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  • I've 'ad a long time to work on this lesson, and I bet what I just said went right by you.

  • Hi. James from engVid.

  • Today I want to talk about letter deletion.

  • In English we do this a lot, and I don't want you...

  • So I want you to understand: I don't want you to use it, but I'm going to teach you

  • how to hear it, how to understand it, where it is commonly used so you can quickly identify

  • when we're speaking quickly.

  • Like when I said to you: "I ave", I said: "I have", but I dropped the "h" and that's

  • today's lesson.

  • We'll do other ones where I'll drop a "t", but for right now I want you to concentrate

  • on the dropping of the "h", and we call it the "H deletion" or "H deletion" if you're American.

  • All right? Let's go to the board.

  • You'll notice over here, my man, Mr. E, he has: "A, B, C, D, E, F, G, ?, I",

  • the deletion of H. Quick note.

  • Okay?

  • When we want to be clear on what we are saying we say each word exactly and precisely.

  • Okay?

  • However, when we say something regularly-okay?

  • This is the examples of why we delete it-or we speak quickly or fast, we drop sounds.

  • One letter we do this with is the letter "h".

  • Okay?

  • So as you can see, that's going to be my quick explanation on that, but I'm doing this sort

  • of like a warning for you, this little part because you are not allowed to do this because

  • you have an accent and you haven't mastered the English sounds.

  • First you have to master the sounds, so it's better to say: "I have" instead of "ave",

  • "I have", right?

  • Master the sound.

  • The second thing is this lesson's more about helping you to comprehend or listen to English,

  • and understand English quickly.

  • Okay? Are you ready?

  • Time for me to do that magic board thing.

  • [Snaps]

  • So let's talk about where the letter "h" is commonly deleted.

  • We know it's deleted, but I'm going to give you about five examples or six where you can

  • see the letter "h" is deleted often or quite commonly.

  • Okay?

  • Remember I said we do it when we speak quickly or it's something we say regularly?

  • So it won't be a surprise when I show you the examples on the board, why this would happen.

  • The letter "h" is commonly dropped when we use the verb "to have" or when we use pronouns.

  • So, "have" in this case becomes "ave".

  • "Has" becomes "azz", and I'm putting the "z" sound because pronunciation, it's not "a-s".

  • I know you "ass" for some of you, I know people who speak Spanish or have a Latin background

  • will "ass", because they see the "s", but we say the "z" sound: "azz".

  • And "had" becomes "ad".

  • "E 'ad about five minutes before e 'ad to leave."

  • If you're really careful...

  • Well, you have to go over here to hear what I actually said, but I used two of them at

  • the same time and it commonly happens, so much so that we as English speakers don't

  • realize we're not actually speaking the language, but just sounds.

  • All right?

  • Let's go over to the pronoun side of the board.

  • Okay?

  • Well, the pronouns you'll see we have "he" becomes "e".

  • Right?

  • "E's a really good guy", and I'm not talking about Mr. E. "E's a really good guy", instead

  • of: "He is a really good guy."

  • Okay?

  • "Her", I don't know err very well.

  • I don't know err very well.

  • It's not "her".

  • "I don't know her very well.", "I don't know err very well."

  • And "iz".

  • Right? I know it's "iss", it looks like this, "his", but this makes this sound, the "iz" sound. Right?

  • "Iz brother iz a good friend of mine.

  • Iz brother is a good friend of mine."

  • Notice how I'm speaking quickly, and for some of you I always speak quickly.

  • But generally speaking: "I don't know iz schedule.

  • I don't know iz schedule."

  • It's not: "I don't know his schedule."

  • Now, once again, I need to repeat this: You do not use this when you're speaking.

  • I'm giving you this, I'm giving you these examples by saying them so as you hear me

  • say them you're like: "That sounds familiar", and that's why sometimes you think you know

  • what we're saying, but you're not too sure.

  • It's because we delete these sounds.

  • Now, if you saw what I did here I actually at the beginning played with you by I said:

  • "E ad about five minutes."

  • And I said: "E ad", so instead of: "He had five minutes to talk",

  • "E ad five minutes to talk to us, then E had to go.

  • I don't know if err brother's coming, err brother's coming." Right?

  • "Ave you finished that project I gave you?

  • Ave you...?"

  • So instead of: "have you"...

  • It's difficult for me. See?

  • "Ave you finished the work I gave you? Have".

  • Sometimes the words with the deleted "h" are added to other words to create a new compound word.

  • One example is: "What have".

  • You might say: "Waddave you done this evening?", "Waddave you done with David?"

  • , or "Waddave you done to my room?"

  • Okay?

  • So that's an example of combining this deleted sound with another kind of slang sound.

  • Now, I did a video on that.

  • You'll go check that one out where we talk about things where words are brought together

  • or cut, or we say combined in English.

  • Right?

  • That's just one example.

  • Now what I want to do is go for a short quiz.

  • Now, remember what I said.

  • I keep saying it again and again, "reiterating" means to say again and again: This is not

  • for you to use, it's for you to understand.

  • And to understand that this kind of thing: "E", "err", and "iz" occurs with things we

  • say very regularly or we're speaking quickly.

  • But when we want to be clear, you will never hear somebody say something like:

  • "The police ave a warrant for you."

  • They'll say: "The police have a warrant for your arrest",

  • because they want you to clearly understand.

  • Okay?

  • Keep that in mind.

  • For you it's important to say all of the sounds.

  • The reason why is you're learning the language and you need to change your mouth, because

  • a lot of the times one language will say "r", for instance, Japanese people say "r" differently.

  • For "arigatou", "arigatou" their tongue is at the front of the mouth.

  • Well, in English: "arr" is in the back.

  • We curl our tongue.

  • Right?

  • You can only do that with practice to notice the difference.

  • Right? You got it?

  • So for you this is a lesson more on comprehending or understanding what English people speak,

  • not a lesson for you to copy.

  • All right?

  • So, let's go to the board, do the quiz, a short one, and let's see if you really understood

  • what I said.

  • [Snaps]

  • Okay, quiz time.

  • Here's a little hint.

  • A "hint" means a suggestion or some advice for you.

  • Okay?

  • Look for the letter deletion in movies, TV, and music. Okay?

  • Notice when it happens.

  • Right? That'll be important.

  • Notice when it happens, like: "E az", like pay attention, right?

  • But more importantly, notice when it doesn't.

  • You remember what I said before, okay?

  • We do not do letter deletion when it's very important.

  • I want to be clear and I want to be precise, I will not delete the letter at all.

  • Okay?

  • However, on regular speech or quick speech that happens.

  • Keep that in mind at all times, and if you understand what I said just now, then when

  • we do the quiz it'll be easy for you.

  • And one more note before I go, you're going to notice on the quiz I have:

  • "have, ave, es, ave".

  • All right?

  • This isn't a real word. Right?

  • As I told you, when we're clear we say the whole word.

  • This is just to remind you that you never write this down on paper.

  • It's what we say. Okay?

  • So this will help you understanding, better listening skills, but it's not something to

  • copy and put down and say: "E az!"

  • They'll go: "What is that?

  • This isn't English.

  • Maybe it's Spanish, but it's definitely not English."

  • Okay?

  • Do not write it on paper, do not try to speak it.

  • Just learn it so you can get better at listening to real English.

  • Listen like a native, basically.

  • Okay?

  • So, first question on the board: "I _______ ONLY one minute to talk to you!"

  • What would that be?

  • "Have".

  • Huh? "Have"?

  • Why "have"?

  • Simple.

  • Do you notice how: "I ONLY", "ONLY" was emphasized here, right?

  • "I only have one minute to talk to you."

  • Be very specific.

  • Remember I told you about being specific or being clear?

  • That person is going to be very clear with you: "I only have one minute to speak to you",

  • not any...

  • Not another second or 10 seconds more.

  • It's very clear.

  • They won't use the contraction.

  • What about number two?

  • "How _______ you been doing?"

  • Well, usually we say: "How are you doing?

  • What's going on? What's up?"

  • This one would be: "ave".

  • "How 'ave you been doing?

  • How 'ave you been doing?"

  • It's casual, regular speech.

  • You say this 20 times a day to about 20 or 30 people. Right?

  • Let's try the next one:

  • "You _______ to tell me the truth, RIGHT NOW!!"

  • What do you think?

  • You're right.

  • If you were paying attention, here and it said: "RIGHT NOW!!"

  • I'm being specific.

  • "You have to tell me the truth, RIGHT NOW!!

  • I'm not playing with you."

  • Specific, deliberate, exact.

  • You're starting to see a pattern here, aren't you?

  • Yeah.

  • Okay.

  • If someone's angry, if someone wants exact information - they're going to use the exact word.

  • Commonly or regularly used, or speaking really, really quickly, we'll delete the "h".

  • Let's try number four.

  • "It's a great day _______ gotta be relaxing outside."

  • That's my stomach.

  • I'm hungry, so get to the answer quickly.

  • I got to eat.

  • You can hear that rumbling?

  • Okay, I've given you enough time.

  • You can hear my belly rumbling.

  • "It's a great day e's gotta be outside relaxing."

  • Right? Why is it "e's gotta be"?

  • Look at this, what is that?

  • Is that a regular word?

  • Of course not.

  • This is a slang term, it's a word that's been put together.

  • "Have to be", right?

  • "Have got to be", so: "E's gotta be", so you know it's not going to be: "He has gotta be",

  • even this one's contracted.

  • This is the one that's the best one. Right?

  • "E's gotta be outside.

  • E's gotta be with his friends.

  • E's gotta be having a beer."

  • Right?

  • Casual, regular talk.

  • And finally, the last one.

  • Think carefully on this one, all right?

  • "The police _______ a warrant to ARREST YOU."

  • What would that be?

  • Hmm.

  • Okay, a couple things to think about.

  • The police, that's kind of serious, isn't it?

  • And arresting you, going to jail?

  • Huh.

  • Yeah, I know you got it right.

  • "Have".

  • "The police have a warrant to ARREST YOU."

  • Right?

  • They don't: "The police 'ave a warrant", no, it's not friendly.

  • You're going to jail, this is some serious business. Okay?

  • So, my time is up.

  • They're not coming to arrest me, luckily.

  • But I do want you to go to www.engvid.com, okay?

  • You know "eng" and then video, yeah, my old shtick.

  • Don't forget to click, tap, punch on the screen to do the quiz at engVid.

  • All right?

  • Thanks a lot.

  • Ciao.

I've 'ad a long time to work on this lesson, and I bet what I just said went right by you.

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