"Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things."

Flora Lewis

Series 1, Episode 2

The Layout

  • Vocabulary topic: vitamin D and cancer
  • speaking: fascts, opinions
  • pronounciation: word stress, sentence rhythm

A suggested List of Vocabulary:

  • markedly - помітно, явно
  • exposure - незахищеність, виставляння
  • culprit - винуватець
  • averted - відхилений, уникнутий, запобіжений
  • deficiency - дефіцит, нестача, брак, відсутність

Words to express your opinion: believe, think, argue, feel, reckon, opinion, view, convinced, etc

Adjectives to describe smb's beliefs:

  • fanatical=obsessive
  • eccentric=odd
  • conservative=traditional
  • middle-of-the-road=moderate
  • dedicated=committed
  • firm=strong

Informal way of expressing your opinion:

  • I think
  • I believe
  • I reckon

Formal way of stating your opinion:

  • In my opinion
  • In my view

More formal way of expressing your view:

  • It is believed that...
  • It is thought that...

More phrases to voice your opinion:

  • I'm convinced that - very strong feeling that you are right
  • I've always held that - used for very firm beliefs
  • I maintain - insist in believing
  • I feel - strong personal opinion
  • I reckon - informal, usually an opinion on what is likely to be
  • I doubt - don't believe
  • to my mind - fairly informal
  • If you ask me - informal
  • I am of the same mind = I agree
  • I am relanctant to draw conclusions = I am no sure about...
  • I am still troubled = I am worried
  • I have a hunch = I strongly susupect
  • I have a different take on it = I diagree
  • I was immediately struck by = I was surprised
  • I still hold out hope = I am optimistic
  • I think you have to take it as a given = it is acceptable to think that...
  • I was taken aback = I was completely surprised
  • I lean forward = I think there is more truth in the idea
  • I go along with = I have the same idea
  • I was won over = I was convinced
  • I point to = I regard
  • I am puzzled over = I am confused
  • I rule out = I say no
  • It is written off = it is dismissed
  • I bear out = I confirm
  • I fathomed out = I understood

Phrases to show agreement

  • People are consictent with the idea of...
  • People subsribe to the idea that ...
  • It provides another tick in the box
  • A lot of people are fanatical about...
  • People maintain that
  • It is highly influantial for people to
  • People share the enthusiasm of...
  • People are in agreement of this point

Phrases to show disbelief/diapproval

  • People caution against the idea
  • People are greeted with scaptisism
  • This question is open to debate
  • This is called into a question
  • This opinion fell into disripute
  • This question came in for a great critisism 
  • People doubt that...
  • People have very conservative views and...
  • People diapprove of ...
  • I take strong exception to smb who...
  • People are preoccupied with
  • It seems inconceivable to smb
  • People ramain scaptical
  • That confounds all expectations
  • That challenges the assumtion that...
  • There seems to be a little conviction amongst...

Mind the prepositions that are used with the words to state opinion:
a view on smth/smb
to think of smth/smb
to be in faivour of smth/smb
to have doubts about smth/smb

Modal Verb to express opinion:
-used to make the statement less definite
-used for recommending or advising

  • would
  • should
  • could
  • might

Statement expressing facts vs opinion
1. 50,000 will die - expressing fact
2. 50,000 might die - expressing opinion

1. I do not think that small amounts of sunlight increase the risk of cancer - expressing opinion
2. Small amounts of sunlight do not increase the risk of cancer - expressing fact

1. I believe that vitamin D deficience might become common among adults - expressing opinion
2. Vitamin D deficiency will affact 25% of adults - expressing fact

Focus on the suggested topic 'Vitamin D deficiency':

I belive that the public health problem for vitamin D deficiency is quite significant. I would estimate minimum 25% of adults in the United States, Europe and probably even Australia are vitamin D deficient. I mean if you think about it, over 250,000 women in the United States will develop breast cancer this year. Something like 50,000 will die. If 25% of those who have breast cancer could have been averted or prevanted in some way, just by having a little exposure to sunlight it would have been really tremendous.

Focus on the Word stress:
English words have certain patterns of stress which you should observe strictly if you want to be understood.

  • Generally, common English nouns, adjectives, and adverbs are more often stressed on the first syllable than on any other syllable. Verbs with prefixes are usually stressed on the second syllable, i.e., on the first syllable of the root after the prefix. English words can't have two unstressed syllables at the beginning of the word; one of these syllables will be stressed. If a word has four or more syllables, there are usually two stresses in it: primary stress (strong stress) and secondary stress (weak stress). Also, secondary stress may be present (in addition to primary stress) in shorter words in the syllable in which the vowel remains long and strong.
  • Prefixes are often stressed in nouns and less often in verbs. Suffixes at the end of the word are rarely stressed, except for a few noun, adjective, and verb suffixes that are usually stressed.

Stress in derivatives

  • Stress in a derivative may remain the same as in the word from which it was derived, or it may change in a certain way. When nouns are formed from verbs, or verbs are formed from nouns, the following patterns of stress often occur.

The same stress:
deNY (verb) – deNIal (noun)
ofFEND (verb) – ofFENCE (noun)
HOSpital (noun) – HOSpitalize (verb)

Shift of stress:
preSENT (verb) – PRESent (noun)
exTRACT (verb) – EXtract (noun)
OBject (noun) – obJECT (verb)

  • Other parts of speech derived from nouns and verbs have the following typical patterns of stress.
  • Adjectives are usually stressed on the first syllable or repeat the stress of the nouns from which they were derived: fate (noun) – FATal (adj.); COLor (noun) – COLorful (adj.)
  • But stress may change in longer derivative adjectives: METal (noun) – meTALlic (adj.); ATHlete (noun) – athLETic (adj.)

ONE-SYLLABLE WORDS

  • One-syllable nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are stressed on the vowel sound in the word. Note that a diphthong is one complex vowel sound that forms only one syllable. A diphthong is stressed on its first main component: book, cat, rain, boat, crow, chair

TWO-SYLLABLE WORDS

  • Two-syllable nouns are usually stressed on the first syllable: TEACHer, STUDent, CARpet, LESson
  • Nouns may be stressed on the last syllable if there is a long vowel or a diphthong in it. Words of foreign origin (especially words of French origin) may be stressed on the last syllable: trainEE, caREER, deLAY, conCERN, poLICE, hoTEL, beRET, rooMETTE
  • Two-syllable adjectives are usually stressed on the first syllable: FUNny, LOCal, USEful
  • Some adjectives are stressed on the last syllable if there is a long vowel or a diphthong in it: abSURD, comPLETE, exTREME, moROSE
  • If there is a prefix in an adjective, stress often falls on the first syllable of the root after the prefix: inSANE, imMUNE, enGAged
  • Two-syllable verbs are usually stressed on the second syllable, especially if the first syllable is a prefix:comBINE, conFIRM, deNY, deSERVE
  • Three-syllable nouns are usually stressed on the first syllable: POLitics, GOVernment, GENeral
  • Three-syllable adjectives are usually stressed on the first syllable:WONderful, FAVorite, CURious
  • Three-syllable verbs often have primary stress on the first syllable (even if it is a prefix) and secondary stress on the last syllable (which is often a verb suffix): 'COMpen'sate, 'DECo'rate

FOUR OR MORE SYLLABLES

  • Long nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs usually have two stresses: primary stress and secondary stress. But there are some long words with only one stress. There are four patterns of stress in long words: ACcuracy, DELicacy, INteresting
  • Only one stress: on the second syllable: simPLICity, moBILity, teLEpathy, sigNIFicant, mysTErious, traDItional, acCOMpany
  • Two stresses: on the second and fourth syllable: con'side'RAtion, in'compre'HENsible, a'POLo'gize.

Read these words:
intelligent
increasing
markedly
moderate
exposure
culprit
developing
cancer
tremendous
averted
prevented
significant
vitamin
deficiency

Focus on sentence stress:

The most important words in a sentence are strongly stressed. They are pronounced LOUDER and SLOWER. This gives English its rhythm. Look at the example from the video:

It would have been tremendous to have averted or prevanted significant vitamin D deficiency.

Media

Teaching and Tutorial Material Search Filter