Speak Natural English

What is natural English?
What’s in the course? 4
The natural English mentality 5
Fillers 8
Showing interest 10
Linking words 12
Being vague 1 - Thing, bit, stuff 13
Being vague 2 - Numbers and time 16
Being vague 3 - adjectives and verbs 18
Natural English Vocabulary 21
The verb ‘get’: 10 common meanings 23
Phrases with ‘get’ 27
The verb ‘do’: 8 common meanings 31
6 expressions with ‘do’ 32
The verb ‘have’ 34
The verb ‘go’: 10 meanings 36
Keep/keep on + -ing 38
5 uses of ‘make’ 41
Phrasal verbs with ‘be’ 42
Put (express) 45
Conversational Deletion 48
English tenses - a wholistic understanding 51
Habits 1 - Present/past continuous with ‘always’ 55
Habits 2 - will/would + infinitive 57
www.udemy.com/speak-natural-english
1
Pronunciation vs accent 60
Introduction to connected speech 62
Connecting words 64
Weak forms 65
Elision 68
Conversational pronunciation 72
2
What is natural English?
Natural English is a way of speaking or informal writing that makes you sound
like a native or fluent English speaker. It’s the kind of language you don’t learn
during a standard English language course because you can only learn it by
listening to and communicating with fluent or native speakers.
Here are five quick examples of natural English:
1. Natural speakers use a lot of fillers. Fillers are words and short phrases
to fill the space while you are thinking, nervous or unsure what to say, for
example, well, basically, l mean, you know, at the end of the day, and so
on.
2. Native English speakers use a lot of vague language. For example, sort
of, kind of, kind of like and so on. So, you might hear “I’m sort of tired
right now”, “It’s kind of late”.
3. During informal conversation, natural English speakers like to use simple

verbs like the verb ‘get’, ‘do’ and ‘have’ instead of longer more formal
verbs and phrases.
4. Natural English speakers also use a more natural kind of grammar,

which sometimes sounds like they are breaking the rules.
5. Natural English speakers use natural pronunciation. For example, they

connect words together when they speak, which can sound like they're
speaking a different language.
3
What’s in the course?
Speak Natural English consists of four main sections:
1. Typical features of natural English conversation: fillers, showing

interest, linking ideas, using vague language, etc.
2. Natural English vocabulary: how to use simple verbs in new and

different ways, just native speakers do.
3. The grammar of natural English: review of the standard tense rules as

well as other grammatical features that you will notice a lot when
listening to natural speakers.
4. Features of natural English pronunciation: tips on how to improve

your own pronunciation and understand native speakers.
4
The natural English mentality
Before we start the course, it’s important to have the right mentality, the right
attitude to learning. Here are 5 rules that will help you improve more quickly
and become a more relaxed and confident speaker.
1. Focus on ‘what’, not ‘why’

During this course, and when listening to native speakers, you will hear a lot of
phrases and structures which just don’t seem to be logical. For example:
● He looks like he could do with some sleep (= he needs some sleep)
● What are you up to tonight? (= What are your plans for tonight?)
● He’s always losing his glasses.
Unfortunately, English has a complicated history and so there are many

unexplainable structures and strange exceptions. It’s better to focus on WHAT
something means, not WHY it means what it means.
2. Think in English
To become a natural English speaker, you need to get in the habit of thinking in
English. When you start to think in English, you will be able to speak more
confidently and without hesitation. This is because you are not translating
things in your head. And on a psychological level, you will start to see yourself
as an English speaker, rather than an English learner.
3. Listen carefully
Listening to native and fluent English speakers is like a key that unlocks your
ability to speak fluently. When you listen, don’t just try to understand the
meaning. Pay attention to the phrases and structures that the speakers use, as
well as intonation and pronunciation.
5
4. Learn phrases
Learning whole phrases and sentences by heart is much more effective than
learning individual words. This is especially true for verbs, adjectives,
prepositions and abstract nouns. I’ll give you a very simple example. Instead
of learning the different rules for using the preposition ‘on’, it’s better to
learn common phrases such as ‘on television’, ‘on time’, ‘on the train’, ‘on
the internet’, ‘on Monday’. In this course, you’re going to learn a lot of new
phrasal verbs, so it’s helpful to remember this rule.
5. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes

Making mistakes is normal. It’s impossible to learn a language without
making mistakes. So try not to let the fear of saying something wrong stop
you from speaking at all. Many confident English speakers whose first
language is not English make mistakes, but they are understood. Even native
speakers make mistakes.
6
Features of Natural English
Conversation
7
Fillers
During a conversation, silence can be embarrassing. That’s why we use
conversation fillers. These are words, phrases or even sounds that we use to
give ourselves thinking time. They typically don’t add any meaning.
When do we use fillers?

● When we are nervous
● When we don’t know what to say next
● When we are trying to remember something
● When we want to use up time
● To make a statement weaker or stronger
● To keep somebody’s attention
And always remember that filler words are used in speaking or in informal
writing like in website chats and informal Twitter posts.
Typical filler words and phrases

● Well ● I mean
● Um/er/uh ● At the end of the day
● Basically ● I guess/I suppose
● Literally ● ... or something
● essentially ● So
● You see ● Right
● You know ● sort of/kind of/kind of like/like
8
Elon Musk - example
Listen to Elon Musk answer a question. See how many fillers he uses (which
shows you that speaking in public is not easy!)
And umm, in terms of the motivations, I guess the ... sort of ... kind of the
long version of the explanation but .. .. essentially, when I was a kid, I was
wondering ... kind of what’s the meaning of life? Like, why are we here?
What’s it all about? And umm you know I came to the conclusion that errr
what really matters is trying to understand the right questions to ask.
9
Showing interest
Natural English speakers are active listeners. They show that they are listening
by making noises or using words and short phrases. Here are some examples.
Surprise Sadness/Regret
● Oh no!
● Wow!
● Oh dear
● No way!
● What a pity
● You’re joking!
● That’s a shame
● You’re kidding! (US English)
● Really?
● He did what?
Good news
● Oh yeah? ● Good for you.
● Great.
● Excellent
Using auxiliary verbs

Another way of showing interest is to repeat the auxiliary verb. An auxiliary
verb is a verb used in forming tenses, such as am, are, do, did, have, can, and
so on. For example, in the structure I’m staying, am i s the auxiliary verb. This
is how we show interest by repeating the auxiliary verb:
A: I'm going to see the new James Bond film next week.
B: Are you?
A: Last week they were in London for a work conference.
B: Were they?
10
Now if there’s no auxiliary verb in the speaker’s statement, you can use the
verb do f or the present simple or did for the past simple.
A: I try to go to the gym at least twice a week to keep fit.
B: Do you?
A: Joanne likes chocolate cake.
B: Does she?
A: She went to see her mother last weekend.
B: Did she?
The meaning is similar to “Really?” and “Oh yes?” and the intonation, the way
we say it, is very important. If the intonation goes up it means we are

interested.
If the intonation goes down it means we are not that interested, and we
would prefer if the speaker did not continue.
11
Linking words
Another area in which natural speakers sound different to typical learners of
English is how they connect their thoughts and ideas when speaking. When
speaking at length about something, many ideas may come into our heads. And
we use linking words to connect those ideas and sound more logical.
Typical linking words that most learners understand/use are words like
however, but, and, firstly, secondly. But in natural English speech and informal
writing, we use many other words and phrases. So here are 10 examples of
linking words and phrases that will make you sound more like a natural
speaker.
● anyway ● Like I said

● On top of that/not only that ● All the same ....
● To start off/First of all/first off ● Putting (putting this another
● For a start / For starters way/mildy)
● The thing is ... / Here’s the ● ‘Cos
thing ... ● right/okay (= finish one topic
● At the end of the day and start another)
● I mean ● Onto .... (On to the next
● In other words topic...)
● When it comes to ... / If we’re ● Back to ...
talking ... ● Getting back to ....
● As for .. / Speaking of ... ● As I was saying
12
Being vague 1 - Thing, bit, stuff
Natural English speakers often use vague language during conversation. This
word ‘vague’ means not precise, not exact. For example, take a look at this
picture.
We can describe it using precise language or using vague language. In precise

language, we can say “There are 5 apples, 3 oranges, 10 pears”. In vague
language, “There’s loads of fruit” or “there’s a lot of stuff to eat”.
Nouns
When we don’t know the word for something or we don’t want the listener to
know exactly what we are talking about, we can use vague nouns, like thing, bit
and stuff. Let’s look at each one.
Thing
● Hey, I need to talk to you about a few things.

● What’s that thing under your car?
● This app can do lots of cool things.
● He keeps talking about the same thing all the time!
● This is the first thing to do when you arrive at the airport.
13
As you can see, in English, the word thing c
an refer a physical object (What’s
that thing under your car?) as well as non-physical ideas like a topic of
conversation, technical functionalities or parts of processes.
You’ll sometimes hear natural speakers of English using very informal versions
of the word thing s
uch as ‘thingy’ and ‘thingamajij’, for example: “What’s that
thingy over there?” “Do you have that thingamijij I lent you?” These are very
informal words. Don’t use try to use these words in a formal situation such as a
speaking exam or a job interview.
Bit
The word bit o

ften refers to a part of something such as an item of food, an
object, a conversation, a film, a book, a job, etc.
● I dropped my smartphone and the bit that holds the SIM card broke.
● Don’t fall asleep. You really need to watch this bit.
● I didn’t understand the bit at the beginning.
● The bit I enjoy most about my work is helping customers.
Stuff
The word stuff refers to more than one thing and it is an uncountable noun.
● Jane has a lot of stuff to do today.

● Where's that green stuff coming from?
● We talked about a lot of stuff over dinner.
● There's enough stuff in the fridge.
As I mentioned, stuff is an uncountable noun, so you NEVER say “There *are*

enough stuff.” ALWAYS “there is enough stuff.”
In informal English and slang, you will sometimes here other words for stuff, for
example the word junk which refers to things of little or no value. ‘You have so
much junk in your room. Throw it out!’
14
The word stuff can also be used if we don’t want to give a long list of things,
and it typically goes at the end of a sentence, for example:
● Jack is a very active guy. He’s into jogging, swimming, hiking and stuff.
● At the weekend, I like to relax, read a book, listen to music, stuff like
that.
● As a manger, I meet customers, I hire new staff, I make orders, that
kind of stuff.
15
Being vague 2 - Numbers and time
Natural speakers often use words or phrases to give an idea of a number, if we
don’t know the precise number. As an example, let’s imagine a party with 98
people. Look how we can describe this in vague English using some common
words and phrases.
around
There were around 100 people at the party.
or so
There were 100 or so people at the party.
odd
There were 30-odd people at the party.
well over
There were well over 50 people at the party.
well under
There were well under 500 people at the party.
Natural speakers also use these common words or phrases to give an idea of a
time or an age.
around
We got back around 6pm.
She looks around 40.
16
well before (TIME)/well under (AGE)
When we got back, it was well before 6.30.
She looks well under 50.
well past
When we got back, it was well past 5.30.
She looks well past 30.
-ish
We can also use the suffix -ish to give an idea of a time or age:
I got back home at 6-ish. She looks 40-ish.
whenever
We use this word to mean ‘it doesn’t matter what time’.
You can come whenever. I’ll be at home all day.
17
Being vague 3 - adjectives and verbs
A very noticeable sign of a natural English speaker is how to describe things
in a vague way. Let’s look at some words and phrases we can use to do that.
Kind of, sort of

These phrases are very common in informal English. They are used in the same
way, except that kind of i s a little more common in American English and sort of
is more common in British English:
The book was kind of interesting. A: Is it sunny?
He’s sort of busy right now. B: Kind of.
It’s sort of sunny. A: Are you busy?
I’m kind of tired at the moment. B: Sort of.
We can also say kind of like a

nd sort of like t o compare two things.
A: What’s a pie?
B: It’s sort of like a cake.
You’ll often hear natural speakers pronounce kind of a

s ‘kinda’ and ‘sort of’ as
‘sorta’.
We can also use the suffix -ish t o make certain adjectives, especially colours,
seem less precise:
I don’t remember the colour of his car. I think it was greenish. (Don’t confuse
this with words like ‘childish’.)
A bit on the ...... side

Another expression used a lot in speaking is the structure “a bit on the ... side”.
For example, that dress is a bit on the expensive side. The meaning is the
18
same but not as direct as that the “dress is expensive”. Here are some more
examples:
This cake is a bit on the sweet It’s a bit on the cold side today.
side.
So those are three different ways of describing things in a vague way during
informal speech or writing. Now sometimes you will hear more than one
structure used in the same sentence:
She has sort of reddish hair. He’s kind of a bit on the greedy
side.
Just
We use the word just t o soften what we say, especially in requests:
Could you just post this letter for Can you just open the window?
me?
The word just makes the request sound less direct and therefore a little more
polite.
19
Natural English Vocabulary
20
Natural English Vocabulary
In informal speaking and writing, natural speakers prefer to use simple verbs
and phrasal vocabulary (e.g. get back, put off) rather than longer more
formal verbs that come from Latin (e.g. return, postpone).
Simple verbs like get, do, put, go, keep a

nd have can have hundreds of
different meanings especially when combined with prepositions.
Here is a very small sample of the different phrasal verbs with the verb ‘get’:
21
As a learner of English, you are more comfortable using the more standard
Latinate verbs, for a few reasons:
● You learn them earlier on your English language courses
● They are easier to remember (probably more similar to verbs in your own
language, especially if you speak a European language)
● They’re less confusing (they don’t have so many different meanings)
But if you want to take your speaking to the next level and become a natural
speaker, you will need to get out of your comfort zone and expand your
vocabulary to include more phrasal verbs and to use simple verbs in new ways.
This has many benefits:
● You’ll be able to understand native speakers better
● You will sound more natural, more fluent
● You will be able to express yourself more precisely
● You will be able to express yourself LESS precisely when you need to
(there are situations when you need to avoid being specific)
So in this section of the course, I’m going to introduce you to these little Swiss
army knife verbs and get you to understand some of the most common uses.
22
The verb ‘get’: 10 common meanings
The verb 'to get' is used in many senses in English and can be confusing to
learners. Natural speakers use this verb much more often that typical learners.
If you can master the use of the verb ‘get’ you are on your way to becoming a
more natural speaker. Let’s take a look at ten common meanings of ‘get’.
Sense 1
to receive or come into the possession of something
● She got a lot of presents for her birthday.

● They got a new pet.
● He got a new iPhone at the Apple store.
● I got a nice email from Mike.
Sense 2
to become or change into a state
● It’s getting hot. You should take off your jacket

● He got annoyed when he heard the bad news.
● It’s getting cold. We should go inside.
● Jack’s condition has got much worse lately.
● Please don't get angry with me!
Sense 3
to arrive, reach a destination
● She got home at 7 o'clock.

● We didn't get to London until late last night.
● He got to work very late this morning because of the traffic.
● I got here on time. Where were you?
23
Sense 4
to bring, go and bring or take back
● Can you get me some fruit while you are out?

● Get me those books over there, please.
● I'll just get my coat and then we can leave.
● Could you get me a coffee?
● Let me get the camera and we can start filming.
Sense 5
to hear or understand
● I didn’t get your name. Can you repeat it?

● I didn’t get his joke.
● She’s a Hollywood actress but she’s very shy. I don’t get it.
● He’s not coming to the party. Get it?
● I really get why she couldn’t do it herself.
Sense 6
to cause someone to do something
● My salesman got me to buy that computer.

● My wife got me to pay attention to the speaker.
● The class got their teacher to sing.
● I wish I could get them to take me seriously!
Sense 7
to achieve a score in a game or test
● Nick got the top score during the shooting competition.

● The Brazilian team got 4 goals.
● I got a 7 in my IELTS exam.
24
Sense 8
to kill, attack, punish
● We'll get them in the end!

● It was cancer than got him in the end.
● This time I got him.
● Just wait until I get you!
Sense 9
to catch an illness or disease or receive an injury
● She got the flu while she was on the plane.

● I got a cold from Paula.
● He got a broken nose during the fight.
● I got infection during my vacation.
Sense 10
to answer the door or telephone
● Can you get the phone?

● Can you get that (= the phone)?
● I’ll get the door.
● Can you get the door?
25
Mark Zuckerberg - example
Mark Zuckerberg uses seven examples of the verb ‘get’ in the video lecture:
I was playing Civilization and I ran downstairs, got my dad, and for some
reason, his reaction was to video me opening the email. That could have been a
really sad video. (Sense 4)
Today we spend fifty times more treating people who are sick than we spend
finding cures so people don’t get sick in the first place. That makes no sense.
We can fix this. (Sense 9)
JK Rowling got rejected 12 times before publishing Harry Potter. Even Beyonce
had to make hundreds of songs to get “Halo.” (Sense 2 + Sense 7)
We’re going to change jobs many times, so we need affordable child care to get
to work ... (Sense 3)
We get that our greatest opportunities are now global. (Sense 5)
Last year I took him out to breakfast for his birthday. I wanted to get him a
gift, so I asked him and ... (Sense 1)
26
Phrases with ‘get’
In addition to the uses of the verb ‘get’, there are many many phrases, idioms
and phrasal verbs which include this important verb, and to learn them all is a
very challenging task. You’ll need to spend a lot of time listening to native and
fluent speakers and pay attention and try to understand the different phrases.
There’s probably over 100 of them, but some we use more than others. Here
are ten common phrases that natural speakers use a lot and that you probably
aren’t using.
Get the picture/idea/impression/feeling

We use this structure to give an opinion or say that we understand something.
● I get the idea.

● I get the impression that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
● I get the feeling that he’s going to be late again.
Get on with something

to make progress towards achieving something
● Get on with it, you stupid computer!

● Can you get on with your homework?
● She needs to stop thinking about her ex and just get on with her life.
Get sth right/wrong

to do, say, or understand (something) correctly/incorrectly
● Last time, she overcooked the cake, but this time she got it right.
● Let me know if I got the answers right.
● You always get your facts wrong.
27
Get into somewhere
to be accepted to study for a university or play for a team
● She got into one of the top universities in the country.
● He couldn’t get into Harvard.
● She got into her country’s national team.
Get someone/something + preposition

to make someone or something move to or from a position or place
● They managed to get the cat down from the tree.

● Did you manage to get everything into the car?
● Get that dog off my bed!
● I don’t know how we’ll get this furniture up the stairs.
● Get him out of there. It’s not safe.
Get started/going/moving/a move on

to start doing something, make progress, hurry up
● Pack your things. We need to get moving.

● They need to get going if they’re going to finish by midnight.
● It’s late. Get a move on.
● It’s time to make dinner. Let’s get started.
Get to do something
to have the opportunity or be able to do something
● Did you get to visit Big Ben when you were in London?
● I never got to meet him when I was in his city.
28
Get there
to be close to achieving something
Learning to drive for the first time is difficult for most people, but you’re
getting there.
Get along
to have a good relationship
● Her parents just don’t get along. I think they’re going to divorce soon.
● Do you get along with your colleagues at work?
Get round to doing something

to do something after you have intended to do it for some time
I wanted to call you, but I didn’t get round to it.
Get away with sth

to do something bad and not get punished for it
● She won’t get away with chatting to her friends at work.

● When she smiles like that, she can get away with murder.
● Don’t break that law! You’ll never get away with it.
29
The verb ‘do’: 8 common meanings
‘Do’ is one of the most common verbs in English. As a learner you are already
familiar with the basic meanings of ‘do’, for example when talking about
actions (I didn’t do it, Did you do your homework? What are you doing?), and
as an auxiliary verb in sentences like Don’t touch that, I didn’t call you, I don’t
drink. In this lecture, we’re going to look at some other common uses of ‘do’ in
informal, natural English that maybe you haven’t noticed.
Sense 1
to make something look clean, tidy or attractive
● I like the way you’ve done your hair.

● How often does she do her nails?
● David does our garden once a week.
● I need to do the living room before the guests arrive.
Sense 2
used for talking about someone’s progress or how successful they are
● He’s doing really well at school.

● How did you do in your exam?
● John isn’t doing too well in his new job.
Sense 3
to spend an amount of time in an institution (such as a university, prison, etc.)
● James did two years in the army.

● I did five years at London University.
● Clark did 10 years (= in prison) for murder.
30
Sense 4
to talk about speed or distance when travelling or when talking about a vehicle
● This car can do over 200 km/h.

● He was doing over 100 mph when the police stopped him.
● It's an old car and it's done over 100,000 miles.
● We did 1000 km on our trip.
Sense 5
to copy someone’s voice, manner, or way of moving, in order to entertain
● Have you seen that comedian do Al Pacino?

● You should see him do Donald Trump. He sounds just like him.
Sense 6
to behave like someone else (do a ....)
I hope she doesn’t do a Michael and leave the party without telling anyone.
Sense 7
to use illegal drugs
● He doesn’t do drugs.

● He did too much cocaine last night.
Sense 8
to sell or provide something
● I’m afraid we don’t do French food here.

● They do holiday packages as well as flight tickets.
31
6 expressions with ‘do’
Just like with other simple verbs, there are many expressions with the verb ‘do’
that we use all the time in natural spoken English. Here are 5 common phrases
that you probably aren’t using.
to do with something
to be connected/associated with something
This expression is often used after words and phrases like It’s, have got,
have, has, nothing, something, anything.
● She wants nothing to do with him after all the rude things he said.
● What I do in my free time has nothing to do with you!
That will do.

We use this expression to tell someone, especially a child, to stop talking or
behaving badly. It’s like saying “Enough!”
could do with
used for saying that you want or need something
● I could do with a nice cup of tea right now.

● He looks like he could do with some sleep.
32
do without someone/something
to succeed in living or working without someone or something
● The Wi-Fi isn’t working, so I guess we’ll just have to do without the
internet.
● She has a job now, so she should be able to do without any help from
us.
● I can’t do without my smartphone.
We often use this phrase after a modal verb such as have to, be able to,
can/can’t. In spoken English, we also say could do without something, but
the meaning is slightly different. If you could do without something, it
means something is annoying you and causing problems for you, kind of like
the opposite of could do with something. For example:
● I could do without all that noise.

● I could do without the long speech.
● I could do without your criticism.
do up
to fasten something
● Do up your shoelaces.
● You don’t need to do up the top button.
do somebody up
To put make-up on somebody or dress them in special clothes.
● She spent hours doing herself up for the party.

● Alison did her sister up for the party.
33
The verb ‘have’
Another very common verb in English is ‘have’. As a learner you are already
familiar with the basic meanings of ‘have’, for example when talking about
possession (I have two cars) and of course as an auxiliary verb in perfect
tenses: Have you decided yet? And it is also common as part of the modal verb
structure have to (I have to go home now). Here are some other common uses
of ‘have’ in informal, natural English that maybe you haven’t noticed.
Sense 1 (have a meal/drink)

to eat or drink something (often used in polite offers and requests)
● I had a delicious breakfast this morning.
● Why don’t you stay and have lunch with us?
● Let me buy you a drink. What are you having?
Sense 2 (have a baby)

to give birth
● Donna’s going to have a baby.

● She had her first child when she was 25.
Sense 3 (have someone ...)

to make someone have a particular feeling or do something in a particular way
● When he told her the news, he had her in tears.

● You had me worried there for a minute.
● I was so good, I had him taking notes.
34
Sense 4 (have something done)
to arrange for something to be done or for someone to do something
● I see you had your place redecorated.

● He had his hair cut by the best hairdresser in town.
Sense 5 (have someone do something)

to cause someone to do something (e.g. by asking, forcing or paying them)
● I’ll have my secretary send you the files.

● I had Mr Fields contact her this morning.
Sense 6 (have enough of ...)

to not want something to happen any longer because it’s annoying
● She’s had enough of the traffic.

● I’ve had enough of his behaviour.
● The people of Northern Ireland have had enough of violence.
Sense 7 (have had it with ...)
A similar expression to have enough of:
● I’ve had it with the traffic!

● I’ve had it with his behaviour!
Sense 8 (have someone round/over)
If you have someone round or have someone over, especially someone who
lives near you, they come to your house to visit you because you invited them.
● Cathy’s parents are having us round for a meal tomorrow.
35
The verb ‘go’: 10 meanings
The verb ‘go’ is used a lot in spoken English, not only in the standard meaning
of travel or move. In fact, ‘go’ has lots of meanings in informal English. We can
divide these meanings into two categories:
1. abstract versions of the standard meaning

2. unique meanings that have nothing to do with moving or travelling
Go: abstract versions of the standard meaning

The standard meaning of ‘go’ is to travel or move somewhere (I’m going
home). But we can think of moving somewhere in an abstract way. In the
following examples we can think of something moving from one place to
another place, physically or abstractly.
meaning examples
die When it’s your time to go, there’s nothing you can do
about it.
pass (time) The meeting went so quickly.
be spent Where did all his money go?
disappear I put my keys on the table, and now they’re gone.
leave a job They can fire me, but I won’t go quietly!
be sold The tickets went very fast.
36
Go: unique meanings
In spoken English there are many other uses of the verb ‘go’ which have
nothing to do with movement. Here are the most common:
meaning examples
say something or His alarm went ‘beep, beep, beep’.

make a particular
sound
pay a particular I can’t go any higher than £100.

amount of money
for something
be suitable or That hat goes really well with the rest of your outfit.
attractive
be operating His old computer is still going.
37
Keep/keep on + -ing
The verb ‘keep’ has many meanings. In this lecture, we’re going to focus on one
meaning that we use a lot in natural English. When we want to say that
something continues or continued to happen, we often use the structure keep
+ a verb in the -ing form, for example, “He keeps calling me at night”, “She
kept seeing him despite everything”.
Here are some special contexts and ways in which we use this structure most
often.
Describing persistent actions

If you want to talk about a persistent action. If you are persistent, you continue
to do something in spite of some difficulty or opposition. For example, let’s say
you’re preparing for a marathon but the weather is very cold, making it difficult
to continue running. So you can say:
“It was so cold out there, but I kept running.”
In this context, we often use words like although, in spite of, despite, even
though:
● In spite of the cold, I kept running.

● Despite the cold, I kept running.
● Although it was cold, I kept running.
● Even though it was so cold, I kept running and running.
Describing non-stop actions

If an action feels like it is continuing to happen non-stop, we often use keep +
ing. The action can be something positive or negative, but it’s often used for
negative actions. For example, imagine you’re watching a movie and your friend
Joe is talking non-stop. When describing the experience later, you can say:
The film was good, but Joe kept talking the whole time.
Here are some more examples.
38
● Why do you keep criticizing me?
● The dog keeps barking all the time.
● The clock keeps stopping.
There are a few special expressions of keep with the gerund which we use a lot
in natural English.
Keep going
This expression means to continue to do something even though it is difficult.
● She forced herself to keep going even though she was exhausted.
● The boxer was badly hurt but he kept going till the end of the match.
To use this expression correctly, the task should be something difficult or there
is some circumstance, some situation that is making it difficult: you are tired,
you are nervous, you are not quite strong enough, the weather is awful, and so
on.
Keep sb waiting
This very common expression with ‘keep’ means to make someone stay in one
place or do nothing until you are ready to see or talk to them.
They kept us waiting outside the office for over an hour.
To use this expression correctly, you have to make somebody else wait, you
have to cause somebody else to wait.
Keep sb going
This expression means to prevent someone from getting too hungry when they
have to wait to eat a meal. For example, let’s say you’re on your way home and
you tell your friend that you’re very hungry. Your friend might take out a snack,
for example a bar of chocolate, and say to you: “this will keep you going”
This expression can be used in similar contexts. Someone who has a drug
additional for example might want something to keep him going until his next
fix.
39
5 uses of ‘make’
Every learner knows how to use the verb ‘make’, but in natural spoken English,
there are other very common uses of this verb which mean completely different
things and might be confusing for learners.
cause sth to happen

This is a very common use of the verb make. Look at these examples:
• Don’t worry, I’ll make her understand.
• She made me cook her breakfast.
• What made you change your mind?
• That photo makes her look 30 years old.
to calculate as (UK)
This is a common use of ‘make’ in British English.
● Two plus two makes four.
● If he wins his next match, that will make 20 matches without a loss.
‘Make’ is often used in this way to talk about the time:
What time do you make it?
to successfully arrive at or reach somewhere

In this sense, we use the phrase ‘make it’.
● I didn’t make it on time.

● He made it to the airport just in time to catch his plane.
● What time can you make it?
40
to succeed in getting a place in a team
● He failed to make the team.
● She’s not good enough to make the national team.
to be suitable for or likely to become

This use of ‘make’ is often used in a hypothetical way with the modal verbs will
and would, when we want to speculate about someone’s talents,
characteristics or appearance. Pay attention to these examples:
● I don’t think she will ever make a good lawyer. She's not very
confident.
● He's very selfish. I don't think he'll make a good husband.
● Jane is too honest. She'd make a bad politician.
● They look good together. I think they'd make a lovely couple.
We can use the verb ‘make’ in the same way to talk about objects as well.
Imagine you are living in the wild with a friend and you need to use anything
you can find to help you survive. You could say, for example:
● This stone is very sharp. It will make a good knife.

● That cave over there will make a safe place to sleep.
41
Phrasal verbs with ‘be’
The verb ‘be’ is the simplest verb in the English language. It’s almost impossible
to communicate without using this verb. But when combined with a preposition,
the verb ‘be’ can mean many different things. Let’s take a look at 15 common
phrasal verbs with ‘be’ in natural spoken English.
be after
to try to get, catch or find something
The police are after a dangerous criminal.
be against
be opposed to an idea or opinion
I’m against the idea of working 7 days a week.
be away
to be somewhere else
Joanne is away today. She’s gone to London.
The opposite of ‘be away’ is ‘be in’: I'll be in all day, so you can visit me
anytime.
be down
to be depressed or sad.
Blake has been down since his dog died.
42
be down
decrease, be lower than before
Ticket prices are down today.
The opposite is ‘be up’: Prices are up today.
be into
to be interested or involved in something He's really into sports.
be off
to leave to go somewhere
● I'm off! I've got a plane to catch.

● We’re off! See you tomorrow.
be on
to be functioning
● The television is on.

● Is the radiator on?
The opposite is ‘be off’.
be on
to take medication or drugs
● The driver was on something at the time of the accident.

● He’s acting very strangely. What’s he on?
43
be out of sth
to have no more left
● We're out of tea I'm afraid.

● Where’s the nearest petrol station (or gas station in US English). We’re
almost out of fuel.
If it’s clear what you’re talking about, you can just say ‘be out’:
Do you have any cigarettes? No, sorry I’m out.
be up
to be awake and out of bed
James is up at 6am every morning.
be up to something
This is often used in questions asking about someone’s plans or activities:
What are you up to tonight?
be up to
We use this very common phrasal verb when we want somebody to make a
decision.
“Where do you want to go this weekend?”
“It’s up to you.”
44
Put (express)
The verb ‘put’ is a very simple action verb that you know already, for example:
He put his feet on the table. However, there’s another common use of this verb
in natural English: to express something in words. Here are some examples.
● She wanted to say that she was sorry, but she didn’t know how to put it.
● As John put it, “there are winners and losers.”
● Why do you always have to put things so aggressively?
Notice that we often use the verb ‘put’ with the word ‘it’. Native and fluent
speakers often use the expressions ‘How shall I put it?’ and ‘Let me put it this
way’ as a conversation filler, when they are going to say something that is
honest but may sound rude. For example:
She was very ... how shall I put it ... upset.

Let me put it this way, he’s rich, but he’s not that rich.
put a price/value/figure on sth

to say what you think the price or value of something is:
● The agent has put a price of £720,000 on our house.

● You can't put a value on friendship (= say what it is worth).
To put it bluntly
We use this expression to mean ‘I want to be honest with you.’
● To put it bluntly, you're going to have to improve.

● To put it bluntly, you’re just not good enough.
● To put it bluntly, we’re out of time.
45
To put it mildly
We use this expression when we want to emphasize something. If you add ‘to
put it mildly’ to a statement that you make, it means that the truth is more
extreme.
● He was annoyed, to put it mildly (= he was very annoyed).

● To put it mildly, the cost of living was high (= very high).
To put it simply
We use this expression when we want to express something in a clearer, more
simple way.
● To put it simply, we don't have enough time.
● To put it simply, she needs a new job.
to put it another way

We use this expression when we want to rephrase what we just said to make it
easier to understand.
They only have 10 minutes till the end of the match. To put it another way,
they have no chance of winning now.
46
Natural English Grammar
47
Conversational Deletion
When you listen to native speakers having an informal conversation, it
sometimes sounds like they are missing some words at the beginning of their
sentences, for example:
Hey John. Didn’t see you over there.
How was the conference? Meet anyone interesting?
What’s going on?

When you start learning English, you learn that a subject pronoun (e.g. I)
must come before the verb (e.g. speak). This makes English different from
other languages like Russian, Greek, Italian and many others which don’t
always need a subject pronoun. In those languages, the ending of the verb tells
you who the subject is. For example, in Italian ‘parlo’ means I speak, ‘parli’
means ‘you speak’ and so on.
However, in informal conversational English, there are two common cases

where we often delete the subject pronoun.
Case 1: The subject pronoun “I”

We often delete the subject pronoun “I”:
“Where’s John” “Don’t know.”
“Is Alison coming to the party?” “Don’t think so. Never invited her.”
“Didn’t get your email. Can you resend it?”
“Does Jane know about the meeting?” “Yep, told her already,”
“I just sent you an email.” “Right let me check .... Got it! Thanks!”
If there’s an auxiliary verb, we often delete it as well:
I’m really tired at the moment.
Pizza with avocado sauce? Hmm .... I’ve never tried it.
48
Case 2: Questions with “you”
When we form questions in English, we always have an auxiliary verb before
the subject, e.g. Do you speak English? “Do” is the auxiliary verb, “you” is the
subject pronoun. In informal conversation, we often delete both the auxiliary
verb and the subject pronoun “you”:
Are you going out tonight?
Did you get enough sleep last night?
Have you ever been to Italy?
We can also delete the auxiliary verb and leave the subject:
Are you going out tonight?
Did you get enough sleep last night?
Have you ever been to Italy?
Now you have to be a bit careful if you want to speak like this in natural
English.
The conversation must be informal. Don’t use deletion in a formal message

or interview situation or when introducing yourself to a stranger.
You can’t always use deletion. If you try to use deletion incorrectly, it will
sound like you’re making a mistake at best, and at worst, the listener won’t
understand what you are trying to say. For example, if you walk up to someone
and say “Marco” instead of “I’m Marco”, they will be very confused. Try to listen
to native speakers as much as possible and observe them using conversation
deletion. Over time, you will understand how and when to speak like this and
your confidence will grow.
49
English tenses - a wholistic understanding
We’re going to quickly review the English tense system. But instead of going
through 16-19 different tenses, I’m going to simplify the verb system into two
tenses and four aspects:
The English tense system
● Tense: past, present

● Aspect: simple, continuous, perfect, perfect-continuous
That’s it. We also have modal verbs (can, would, should, must, will and so
on). These verbs allow us to express other meanings, for example the verb ‘will’
expresses future decisions, predictions, intentions and promises.
Example 1 – the past

Think about an action that you want to describe. Imagine eating breakfast this
morning.
How to describe this action? Well, this activity is in the past, so we need a past
tense. Now is the aspect simple, continuous, perfect or perfect continuous?
Well, that depends, it depends on the context.
50
Past (complete action)
If we’re thinking about the completed action from start to finish, we use the
simple aspect, so we say “I had breakfast this morning.” For example, if
someone asks “Would you like something to eat?”, you can reply “No thanks, I
had breakfast this morning.”
Past (incomplete activity)

Now let’s say your breakfast was interrupted by a phone call. So, if you want to
talk about that you say, “While I was having breakfast, I got a phone call.”
Here, we use the continuous aspect (I was having breakfast) because in this
context the breakfast is an incomplete activity. The phone call was a complete
event so we use the simple aspect there (I got a phone call).
51
Example 2 – the present
Think about the activity of learning English. For you, this activity is in the
present. So, if you want to talk about it, you need a present tense. Now is the
aspect simple, continuous, perfect or perfect continuous? Well, it depends on
the context.
Present (regular actions, facts)

If want to talk about how often you learn English, you use the simple aspect,
the present simple: “I learn English every week.”
If you just want to state a fact, something that is always true, again you use
the present simple: “I learn English.”
Present (activity in progress)

If you want to talk about an activity that is in progress right now, in other
words an incomplete activity in the present, you use the continuous aspect,
the present continuous: “I’m learning English right now.”
If you want to talk about a plan for the future, and we can look at this as a plan
that is in progress right now, again you use the present continuous: “I’m
learning English tomorrow afternoon.”
52
Present (activity still in progress)
If you want to focus on an activity that is in progress right now, but at the same
time you want to focus on the idea that the activity started in the past, for
example 8 years ago, and continued to the present moment, you use the
perfect continuous aspect, the present perfect continuous: “I’ve been
learning English for 8 years.”
Present (complete action)

Let’s say you want to focus on the fact that your English education is complete,
in other words you started learning in the past and now in the present you are
fluent in English, so you don’t need to learn any more. In this case, you use the
perfect aspect: “I’ve learnt English” or in American English “I’ve learned
English” is more common.
53
So, there are four different ways of expressing six different ideas, six different
contexts:
1. I learn English (for example, every week, every day, every month)
2. I learn English (as a general fact, in other words I’m a learner of English)
3. I’m learning English (right now)
4. I’m learning English tomorrow (this is my plan)
5. I’ve been learning English (for example for six years, since 2013)
6. I’ve learnt English (my learning started in the past and is now complete)
Now the English verb system is a little more complex than all of that, but these
examples show you that there is a general order. Now to use English tenses in
your speaking without hesitating and thinking too much, you need to develop
an intuition of how the tenses and aspects work together.
It’s one thing to open a coursebook and do lots and lots of exercises. It’s
another thing completely to use the tenses naturally in conversation.
54
Habits 1 - Present/past continuous with ‘always’
In English, there are a few ways to talk about people’s habits.
The most common structure that we use is the present simple, and this is the
structure that students learn very early. Examples of the present simple for
describing habits are “I get up early every morning”, “John often spends time
at home”, “They don’t stay up late.”
But the present simple is not the only way to talk about habits.
When you listen to natural English speakers, you’ll often hear them use the
present continuous as well, which might surprise you.
Annoying repeated actions

We can use the present continuous with the word ‘always’ for repeated
actions or habits that are unpleasant, annoying, frustrating or unreasonable for
us, for example: “He’s always shouting at me.” Of course, the statement ‘he
always shouts at me’ is also correct. The difference is that “he always shouts at
me” is just a statement of fact whereas “he’s always shouting at me” tells the
listener how you feel about the repeated action, in other words you are annoyed
or angry about this behaviour.
If we want to express repeated past actions that are or were unpleasant,

annoying, frustrating or unreasonable, we simply use the past continuous, for
example “He was always shouting at me”.
A few things to remember:

We can’t use the negative form in this context. We can’t say for example *He’s
never telling the truth.*
We usually use the adverb ‘always’ with the present or past continuous in this
context. But we can also use similar adverbs like constantly, repeatedly, all
the time, for example “he’s constantly talking”.
When the present continuous or past continuous is used in this way, the
meaning is that these actions happen very often, but not literally all the time.
55
Very frequent actions
The present continuous is also used with words like always, constantly, and
so on to emphasise that an action is done very often. For example, “He’s
always helping other people.” Again, when the present continuous is used
in this way, it doesn’t literally mean always. It just means that it feels like
always because it happens so often.
If the frequent action was in the past, we can use the past continuous: “He
was always helping other people.”
56
Habits 2 - will/would + infinitive
This is a structure that most learners of English never remember or use
spontaneously. Hopefully, after this lecture you will start to notice this structure
more and more and start using it in your speaking.
So when do we use will + infinitive to describe present habits? Well, we use
will + infinitive to emphasize the characteristics of a person. These can be both
good habits and bad habits.
Here are some examples of good habits:
● Joe is a gentleman. He’ll always open doors for you.

● If there's a problem, she'll usually ask for help.
● Kate is very honest. She won’t lie to you.
And here are some bad habits:
● She'll tell you everything about her life, even if you're not interested.
● Cane is very touchy. He’ll get upset over the smallest thing.
● The Johnsons are very unfriendly people. They’ll never say hello to you.
Notice how the habit in each sentence is used to emphasize an aspect of a
person’s character. For example, the habit of opening doors for other people
emphasizes an aspect of Joe’s character, that he’s a gentleman. The habit of
never saying hello emphasizes a characteristic of the Johnson family, that they
are unfriendly people.
To make this clearer, let’s look at these two sentences:
He gets up every day at 6am.
He’ll get up every day at 6am.
What’s the difference? Well, they both express a habit, but we would use the
second sentence only to emphasize a characteristic of a person, for example:
“Mark is a very ambitious person. He’ll get up every day at 6am and works all
57
day.” Of course, the present simple is also correct in this sentence: “Mark is a
very ambitious person. He gets up every day at 6am and works all day.”
Would + infinitive
Now the past of will is would and so we can use the structure would +
infinitive to talk about past habits. Here are the same examples in the past:
● Joe was a gentleman. He’d (= he would) always open doors for you.
● If there was a problem, she'd (= she would) usually ask for help.
● Kate was very honest. She wouldn’t lie to you.
● She'd tell you everything about her life, even if you weren’t interested.
● Cane was very touchy. He’d get upset over the smallest thing.
● The Johnsons were very unfriendly people. They’d never say hello to
you.
You’ll often hear would + infinitive when someone is describing another

person that they knew in the past.
58
Natural English Pronunciation
59
Pronunciation vs accent
In this section of the course, we’re going to look at how to achieve a natural
and fluent pronunciation when you speak English. Just remember that
pronunciation is not about changing your accent.
To sound more natural in English, you need to have good pronunciation, but
you don’t need to change your accent, unless your accent is so strong that
nobody can understand you. There are three reasons for this.
It’s very difficult to change your accent.

Many people who try to learn to speak with a different accent sound strange
because a few sounds in their native accent remain the same. It almost sounds
like they are speaking in multiple accents. Some people are able to do it, but
not many.
Which accent?
If you want to change your accent, you have to choose a particular accent that
you want to have. There are many different regional accents of British English
as well as American English. Maybe you want to speak with a standard British
accent like what you hear on the BBC news. But understand that the
newsreaders that you hear have been specially trained. In reality, nobody
speaks that way in the streets, cafes, restaurants and pubs of Britain.
Also remember that an accent says something about a person’s social class and
educational background. So, if you learn to speak English with let’s say an
upper-class English accent (the accent of the queen), you will sound extremely
strange and you might make some people dislike you.
A foreign accent is acceptable.

English is an international language and native speakers expect non-native
speakers to speak with a different accent. A different accent can also be
interesting or attractive. Of course, this depends on the accent, on the culture
of the place you’re visiting or the nationality of the person you’re talking to.
60
So, don’t worry too much about changing your accent. Just focus on improving
your pronunciation, for example by following the lectures and doing the
exercises in this section of the course. You’ll sound much more natural, fluent
and easier to listen to. Even if you don’t like your accent, improving your
pronunciation will help to neutralise your accent and improve how you sound to
native and fluent English speakers.
61
Introduction to connected speech
If you are similar to many English students, including advanced students, you
might complain that “native speakers speak too fast". And sometimes it sounds
like we are using words that you don’t know. But I’m pretty sure that if you
could see the same spoken phrase or sentence in writing, very often you would
have no problem understanding it.
So, what is going on? To answer this question, let’s look at how native speakers
speak.
Economy of movement
Just like native speakers of other languages, English speakers try to use as little
movement and energy as possible when they speak. This way, our tongues,
mouths and lips don’t get tired when we talk.
To give you an example, look at this sentence: ”I went on a trip to Athens.”
In the video lecture, I will first say this sentence with maximum clarity (which
means I will say each word clearly and distinctly). To a native speaker, this
sounds slow and unnatural, and it takes more energy -- I have to pause 6 times
between each word to reset my tongue and mouth position.
Now instead of maximum clarity, I will say the same sentence with the
maximum economy of movement (which means I focus on using less energy,
and not on pronouncing each word clearly).
Notice how this time, I pause only three times, and it sounds like I’m only
pronouncing four words. The words ‘went on a’ are connected together and
sound like one word: ‘wentona’. The words ‘to Athens’ are also connected and
sound like one word “toowathens”. In this case, there is an extra sound ‘w’
between ‘to’ and ‘Athens’, but this extra sound actually makes it easier to say.
So, I could write the natural spoken version of this sentence like this:
“I wentona trip toowathens”
Looks like a different language, right?
Now this feature of natural English pronunciation can be even more confusing.
Sometimes we have two completely different phrases that sound the same in
natural English. In the video lecture, I will read an example to you.
62
Am I asking for more RICE or more ICE? When I repeat the request with
maximum clarity, it’s clear that I want ice, not rice. But in natural English, it’s
too slow and it takes too much energy to speak like that. In natural English, the
words more and ice are connected together and sound like one word “morice”.
63
Connecting words
In the previous lecture, I presented an example of how we connect or link
words together in spoken English. So, what are the rules for connecting words?
Let’s focus on three of the most common rules that you will hear.
Consonant—vowel
If a word ends in a consonant and the following word begins with a vowel,
we join the two words together.
Vowel +-r/-re—vowel
If a word ends in a vowel plus -r or -re, and the following word begins with
a vowel sound, we pronounce the -r.
vowel—vowel
If a word ends in a vowel sound and the following word begins with a
vowel, we connect the words together with a -w- sound or a -y- sound.
64
The connecting sound depends on the first vowel. If we make the first vowel
sound with our mouth in a round position, we use a -w- sound.
If we make the first vowel sound with our lips in a straighter, wider position,
we use a -y- sound.
Exercise
Mark the connections in the following sentences. Answers are at the end of the
video lecture.
1. apples and oranges

2. Let’s go out again.
3. I won’t argue about it.
4. I always eat a salad.
5. Try to stand up.
6. He’s talking about Anne.
7. Who is the enemy?
8. It’s far away from Earth.
65
Weak forms
Let’s look again at our example sentence from the lecture Introduction to
Connected Speech. “I went on a trip to Athens.”
What do you notice about the words ‘on’, ‘a’ and ‘to’? Yes, they are very weak,
you can hardly hear them.
In English, when we speak naturally, some words become very weak, which can
cause problems for learners. In the examples below, the words highlighted in
yellow are weak.
● Fish and chips

● He can speak English very well.
● A loaf of bread
● There were a lot of people at the party.
Notice that this process often happens to the following words:
● conjunctions (and, but, of, or, than)

● pronouns (him, her, it, them, us, I, you)
● prepositions (to, from, at, for, on)
● auxiliary verbs (have, am, are, is, can)
● articles (the, a)
It’s important to remember that the English language has a rhythm. Sometimes
a word becomes weak, but sometimes the same word is stressed. Listen to this
sentence:
She can speak Spanish better than I can
Notice that the first ‘can’ is weak and the second is stressed.
66
They have more money than I have.
The first ‘have’ is weak and the second is stressed.
And sometimes a word which is normally weak becomes stressed when we want
to emphasise something. For example, if I want to emphasise the fact that no
animal is more dangerous than the lion, I can stress the second ‘the’ in this
sentence:
The lion is the most dangerous animal in Africa.
Exercise - weak words

Mark the weak words in the sentences below. You’ll hear them in the video for
this lecture. The answers are on the next page.
● What’s the difference between a whale and a dolphin?

● He comes from a small town on the coast of Italy.
● The people should elect a new president to lead the country.
● Are you coming to John’s birthday party?
● The train was late again.
● I’m meeting him for lunch on Monday.
● What’s the weather like at this time of the year?
● You can bake a cake much better than she can.
67
● What’s the difference between a whale and a dolphin?
● He comes from a small town on the coast of Italy.
● The people should elect a new president to lead the country.
● Are you coming to John’s birthday party?
● The train was late again.
● I’m meeting him for lunch on Monday.
● What’s the weather like at this time of the year?
● You can bake a cake much better than she can.
68
Elision
As we have seen, English speakers try to use as little movement and energy as
possible when they speak. This causes some sounds to change when we speak
at a natural speed. And very often, some sounds completely disappear. This
process is called elision. Here are 3 examples:
● It was an interesting film. (‘int’resting’)

● I’m not going out tonight. (‘going ou..’)
● It was a bad deal. (‘a ba deal’)
There are three main areas where we find elision:
Weak syllables
A syllable containing a weak form is often lost. For example:
● int(e)rest
● diff(e)rent
● basic(a)lly
● t(o)night
The sounds / t / and / d /

The sounds / t / and / d / are the sounds which disappear most often, especially
when they appear close to other consonant sounds. This can happen in a
word or between two words. For example:
chris(t)mas san(d)wich the firs(t) three
you an(d) me mus(t) be we stopp(ed) for tea
69
/h/
The /h/ sound is also often deleted at the beginning of words, especially when
they are weak forms. For example:
You shouldn't (h)ave told me. Tell (h)im the truth.
The boss (h)as just arrived. (H)ave you seen her today?
Exercise
Mark the missing sounds in the sentences below (answers are on the next
page):
1. Don’t tell him about tonight.
2. Have you told anyone about the family dinner?
3. It was the hottest day of the year – the temperature was almost 40
degrees.
70
Here are the sentences with the missing sounds indicated:
1. Don’(t) tell (h)im abou(t) t(o)night.
2. (H)ave you told anyone abou(t) the fam(i)ly dinner?
3. I(t) was the hottes(t) day of the year – the temp(e)rature was almos(t)
40 degrees.
71
Conversational pronunciation
In informal colloquial English, particularly American English, you will hear
language like wanna ( instead of ‘want to’), gonna ( instead of ‘going to’), gotta
(instead of ‘ve got to’) and dunno (instead of ‘I don’t know’). Like other features
of conversational English, you might also see these expressions in informal
writing such as in text messages, on social media and songs.
Here are 8 examples:
Gonna (going to) Gimme (give me)

I’m gonna talk to him later. Gimme a minute.
Gotta (‘ve got to / have to) Outta (out of)

I gotta be at work tomorrow Let’s get outta here.
morning.
Kinda (kind of)

Wanna (want to)
It’s kinda cold here.
Do you wanna come to the party?
Dunno (don’t know)

Lemme (let me)
I dunno what to do.
Lemme call you tomorrow.
72

Speak Natural English

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Speak Natural English

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What is natural English?

What’s in the course? 4

The natural English mentality 5

Showing interest 1​0

Being vague 1 - Thing, bit, stuff 13

Being vague 2 - Numbers and time 16

Being vague 3 - adjectives and verbs 18

Natural English Vocabulary 21

The verb ‘get’: 10 common meanings 23

Phrases with ‘get’ 27

The verb ‘do’: 8 common meanings 31

6 expressions with ‘do’ 32

The verb ‘have’ 34

The verb ‘go’: 10 meanings 36

Phrasal verbs with ‘be’ 42

Put (express) 4​5

English tenses - a wholistic understanding 51

Habits 1 - Present/past continuous with ‘always’ 55

Habits 2 - will/would + infinitive 57

Introduction to connected speech 62

Here are five quick examples of natural English:

3. During informal conversation, natural English speakers like to ​use simple

4. Natural English speakers also use a more ​natural kind of grammar​,

5. Natural English speakers use natural pronunciation. For example, they

1. Typical features of natural English conversation​: fillers, showing

2. Natural English vocabulary​: how to use simple verbs in new and

3. The grammar of natural English​: review of the standard tense rules as

4. Features of natural English pronunciation​: tips on how to improve

1. Focus on ‘what’, not ‘why’

● He’s always losing ​his glasses.

Unfortunately, English has a complicated history and so there are many

5. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes

When do we use fillers?

● When we don’t know what to say next

● When we are trying to remember something

● When we want to use up time

● To make a statement weaker or stronger

● To keep somebody’s attention

Typical filler words and phrases

● Um/er/uh ● At the end of the day

● Basically ● I guess/I suppose

● Literally ● ... or something

● You see ● Right

● You know ● sort of/kind of/kind of like/like

Using auxiliary verbs

A: Last week they ​were ​in London for a work conference.

A: I try to go to the gym at least twice a week to keep fit.

A: Joanne likes chocolate cake.

A: She went to see her mother last weekend.

we say it, is very important. If the intonation goes up it means we are

● anyway ● Like I said

We can describe it using precise language or using vague language. In precise

● Hey, I need to talk to you about ​a few things​.

The word ​bit o

● Jane has ​a lot of stuff ​to do today.

As I mentioned, stuff is an uncountable noun, so you NEVER say “There *are*

She looks ​around 40​.

She looks ​well under 50​.

She looks ​well past 30​.

I got back home ​at 6-ish​. She looks ​40-ish​.

You can come ​whenever​. I’ll be at home all day.

Kind of, sort of

The book was ​kind of ​interesting. A: Is it sunny?

He’s ​sort of ​busy right now. B: ​Kind of.

Showing interest 10

Put (express) 45

3. During informal conversation, natural English speakers like to use simple

4. Natural English speakers also use a more natural kind of grammar,

1. Typical features of natural English conversation: fillers, showing

2. Natural English vocabulary: how to use simple verbs in new and

3. The grammar of natural English: review of the standard tense rules as

4. Features of natural English pronunciation: tips on how to improve

● He’s always losing his glasses.

A: Last week they were in London for a work conference.

● Hey, I need to talk to you about a few things.

The word bit o

● Jane has a lot of stuff to do today.

As I mentioned, stuff is an uncountable noun, so you NEVER say “There are

She looks around 40.

She looks well under 50.

She looks well past 30.

I got back home at 6-ish. She looks 40-ish.

You can come whenever. I’ll be at home all day.

The book was kind of interesting. A: Is it sunny?

He’s sort of busy right now. B: Kind of.

It’s sort of sunny. A: Are you busy?

I’m kind of tired at the moment. B: Sort of.

We can also say kind of like a

B: It’s sort of like a cake.

You’ll often hear natural speakers pronounce kind of a

Simple verbs like get, do, put, go, keep a

● She got a lot of presents for her birthday.

● It’s getting hot. You should take off your jacket

● She got home at 7 o'clock.

● Can you get me some fruit while you are out?

● I didn’t get your name. Can you repeat it?

● My salesman got me to buy that computer.

● Nick got the top score during the shooting competition.

● We'll get them in the end!

● She got the flu while she was on the plane.

● Can you get the phone?

We get that our greatest opportunities are now global. (Sense 5)

● I get the idea.

● Get on with it, you stupid computer!

● They managed to get the cat down from the tree.

● Pack your things. We need to get moving.

I wanted to call you, but I didn’t get round to it.

● She won’t get away with chatting to her friends at work.

● I like the way you’ve done your hair.

● He’s doing really well at school.

● James did two years in the army.

● This car can do over 200 km/h.

● Have you seen that comedian do Al Pacino?

● He doesn’t do drugs.

● I’m afraid we don’t do French food here.

● I could do with a nice cup of tea right now.

● I could do without all that noise.

● She spent hours doing herself up for the party.

● I had a delicious breakfast this morning.

● Why don’t you stay and have lunch with us?

● Let me buy you a drink. What are you having?

● Donna’s going to have a baby.

● When he told her the news, he had her in tears.

● I see you had your place redecorated.

● I’ll have my secretary send you the files.

● She’s had enough of the traffic.

A similar expression to have enough of:

● I’ve had it with the traffic!

● Cathy’s parents are having us round for a meal tomorrow.

pass (time) The meeting went so quickly.

be spent Where did all his money go?