The Classification of English Consonant Phonemes

Tasks

I. Questions on theory:

1. What kind of sound is a consonant?

2. What are the main principles of classification of English Consonant Phonemes?

3. What are the groups of consonants according to the type of obstruction? (State the difference between complete and incomplete obstruction). Provide examples.

4. Name the groups of consonants according to the place of articulation. Bring examples.

II. Name all plosives,

fricatives,

affricates,

nasal sonorants,

oral sonorants,

lingual consonants.

III. Find the odd-one-out:

1. [m, g, w, r, l]

2. [h, tS, s, q, d]

3. [f, q, k, s]

4. [h, b, d, k]

5. [p, v, b, w]

6. [s, r, n, l, d]

7. [m, N, w, n]

IV. Draw a chart on the classification of English Consonant Phonemes.

V. Noughts and Crosses.

	w		r		d		1) a sentence;
							2) a rhyme;
	p		s		b		3) a proverb.
	h		q		t

Exercises

[p]

Post Haste

“I say, I am ·pleased to ·see you,” de·clared the little ·man ·standing de·jectedly by the ·pillar-box.

“ Oh, hul lo,” I said, ·stopping. “ Simpson, isn’t it.”

The Simpsons were newcomers to the neighbourhood, and my 'wife and ·I 'had 'only met them ·once or twice.

“ Yes, that’s right,” returned ·Simpson. He seemed 'quite gratified by my ·ready recog·nition. “I wonder if you could ·lend me 'three pennies.” I plunged an in'vestigatory ·hand into my pocket. “You ·see, my wife gave me a letter to post, and I’ve 'just ·noticed it ·isn’t stamped.”

“They never are,” I ·said sympa·thetically.

“It must go to night – it 'really must. And I don’t sup·pose I should ·find a ·post-office open at this time of ·night, do you.”

The hour being ·close upon e leven, I a'greed that it 'seemed im probable.

“So I thought, you see, I’d get a ·stamp out of the ma chine,” ex·plained ·Simpson, ·not without ·pride in his ·inge·nuity, “only I find I 'haven’t got any coppers on me.”

“I’m awfully sorry, but I’m a· fraid I ·haven’t, either,” I ·told him, con·cluding my explo·rations.

“ Oh, ·dear dear,” he ·said. Just like that. He was ·that sort of little man.

“ P’r’aps somebody else...” I ·put ·forward.

“There isn’t anyone else.”

He looked up the ·street, and 'I looked down. Then he looked down the street, and I looked up. We ·both ·drew a blank.

“ Yes, well,” I said, and ·made to move off. But he looked 'so for lorn, ·standing there ·clutching a ·blue, ·unstamped envelope, that I really ·hadn’t the 'heart to de sert him.

[b]

A Letter to Stella

Pray let us ·have 'no more bussiness,½ but busyness;½ the deuce ·take me if I 'know how to ·spell it;½ your ·wrong spelling, ·Madam Stella,½ has ·put me out;½ it does 'not ·look right;½ let me see:½ bussiness,½ busyness,½ business,½ bisyness,½ bisness,½ bysness;½ ·faith I know 'not which is ·right,½ I think the second;½ I be lieve I ·never ·writ the ·word in my life be·fore;½ yes, sure I ·must though;½ business,½ busyness,½ bisyness ½ – I have per plexed myself ½ and ·can’t do it. Prithee ·ask Walls. Business,½ I fancy that’s ·right. Yes, it is;½ I looked in my 'own pamphlet,½ and found it 'twice in ·ten lines,½ to con vince you that I ·never ·writ it be·fore. Oh,½ now I ·see as 'plain as can be;½ so yours is only an ·s too much.

(Jonathan Swift)

[t]

1. Tom: What made him take it?

Tim: He took it be·cause he wanted it.

2. Ted: Here are the tickets.

Tess: These are singles.½ Thought you 'said we were 'taking re turns.

3. Thompson: I may be a bit late.

Trent: That ·wouldn’t 'matter in the least.

4. Porter: Ten 'twenty- two.

Turner: What’s the 'time of the next ·Clacton ·train?

5. Tindale: How a·bout 'visiting the Tate ·Gallery?

Todd: Have we time this ·after·noon?

6. Toole: Count from 'thir'teen to twenty.

Tout: ·Thir teen,½ ·four teen,½ ·fif teen,½ ·six teen,½ ·seven teen,½ ·eigh teen,½ ·nine teen, ½ twenty.

7. Tanner: It shouldn’t take long.

Tilton: It’ll take at 'least a fortnight.

8. Telford: It’s not fair.½ I lost.

Terrick: You mustn’t ex'pect to ·win all the ·time.

[d]

A druggist ·named 'Dudley Davis ½ one day re'ceived a de'mand by ·post from a 'distant customer ½ in 'need of a 'certain drug. “Dis patch im mediately,” the ·customer ·wrote,½ “the de·sired drug,½ and if it de'velops to be good,½ I shall be de lighted to ·send my 'check with·out de lay.”

The druggist re'plied the ·same day: “Dis patch im'mediately the de'sired check,½ and if it de·velops to be good,½ I shall be de lighted to send you the de·sired drug with·out de lay.»

[k]

Sherlock ·Holmes ½ was clearly ·having con'siderable difficulty ½ in catching the criminal. The crime had been com'mitted by someone ½ showing 'great 'cunning and caution.

A former 'convict and his ac'complice had been ac cused,½ but of course they dis claimed the crime,½ and the evidence which had been se cured ½ was not con clusive. Consequently,½ the police were com'pelled to re lease them.

By this time ½ the case ·seemed to be com'pletely in soluble. There were even a 'few com plaints in the 'local press ½ a·bout the in competence of the 'great de tective. Yet ½ the latter ·seemed for the time being ½ practically in capable of un·covering any 'actual clues.

[g]

A traveller was 'going ·through 'New England ½ where the natives are 'often 'uncom municative. Meeting a 'certain villager, ½ one Gabriel Gates by ·name, ½ he en gaged him in the 'following conver sation:

“Who owns this house?” he ·asked.

“ Moggs,” re·plied ·Gates.

“ What in the 'world is it built of?”

“ Logs,” ·answered ·Gates.

“ Any animals ·hereabouts?”

“ Frogs,” ·said ·Gates.

“ What ·sort of soil have you ·got?”

“ Bogs,” ·said ·Gates.

“ How a·bout the climate?”

“ Fogs,” ·said ·Gates.

“ What do you live on ·chiefly?”

“ Hogs,” ·said ·Gates.

“ Have you ·got any friends?”

“ Dogs,” ·said ·Gates.

[tS]

Charlie 'Chase was a good teacher ½ but a grouchy 'old chap. His class 'met after lunch,½ and Charlie was ha'bitually late. Each day ½ the pupils would 'watch the clock,½ hoping he 'wouldn’t ·reach 'class in time,½ for they were re quired to 'wait ·only 'twenty ·minutes for 'any teacher. One day ½ though Charlie’s 'hat ·lay on his chair,½ they all ·marched out ½ e xactly at 'twenty ·minutes after one. The next day½ Charlie 'Chase was 'very punctual,½ but much dis turbed by their ·action. “ When my 'hat is on my chair,”½ he ·said in a ·challenging ·voice,½ “ that’s the 'same as if I were ·here.” The next day,½ Charlie ·Chase 'chanced to be 'late a gain. As Charlie ap'proached the classroom, how·ever ½ he saw no ·pupils present,½ but each of them had 'carefully 'left his hat lying on his chair.

[dZ]

Jack ·Jameison ½ who lived in a 'small village ½ ·named Jerome Junction,½ was judged by 'some of the villagers to be foolish,½ but he was just as clever ½ as any ·boy of his age.

One day ½ Jack 'went to the 'village store ½ to buy some jelly,½ some oranges, ½ some jam,½ and finally 'five ·cents 'worth of cheese.

The village 'storekeeper, Mr Jenkins,½ ob jected to ·selling ·Jack so ·small a ·piece of cheese. Mr Jenkins just 'couldn’t 'judge the size of a ·five-cent ·piece of ·cheese.

“Then give me a ten-cent ·wedge of ·cheese,” ½ said ·Jack ·Jameison. Mr Jenkins 'cut a 'ten-cent ·wedge of cheese. Jack laid 'five ·cents on the 'edge of the counter. “Now just 'cut that piece in half,”½ he said to Mr ·Jenkins.

[f]

Philip ·Fox was 'writing a ·letter to his 'girl friend, 'Frances Flete,½ who lived in Fosbroke,½ a nearby village. Philip 'wrote ·telling ·Frances of his 'great and 'infinite af fection for her. Philip said he would 'follow his 'dear 'girl friend everywhere. To be with her for 'only a 'few minutes ½ he would suffer great hardships ½ and face the 'most ·frightening dangers. Finally,½ signing his name,½ Philip re called ½ that he had failed to ·mention 'one fact. So in a postscript 'Philip ·added the following:½ “ Friday, the 'fif teenth,½ at about five in the 'after noon – ½ if it doesn’t rain.”

[v]

I

1. Everybody ·knew that ·Victor was ·waiting for Vera.

2. I used to be very ·fond of veal.

3. We don’t ex'pect to 'leave till this evening.

4. Eve ·knows 'Vickie very well.

5. Was the theatre very full the ·evening you ·went?

6. I trust Steve ·hadn’t been waiting very long?

7. If Vincent’s going my way ½ I can 'give him a lift.

8. Though modesty is a virtue,½ yet bashfulness is a vice.

II

1. Vaughan: What do you ad'vise me to do?

Vernon: Meet 'Eve on Wednesday ½ and give her that ·vase.

2. Mr Vincent: Val was 'very rude to ·Viola.

Mrs Vincent: Tell 'Viola 'not to' take any notice of him.

3. Varney: Vic seems to be a voiding me.

Vaux: How ·very strange!

4. Venn: When are we to ex pect Mr ·Voyle?

Verner: Friday 'evening at the 'very earliest.

5. Verity: Lovely ·evening,½ wasn’t it?

Vett: Oh yes. Wasn’t it 'nice to see Viv a·gain.

6. Mr Vange: How much 'ought 'Vicky to have?

Mrs Vange: Give her a teaspoonful of it.

7. Vaud: That’s 'Vivian Vincent.

Varley: Never heard of her.

8. Ventor: ·Vicky says you’ll ·give him a fiver.

Vaney: What ever will the 'little 'villain sug'gest next?

[q]

Mr Thorn: There’s the seven thirty on 'Thursday morning,½ and the eight thirty an 'hour later.

Mrs Thorn: What ·time does the 'seven thirty get in?

Mr Thorn: A·bout ten thirty. It’s a good train.

Mrs Thorn: Seven ·thirty means an 'awfully ·early start.

Mr Thorn: I know;½ but Mrs ·Smith’ll be in panic if we ·don’t get to her ·place till after ·ten thirty. I vote for the 'seven thirty.

Mrs Thorn: What ·time’s your ap pointment with Mr ·Thisby? Will it be possible?

Mr Thorn: Thirteen thirty. It gets there at 'ten thirty. That ·gives us a 'good 'three hours.

Mrs Thorn: Very good, ·Theo,½ so we go by 'seven thirty. I don’t ·think we should risk the ·eight ·thirty. But will your ·people mind our ·going so ·early?

Mr Thorn: They won’t. We can put everything ·ready for ·breakfast over night. We needn’t ·bother about much. We can get some ·more on the train –½ at nine thirty –½ at least I hope so.

[D]

A voice: Hammersmith 'one ·three ·two three.

Mr Wothing: Is that ·Valour ·Ward of St Swithin’s?

The voice: Yes.

Mr Wothing: I want to ·ask about 'two ·young men,½ Mr Witham and Mr Botham,½ who are in the sick-room at the moment, I be·lieve. Can you put me on to ·someone?

The voice: Just hold on ·one ·minute, will you .

Mr Worthing: Right. Thank you.

Nurse Wetherby: Are you there?

Mr Worthing: Yes.

Nurse Wetherby: You were wanting to ·speak 'either to Mr Witham or to Mr Botham,½ or to both of them?

Mr Worthing: Well,½ I i magine 'neither of them is fit to ·come to the ·phone him self;½ I just wanted to ·ask how they were.

Nurse Wetherby: They’re getting on ·quite nicely. Who’s that speaking, ·please?

Mr Worthing: Worthing, of 'Rutherglen College.

Nurse Wetherby: Would you mind spelling it;½ there’s rather a lot of noise going ·on here.

Mr Worthing: Double U½ O½ R½ T½ H½ I½ N½ G. Worthing. Witham and 'Botham are my students.

Nurse Wetherby: Oh, yes. Well,½ they’re doing ·quite well;½ definitely on the mend.