Pronunciation insight 3

Final -s

The final -s is always pronounced in English. Sometimes it is pronounced /s/ and sometimes it is pronounced /z/.
/z/ Eva’s bag.     How’s your friend?
/s/ It’s my bag.   Where are the toilets?

1Play the recording and listen to the words. Do they end in /s/ or /z/? Then play the recording, listen and repeat. 

• 1beds /z/

• 2wardrobes /z/

• 3cats /s/

• 4cupboards /z/

• 5roofs /s/

• 6parents /s/

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Final -s

The final -s is always pronounced in English. Sometimes it is pronounced /s/ and sometimes it is pronounced /z/.
/z/ Eva’s bag.    How’s your friend?
/s/ It’s my bag.  Where are the toilets?

2Say these sentences. What is the sound for the underlined -s? Then play the recording, listen and repeat. 

• 1There's a nice hotel here.

   

  /z/

• 2That house is ours.

   

  /z/

• 3There's a big house.

   

  /z/

• 4It's Jack's bike.

   

  /s/

• 5There's a TV next to the window.

   

  /z/

• 6Is this their dog? Yes, it's theirs.

   

  /z/

• 7Is this book yours?

   

  /z/

• 8There's a flag on the beach.

   

  /z/

• 9Are you Pat's daughter?

   

  /s/

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Being polite when asking for directions

Intonation is important if you want to be polite in English. When you ask for directions, it’s polite for your intonation to go down and then up at the end of your question.

Excuse me! How do you get to the museum?

Where is the station, please?

3Play the recording and listen to the people asking for directions. Choose the questions that sound polite. 

• 1a How do you get to the shopping centre?b How do you get to the shopping centre?

• 2a Where's the theatre?b Where's the theatre?

• 3a How do you get to the library, please?b How do you get to the library, please?

• 4a Where's the bus stop?b Where's the bus stop?

• 5a Excuse me!b Excuse me!

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