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  • In this American English pronunciation video, we're going to learn some Vietnamese cooking,

  • and you're going to study contraction of the verb TO BE.

  • One thing to note about these contractions is that no extra syllable is added. We'll

  • go over the pronunciations. You'll notice that some of them have two different pronunciations.

  • That's because there can be a reduced pronunciation. I do recommend that you use the reduced pronunciation.

  • Any time you can make a short word shorter it's going to add better rhythmic contrast

  • to your speech.

  • So, I am. I'm. I'm. You are. This can be 'your' or, better yet, let's reduce it, 'yer'. Notice

  • how quick it is. When we reduce it, it's going to be very, very fast, and it must be linked to

  • the next word. 'We are' can be 'we're', or 'we're', or, better yet, wur, wur. Reduced.

  • 'They are' can be 'they're', or, reduced, thur. He is, she is, it is. This will be come he's,

  • she's, it's. Notice that the S in 'it's' is pronounced as an S sound, unvoiced. That's

  • because the sound before is the T, also an unvoiced sound. It's, it's. However, the S

  • in 'he's' and 'she's' is a Z sound. That's voiced, because the sound before, a vowel,

  • was voiced. He's, she's, it's. TS can be a tough sound, and I do have a video on how

  • to make that sound. So let's take a look at some contractions in everyday conversation.

  • >> Alright, Annie. So after you peel the cucumber, you're going to slice the cucumber into rounds.

  • And then you're going to flatten the rounds, and slice them lengthwise again to make it

  • into a nice julienne.

  • Did you notice the contraction of 'you are' to 'yer'? Yer, you're going to. Listen again.

  • >> Alright, Annie. So after you peel the cucumber, you're going to slice the cucumber into rounds.

  • And then you're going to flatten the rounds, and slice them lengthwise again to make it

  • into a nice julienne. >> How's this, HaQuyen?

  • >> It looks good, looks good, it's good.

  • How's this? How's, how's, zz, zz, with a Z sound. It's good. It is, it's, it's, with

  • that TS sound. Listen again.

  • >> How's this, HaQuyen? >> It looks good, looks good, it's good.

  • >> Well, if we look at the way Mark's chopping his mushrooms, we can see that he's doing

  • quite a good job of it. >> Thanks, HaQuyen.

  • Mark's, Mark's. The last sound of Mark's name is the K sound, unvoiced. So the apostrophe

  • S is also unvoiced. Ks, ks, Mark's, Mark's. We also heard 'he's', where the apostrophe

  • S is a Z sound. He's, he's, he's doing. Listen again.

  • >> Well, if we look at the way Mark's chopping his mushrooms, we can see that he's doing

  • quite a good job of it. >> Thanks, HaQuyen.

  • >> That's because she's a good teacher.

  • Here, Natalie, speaking of HaQuyen, said that's, that's, that's because, with the TS sound.

  • She's, she's a good teacher. She's a, she's a, where the apostrophe S is a Z sound. Listen

  • again.

  • >> That's because she's a good teacher. >> Well, I'm going to dice up this cucumber

  • as I was instructed. >> I'm going to keep dicing the mushrooms.

  • Here, both Annie and Mark said I'm gonna. So, they have contracted I AM and also reduced

  • 'going to' to 'gonna'. I'm gonna. Notice how 'I'm' is the most stressed syllable in that

  • fragment. I'm gonna. That's because 'going' is a helping verb here, not the main verb.

  • The main verb is stressed. For example, Annie said 'I'm gonna dice'. I'm gonna dice, Stressing

  • 'dice'. Listen again.

  • >> Well, I'm going to dice up this cucumber as I was instructed.

  • >> I'm going to keep dicing the mushrooms. >> Hey Annie, when are the noodles going to

  • be ready? >> They're going to be ready in about 10 minutes.

  • They're gonna. Did you hear how Annie reduced 'they're' to thur, thur, thur, they're gonna.

  • They're gonna be ready. Listen again.

  • >> Hey Annie, when are the noodles going to be ready?

  • >> They're going to be ready in about 10 minutes.

  • >> I think we're all set with the basil. >> Thanks, Lori.

  • We're all set. Did you hear Lori's reduction of 'we're' to wur, wur, wur, we're all set.

  • All set is a common idiom meaning ready, or not in need of anything. Here, she is saying

  • the basil is ready for the dish. I use it often at a restaurant, for example, when a

  • waiter asks if there is anything more I need. Nope, I'm all set, I'll say. Listen again.

  • >> I think we're all set with the basil. >> Thanks, Lori.

  • >> I love HaQuyen. She's such an effective teacher.

  • >> That's true. HaQuyen, thanks so much for teaching us how to make all this amazing food.

  • >> Thanks for coming and joining me to eat all this wonderful food.

  • >> Any time. We will eat your food any time. >> Yes, we will.

  • >> Love it.

  • She's, she's, she's such, with the apostrophe S pronounced as a Z. That's, that's true,

  • with the TS sound. Listen again.

  • >> I love HaQuyen. She's such an effective teacher.

  • >> That's true. HaQuyen, thanks so much for teaching us how to make all this amazing food.

  • >> Thanks for coming and joining me to eat all this wonderful food.

  • >> Any time. We will eat your food any time. >> Yes, we will.

  • >> Love it.

  • >> I'm crushing it over here, as you may be able to see.

  • >> He's crushing it. >> I'm adding noodles.

  • >> I'm adding tofu. >> I'm waiting for shrimp.

  • >> I'm adding bean sprouts.

  • I'm. Lots of I'm in this clip. Also Mark used the idiom 'to crush' -- meaning he thinks

  • he is doing an excellent job of making a summer roll. There are lots of different ways to

  • use the word 'crush'. For example to say you have a crush on someone means you like that

  • person, you have romantic interest in that person. Let's listen again to all these I'm

  • contractions.

  • >> I'm crushing it over here, as you may be able to see.

  • >> He's crushing it. >> I'm adding noodles.

  • >> I'm adding tofu. >> I'm waiting for shrimp.

  • >> I'm adding bean sprouts.

  • >> That chicken's looking good.

  • That chicken's looking good. Natalie contracted 'chicken is' to chicken's, that chicken's

  • looking good. And it was good. It was delicious! Listen again.

  • >> That chicken's looking good.

  • >> There is onion in there. >> There's no onion in there.

  • >> I... >> That one's mine.

  • >> Wait, where's the onion? Oh, spring onion.

  • There's no onion in there, where's the onion. There's, where's. Both of these words end

  • in the R sound, a voiced consonant, so the apostrophe S is a Z sound. There's, there's.

  • Where's, where's. There's no onion, where's the onion. Listen again.

  • >> There is onion in there. >> There's no onion in there.

  • >> I... >> That one's mine.

  • >> Wait, where's the onion? Oh, spring onion.

  • >> Annie, hold it up. >> Look at that. That's absolute perfection.

  • >> It does look great.

  • You've got to love Annie's enthusiasm. That's absolute perfection. That's, that's, again,

  • with the TS sound. Listen again.

  • >> Annie, hold it up. >> Look at that. That's absolute perfection.

  • >> It does look great.

  • >> Oh god, my dogs are barking. >> Why is that, Hillary?

  • >> We've been walking around all day. >> Not to mention all the dancing you did

  • last night. >> Oh, it was amazing.

  • My dogs are barking. This is a great idiom to mean your feet are tired. My dogs are barking.

  • Notice how the word 'are' is reduced to er, er, er, My dogs are, my dogs are. My dogs

  • are barkin'. Notice also the ING is pronounced as an IN. My dogs are barkin' instead of dogs

  • are barking. You may find this happening sometimes with certain phrases or idioms. Listen again.

  • >> Oh god, my dogs are barking. >> Why is that, Hillary?

  • >> We've been walking around all day. >> Not to mention all the dancing you did

  • last night. >> Oh, it was amazing.

  • I hope this has made you more aware of just how often we use this kind of contraction.

  • Watch this video a time or two. Then watch an American TV show or movie, and see if you

  • can notice these 'to be' contractions. Write them down as you watch and practice the phrases.

  • Using contractions will really help your speech sound more natural.

  • That's it, and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.

  • Guys, that was fantastic.

In this American English pronunciation video, we're going to learn some Vietnamese cooking,

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