e’s a /izə/
Liaison: /z/ (final consonant in “is”) + /ə/ (initial vowel in “a”)
d g /gg/
Assimilation of place of articulation:
/d/ (alveolar) goes ahead of /g/ (velar)  /d/ becomes [g].
l i /lɪ/
Liaison: l (final consonant in “girl”) + ɪ (initial vowel in “in”)

2. It’s the most popular route to lead to the summit of Mt. Everest.
most popular /məʊspɒpjələ/
Assimilation: /t/ becomes [p] before bilabials
/t/ (alveolar) goes ahead of /p/ (bilabial)  /t/ becomes [p].
summit of /sʌmɪtəv/
Liaison: /t/ (final consonant) + /ə/ (initial vowel)

3. There are ten bikes more in the store.

ten bikes /tembaɪks/
Assimilation of place of articulation:
/n/ (alveolar) goes ahead of /b/ (bilabial)  /n/ becomes [m].

4. He acts as if he were my father.

Liaison: acts as if /æktsæzɪf/
/s/ (final consonant) + /æ/ (initial vowel)
/z/ (final consonant) + /ɪ/ (initial vowel)

5. Analyze the rhythm units of the following sentence and give reasons for your
rhythm division:
I ‘think that | he ‘wants us | to ‘go.
+ The first rule is: Any unstressed syllable at the beginning of a word group must
go together with the following stress group. Base on this rule, I put “I” in the
rhythm unit “I ‘think that” and I also put “he” in the rhythm unit “he ‘wants
us”

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+ The second rule is: If the unstressed syllable is closely connected grammatically
to other stressed word, although not a part of that word, they belong to the same
foot. Base on this rule, I put “to” in the rhythm unit “to ‘go”
+ The third rule is: Whether you are in doubt as to which rhythm unit unstressed
syllables belong to, put them after a stressed syllable, rather than before it. Base
on this rule, I put “that” in the rhythm unit “I ‘think that” and I also put “us” in
the rhythm unit “he ‘wants us”.

PART 2: PRACTICE
Task 1: Read the following text and find out: (15 points)
1. Five words with onset structure of Initial + Post-Initial
Treating, blithe, prompted, closed, degree
2. Five words with Coda structure of Pre-final + Final
Mind, most, learned, used, Poland
3. Five words with Coda structure of Final + Post -Final
Physics, scientists, element, helped, secrets
4. Draw the syllable structures of the above-mentioned words
Treating /triːtɪŋ/
/tr/ (onset) + /iː/ (vowel) + Zero termination
/t/ (onset) + /ɪ/ + /ŋ/ (coda)
Blithe /blaɪð/
/bl/ (onset) + /aɪ/ (vowel) + /ð/ (coda)
Prompted /prɑːmptɪd/
/pr/ (onset) + /ɑː/ (vowel) + /mp/ (coda)
/t/ (onset) + /ɪ/ (vowel) + /d/ (coda)
Closed /kləʊzd/
/kl/ (onset) + /əʊ/ (vowel) + zd (coda)
Degree /dɪɡriː/
/d/ (onset) /ɪ/ (vowel) + Zero termination
/gr/ (onset) + /iː/ (vowel) + Zero termination
Mind /maɪnd/

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/m/ (onset) + /aɪ/ (vowel) + nd (coda)
Most /moʊst/
/m/ (onset) + /oʊ/ (vowel) + /st/ (Coda)
Learned /lɜːnd/
/l/ (onset) + /ɜː/ (vowel) + /nd/ (coda)
Used /juːst/
/j/ (onset) + /uː/ (vowel) + /st/ (coda)
Poland /poʊlənd/
/p/ (onset) + /oʊ/ (vowel) + Zero termination
/l/ (onset) + /ə/ (vowel) + /nd/ (coda)
Physics /fɪzɪks/
/f/ (onset) + (vowel) + /z/ (coda)
Zero onset + /ɪ/ (vowel) + /ks/ (coda)
Scientists /saɪəntɪsts/
/s/ (coda) + /aɪ/ vowel + Zero termination
Zero onset + /ə/ (vowel) + /n/ (coda)
/t/ (onset) + /ɪ/ (vowel) + sts (coda)
Element /eləmənt/
Zero onset + /e/ (vowel) + Zero termination
/l/ (onset) + /ə/ (vowel) + Zero termination
/m/ (onset) + /ə/ (vowel) + /nt/ (coda)
Helped /helpt/
/h/ (onset) + /e/ (vowel) + /lpt/ (coda)
Secrets /siːkrəts/
/s/ (onset) + /iː/ (vowel)
/kr/ (onset) + /ə/ (vowel) + /ts/ (coda)