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Series 2
- Study English S2 Ep1: Eye Testing
- Study English S2 Ep2: Ginseng plant
- Study English S2 Ep4: Clouds
- Study English S2 Ep3: Jarrah Forest
- Study English S2 Ep5: Virtual Doctor
- Study English S2 Ep6: Lasers
- Study English S2 Ep7: Mars
- Study English S2 Ep8: Air Archive
- Study English S2 Ep9: Whale Sharks
- Study English S2 Ep10: Durians
- Study English S2 Ep11: Mangroves
- Study English S2 Ep12: Cane Toads
- Study English S2 Ep13: Welding
- Study English S2 Ep14: Termites
- Study English S2 Ep15: Astronomer
- Study English S2 Ep16: Glass Artist
- Study English S2 Ep17: Naturopathy
- Study English S2 Ep18: Outback Tourism
- Study English S2 Ep19: Old Trees
- Study English S2 Ep20: Zoos
- Study English S2 Ep21: Health
- Study English S2 Ep22: Phonics
- Study English S2 Ep23: Eco-systems
- Study English S2 Ep24: New Training
- Study English S2 Ep25: About academic writing
- Study English S2 Ep26: General Task Writing
Study English S2 Ep24: New Training
In this episode we are going to talk about adverbs and we will also discuss words and phrases in English that have been borrowed from other languages.
Transcript
Hello. I’m Margot Politis. Welcome to Study English, IELTS preparation.
Today we’re going to talk about adverbs.
Adverbs are useful because they give us more information about an action, event or situation. If I said they were ‘very’ useful, that would be an example of using the adverb ‘very’ to add to or modify the word ‘useful’
But first, let’s listen to our story about a new training program, to help fix the problem of there not being enough skilled workers in Australia.
For too long, we didn’t train enough people. We didn’t put enough energy into getting people into apprenticeships and traineeships. We just let market forces, laissez-faire approach, dominate, and it didn’t work.
We’ve established a school apprenticeship link program, which this year will have 500 young Western Australians, predominantly, but not totally, boys, providing them with apprenticeships basically that they can take up in the mining and other industries.
Fortunately, I don’t think it has been left too late, so long as we very proactively tackle the situation now and don’t delay any longer
太长时间了,我们没有培训足够的人。 我们没有投入足够的精力让人们参加学徒和实习。 我们只是任由市场力量,放任自流的方式来统治,但那没有用。 我们已经建立了一个学校学徒制链接计划,今年将有500名西澳大利亚州年轻人(主要但不是全部)有男孩,基本上为他们提供学徒制,以便他们可以从事采矿和其他行业。 幸运的是,只要我们现在非常积极地解决这种情况并且不再拖延,我认为事情就不会太晚了
OK. Let’s look more closely at adverbs.
Adverbs work by modifying words. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs or preposition phrases.
Using adverbs correctly will improve your communication skills.
They answer such questions as ‘how?’ ‘how often?’ ‘when?’ ‘where?’ and ‘why?’.
Because they have different functions, it’s useful to describe adverbs according to categories.
Here are some of the categories that adverbs can be divided into:
adverbs of frequency– occasionally, usually, frequently, often;
adverbs of place– somewhere, here, outside;
adverbs of manner– quickly, carefully, suddenly;
adverbs of degree– really, fairly, very, rather, extremely;
and finally focusing adverbs – specifically, only, particularly.
Did you notice that most of these adverbs end in the suffix ‘–ly’? Many adverbs are formed by adding ‘–ly’ to an adjective. For example:
frequent + ly – frequently
careful + ly – carefully
quick + ly – quickly
real + ly – really
Let’s listen to Alan Carpenter, a State Government minister, talking about an apprenticeship program. He uses a number of ‘–ly’ adverbs. Can you identify the category they belong to?
We’ve established a school apprenticeship link program, which this year will have 500 young Western Australians, predominantly, but not totally, boys, providing them with apprenticeships basically that they can take up in the mining and other industries.
Alan uses the adverbs ‘predominantly’ and ‘totally’.
These are ‘degree expressions’. They’re adverbs of degree.
Adverbs of degree can answer questions such as ‘to what extent’ or ‘to what degree’. They also function as modifiers of adjectives and adverbs.
Look at this sentence:
“They will provide 500 young people, predominantly, but not totally, boys, with apprenticeships.”
‘Predominantly, but not totally’
They answer the question: “To what extent will the apprenticeships be offered to boys?”
‘Predominantly, but not totally’
Let’s listen to Dave Smith, head of the National Skills Shortages Task Force, talking about recruitments. He also uses a number of adverbs. Can you identify their category?
Fortunately, I don’t think it has been left too late, so long as we very proactively tackle the situation now and don’t delay any longer.
He says: “So long as we very proactively tackle the situation”.
‘Proactively’ is an adverb of manner, which expresses how something happens or how something is done.
In the sentence: “We must very proactively tackle the situation”, ‘proactively’ modifies the verb ‘tackle’, saying how the situation should be tackled.
Next to ‘proactively’ we have another adverb, ‘very’. We saw this category of adverb earlier. It is an adverb of degree.
Some adverbs of degree, however, can be further divided into intensifiers and downtoners.
Adverbs that are intensifiers make adjectives stronger, and downtoners make adjectives weaker.
In the sentence “We must very proactively tackle the situation”, the manner in which the situation is tackled is made stronger by adding the intensifier ‘very’.
“How proactively? Very proactively.”
Fortunately, I don’t think it has been left too late, so long as we very proactively tackle the situation now and don’t delay any longer.
He also says: “Fortunately’, I don’t think it’s been left too late”.
‘Fortunately’ is an adverb in another category. We call it an attitude marker.
The adverb ‘fortunately’ expresses a viewpoint on a situation, and usually refers to the whole clause.
Examples of other attitude markers include: ‘hopefully’, ‘surprisingly’, ‘apparently’ and ‘happily’.
OK. Now let’s consider how many words and phrases used in English are borrowed from other languages.
Some are pronounced as if they were English, for example ‘questionnaire’ and ‘restaurant’ are from French, but pronounced in an English way.
However, other words reflect the spelling and pronunciation of the original language – like ‘détente’, and ‘ballet’.
English borrows words easily. These words fill gaps in our language. Most of the vocabulary in English for ballet, for example, derives from French.
Let’s listen to Alan Carpenter talking. Can you identify the foreign word and the language from which it was borrowed?
We didn’t put enough energy into getting people into apprenticeships and traineeships. We just let market forces, laissez-faire approach, dominate, and it didn’t work.
He uses the phrase ‘laissez-faire’.
‘Laissez-faire’ is a borrowing from French.
It closely reflects the pronunciation of the original language, and the original spelling.
Do you know the meaning of the phrase?
Generally, it means non-interference or not getting involved, allowing things to act of their own accord.
Here are some other French words that are commonly used in English: ‘au fait’, ‘faux pas’, ‘Grand Prix’, ‘encore’ and ‘entourage’ – and you can look them up in the dictionary.
OK. So today we’ve looked at adverbs, and then talked about words borrowed from other languages into English.
I’ll see you next time.
Bye bye.
Study English S2 Ep24: New Training Study Notes
Study English S2 Ep24: New Training Activity Sheet
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