Practice with fixed expectations

#Practice with fixes expressions Fixed expressions are little English phrases that native speakers use all the time. If I were in your shoes, I would learn lots of fixed expressions. For variety, this podcast uses several synthetic voices to read the sentences. 1. The fact that she speaks five languages doesn't mean she's qualified to be president. 2. The fact that I just saw a rat means we're not eating dinner in this restaurant. 3. The fact that our next door neighbor owns three cars proves that he has more money than sense. 4. On the way to work, a bird flew into my car. 5. On the way to Paris, our plane developed engine trouble. 6. On the way to the beach, it started to rain cats and dogs. 7. To my amazement, dinner was ready and waiting for me when I got home. 8. To his amazement, he got a perfect score on his physics exam. 9. To our amazement, the storm passed by quickly and the weather was perfect for our picnic. 10. To their amazement, their new film won first prize at the film festival. 11. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't move to Bombay. It's too hot there. 12. If I were in your shoes, I'd marry someone more intelligent than your current girlfriend. 13. She said that if she were in my shoes, she'd quit her  job and go to graduate school.  14. Without warning, dishes began to rattle on the shelves. It was an earthquake! 15. Without warning, his mother began to cry. "What's the matter?" asked Maria. 16. Without warning, the car in front of us hit a patch of ice and skidded off the road. 17. That's the kind of thing that drives me crazy. 18. Poorly prepared food in a restaurant is the kind of thing I can't tolerate. 19. Drinking alcohol and driving is the kind of thing that should be severely punished. 20. I got off to a fast start but after a few kilometers, other runners began to catch up with me. 21.  She was out sick at the beginning of the semester, but after she returned to school she soon caught up with the other students in her class. 22. I had to work late but I caught up with my friends at the mall later in the evening.

#Practice with fixes expressions Another expression with the verb "take". Let’s practice with “to take advantage of.” To “take advantage of” can be good or bad.  Here’s an example of the bad kind: “He took advantage of his friend’s generosity by borrowing money and never paying it back.” And the good kind: “She took advantage of every opportunity to practice her English with fluent speakers.” 1) My friend took advantage of my ignorance to sell me defective merchandise. 2) The car salesman knew we didn’t know anything about cars. He really took advantage of us. Now we have no money and a crappy car. 3) Our supermarket is having a sale on pasta. I’m going to take advantage of the low prices and stock up. 4) My mother is friends with all the local politicians. If I ever decide to get into politics, I’ll take advantage of her connections. 5) Let’s take advantage of the beautiful weather and go to the beach this afternoon. 

#Practice with fixes expressions Let’s continue our practice with the verb “take”, this time with “take place” which means to “happen”, usually for organized events. 1) The next summer Olympic Games will take place in Los Angeles. I hope it won’t be too hot. 2) The next performance by the Boston Symphony Orchestra will take place on September 8th. 3) The 2024 US presidential election will take place on November 5. 4) I would like our wedding to take place as soon as possible.  5) We had a long business meeting, but the serious decisions took place later during dinner.

#Practice with fixes expressions The verb “take” is very common in English and it’s used in many ways. One of the expressions is to “take a look.” Here are some examples: 1) “Doctor, please take a look at this X-ray.” 2) He took one look at the snake and said, “It’s a Burmese Python.” 3) “We need to take a look around your apartment,” said the policeman. 4) She took one look at my hand and said, “That’s a nasty cut. You’re going to need some stitches.” 5) My professor said he would take a look at my essay later.

#Practice with fixed expressions August has been very busy but here's a podcast so you won't think I've run away somewhere. We use the word "so" in many ways. Here are some sample sentences. 1- That is a beautiful painting? Do you really think so? 2- Is it time for dinner? Is the food ready? I think so. 3- She speaks French and so do I. 4- And so off to the movies we went, arm in arm. (So = then) 5- She had never felt so happy before in her life. 6- I can only exercise so much in one day. 7- I didn’t do it! You did so! 8- I so don’t want to travel with him. (Informal) 9- You can’t count on her. She is so unreliable. 10- Most television shows are so boring. 11- I lived in Spain not so long ago. 12- She was so good in math and science that she became a chemist. 13- He has perfect pitch, so he always sings in tune. 14- My son says he hates broccoli so he won’t eat it. 15- So here we go again: arguing about something stupid. 16- You say I shouldn’t run a marathon and I say, “So what? It’s my decision.” 17- “So THAT’S who ate all the cookies!” 18- His room is very neat and he keeps all his things just so. 19- If you need to talk to your teacher, do so as soon as possible.  20- I’ll stay in Paris for a week or so. 21- So now we’ve come to the end of this podcast. Bye!

#practice with fixed expressions August has been very busy but here's a podcast so you won't think I've run away somewhere. We use the word "so" in many ways. Here are some sample sentences. 1- That is a beautiful painting? Do you really think so? 2- Is it time for dinner? Is the food ready? I think so. 3- She speaks French and so do I. 4- And so off to the movies we went, arm in arm. (So = then) 5- She had never felt so happy before in her life. 6- I can only exercise so much in one day. 7- I didn’t do it! You did so! 8- I so don’t want to travel with him. (Informal) 9- You can’t count on her. She is so unreliable. 10- Most television shows are so boring. 11- I lived in Spain not so long ago. 12- She was so good in math and science that she became a chemist. 13- He has perfect pitch, so he always sings in tune. 14- My son says he hates broccoli so he won’t eat it. 15- So here we go again: arguing about something stupid. 16- You say I shouldn’t run a marathon and I say, “So what? It’s my decision.” 17- “So THAT’S who ate all the cookies!” 18- His room is very neat and he keeps all his things just so. 19- If you need to talk to your teacher, do so as soon as possible.  20- I’ll stay in Paris for a week or so. 21- So now we’ve come to the end of this podcast. Bye!

#practice with fixed expressions Send me a text message. Suggestions? Subjects for future podcasts? Let me know--thanks! Practice with the DJ sound, as in “judge” and “ginger.” 1 - His travel agency has a large budget for advertising.  2 - Have you ever heard of an angel with an allergy? 3 - The archaeologist apologized to the biologist.  4 - She lives on the edge of Egypt. 5 - The earthquake caused a lot of damage. It was a huge emergency. 6 - The engineer decided to enlarge the bridge. 7 - In general he is a generous man. 8 - My geography professor is a genuine genius. 9 - My grandmother baked a gigantic gingerbread man. 10 - The doctor suggested a diet of more vegetables and extra oranges.

#English sounds #practice with fixed expressions Here's a short poem to help you practice S, Z, and SH sounds. Dessert Time at the Zooquarium. A zebra sipped a milkshake. A serpent swam in cream. Hippos splashed and frolicked. In a gurgling chocolate stream. The zoo was full of visitors  who buzzed like busy bees. And watched the sharks swim lazily  through orange soda seas.

#practice with fixed expressions ! Regular verbs in English add “ed” to show past tense. So “walk” becomes “walked”, “cook” becomes “cooked”, etc. There are three ways the “ed” can be pronounced. In this podcast we will—again—practice verbs where the past tense ends with the /t/ sound. So in #1, look becomes looked [lookt] and drop becomes dropped [drohpt].  If you need to practice this podcast, then you should also practice this one with the /d/ sound. 1 .  I looked for my phone but apparently I had dropped it into the lake. 2 .   We baked an apple pie and I brushed some butter on the crust. 3 .   I cracked some eggs into the pan and we cooked breakfast.  4 .   I kissed her hand and she dropped me a curtsy. 5 .   He finished work at six and then hiked home. 6 .   The prisoner jumped out the window and escaped. 7 .   I guessed what was wrong and then I fixed his car. 8 .   My uncle laughed as he smoked a cigar. 9 .   My sister and I talked as we shopped. 10 .   The man stopped and looked out the window. 11 .   Mr. Jones slipped on the ice, fell down, and knocked himself out. 12 .   He picked some flowers for his mother and pressed them into her hand. 13 .   We locked the door and hoped there were no burglars around.  14 .   The ballerina danced like an angel. 15 .   His car crashed into a tree. 16 .   What a crowd of people! The room was packed. 17 .   I missed the bus so I walked home from work. 18 .   I pushed the baby carriage. We passed lots of other carriages. So many babies! 19 .   He joked with me as he dressed in a tuxedo. 20 .   I relaxed and watched the men working across the street. 21 .   I thanked the doctor for his help. 22 .   She peeked into the oven. The cake was not baked yet. 23 .   I touched him on the shoulder and he jumped. 24 .   I passed him my binoculars so he could look at the lion. 25 .   Our websites are now linked.

#English sounds #practice with fixed expressions Here's a short poem to help you practice S, Z, and SH sounds. Dessert Time at the Zooquarium. A zebra sipped a milkshake. A serpent swam in cream. Hippos splashed and frolicked. In a gurgling chocolate stream. The zoo was full of visitors  who buzzed like busy bees. And watched the sharks swim lazily  through orange soda seas. The sounds were like an orchestra. As creatures chewed and slurped. At closing time, the whole place shook. An elephant had burped. #Tongue twisters with Z 1 – This is the sixth zebra snoozing thoroughly. 2 – At least Denise could sneeze and feed and freeze the fleas. 3 – A hazy breeze in a busy Venezuelan pizza plaza. 4 – Busy buzzing bumble bees. 5 – Scissors sizzle, thistles sizzle. 6 – The sizes of zoos in Zambia outsize the zoos of Zaragoza. 7 – Zachary’s zenith zones on the zodiac and zen. 8 – Zombie zits resemble zucchinis. 9 – A zookeeper zipped a muzzle on a zebra. 10 – Ozzy cut Brazilian roses with noisy scissors. 11 – A dozen wizards bedazzling demons in the drizzle. 12 – Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear, Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair, Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t very fuzzy, was he? 13 – Zithers slither slowly south. 14 – Hazel guzzled a dozen frozen raisin desserts. 15 – Zizzi’s zippy zipper zips. 16 – Sizzling chorizo pizzas ooze ouzo. 17 – Gazing at zebras zig-zagging and grazing in Zambia. 18 – Civilized gazelles eat bizarre pretzels in deserts. 19 – Glazed raisins sizzling in a blazing desert. 20 – A zinc-mining zone in Zanzibar. 21 – A zinc kazoo nozzle. 22 – Sneezing glaziers squeezing tweezers. 23 – Unfazed viziers visiting a ritzy waltz with bronze xylophones in Zimbabwe. 24 – Dizzy Daisy crazily zoomed through a blizzard. 25 – Decentralize otherwise they’ll embezzle. 26 – Lizards ooze jazz music. 27 – This is a zither. 28 – Brazen grizzly buzzards seized a topaz lizard in a frenzy. 29 – Amazing Japanese trapeze on skis. 30 – Lazy citizens capsizing on the horizon. 31 – A laser razor hazard. 32 – Cosy Jacuzzi, cosy, Jacuzzi, cosy Jacuzzi. 33 – You realize it’s a personalized puzzle prize? 34 – Through three cheese trees three free fleas flew. While these fleas flew, a freezy breeze blew. The freezy breeze made these three trees freeze. Freezy trees made these trees’ cheese freeze. That’s what made these three free fleas sneeze. # SH and CH minimal pairs 1. When he was walking in a marsh in March he found a dish in a ditch. 2. If you choose the right shoes you can catch the cash. 3. She eats cheese when she drinks cherry sherry. 4. Chatter shatters the silence. 5. He chose shows about ships and ships. 6. Which cheat sheet do you wish to use?

#practice with fixed expressions Let's continue with English reductions where the pronunciation of the word "and" changes to ’n.  Here’s another example: “She’s out and about, shopping at the mall,” changes to …”out ’n about”… 11. Our cat wandered off again but she’ll come home by and by. 12. Now and then we like to eat dinner at a fancy restaurant.  13. In this day and age, buying a house at the beach is asking for trouble. 14. We have an off and on friendship. 15. I explained the homework over and over again. 16. After he fought with an alligator, he was black and blue all over his body. 17. I’m willing and able to move to London for the right job. 18. My brother arrived home safe and sound after six months traveling around Africa. 19. The boat went up and down and up and down until everyone was seasick. 20. He’s an up and coming young artist.

#practice with fixed expressions English is full of reductions. We write “going to” but we say “gonna” for example. The conjunction “and” is often reduced to an /n/ sound. So “hot and cold” becomes “hot ’n’ cold” and so on. Here are ten sentences to practice with. These phrases are sometimes called “fixed” and phrases. Ask any American to finish these: “Rock and _____.” “Bright and ______.” “Pros and ______.” Yes, they are effectively collocations.  1. She often listens to rock and roll. 2. My grandson like to eat bread and jam. 3. “I now pronounce you man and wife.” 4. They got up bright and early. 5. She cared for her grandmother night and day. 6. He wasn’t interested in the ins and outs of local politics. 7. Professor Jones studied the rise and fall of ancient empires. 8. It was a matter of life and death.  9. I need to think about the pros and cons before I decide. 10. There’s too much hustle and bustle in a big city. I prefer living in the country. 

#practice with fixed expressions Syncope (loss of unstressed vowels after a stressed syllable.) These examples demonstrate the ongoing use of syncope in simplifying pronunciation in everyday language, making speech more fluid and natural. Example “chocolate” [CHAWK-uh-luht] becomes [CHAW-kluht] 1- I like to eat chocolate. [CHAW-kluht] 2- She visits her mother every weekend. [EV-ree] 3- He bought a new camera. [KAM-ruh] 4- We go for a walk in the evening. [EEV-niŋ] 6- Are you interested in ancient history? [HIS-tree] 7- We have a vegetable garden. [VEJ-tuh-buhl] 8- Those two ideas are not comparable. [KOM-pruh-buhl] 9- She works in a laboratory. [LAB-ruh-tor-ee] 10- What an interesting person he is. [IN-truhs-tiŋ] 11- I got the flu last week. I felt so miserable. [MIZ-ruh-buhl] 12- Generally I only drink coffee in the morning. [JEN-ruh-lee] 13. Headache Original: I have a headache. I’m going to take an aspirin. Syncope: I have a [HEAD-ayk]. I’m going to take an aspirin. 14. Different Original: Mexican Spanish is different from Argentinian Spanish. Syncope: Mexican Spanish is [DIFF-rent] from Argentinian Spanish. 15. Favorite Original: What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Syncope: What is your [FAY-vrit] flavor of ice cream? 16. Restaurant Original: Let’s go to a restaurant for dinner. Syncope: Let’s go to a [RES-tront] for dinner. 17. Beverage Original: Is coffee your beverage of choice? Syncope: Is coffee your [BEV-rij] of choice? 18. Family Original: I’d like to introduce you to my family. Syncope: I’d like to introduce you to my [FAM-lee]. 19. Reasonable Original: That seems like a reasonable solution to our problem. Syncope: That seems like a [REE-zuh-nuh-buhl] solution to our problem. 20. Emerald Original: Ireland is nicknamed the “Emerald” Isle. Syncope: Ireland is nicknamed the “[EM-uh-ruhl]” Isle.

#practice with fixed expressions English has V sounds and W sounds. But some languages only have one or the other. If your native language is missing one of these sounds, you need to learn it. Otherwise we won’t know if you want to say “wet” or “vet”. To help you practice, I wrote this poem: Mind Your Vs and Ws Our teacher is a vampire, He wobbles when he walks His voice is kind of funny But we like the way he talks. “I want to drink your blood,” he says, “It’s so invigorating.” But he says ‘vant’ instead of ‘want’ And so ‘inwigerating’. “Mind your Vs and Ws,”  We tell him with regret, “It’s ‘while’ and ‘went’ and ‘west’ and ‘wary’ And ‘whale’ and ‘worse’ and ‘wet’.” “Just so!” he says, “I see, I see, I’ll get them right I bet: It’s ‘vile’ and ‘vent’ and ‘vest’ and ‘vary’ And ‘veil’ and ‘verse’ and ‘vet’.” “No!” We shout, and laugh and yell And act like we will riot Until he shows his shiny fangs— And then—like graves—we’re quiet.

#practice with fixed expressions Final consonant clusters with "r" What's a consonant cluster? Simple: take the "r" sound, combine it with another consonant like "d", as in the word "yard" and you have a small group or cluster of two consonants. In the sentences below you'll find words like these:  hard, guard, stirred, part, third, park, clerk, etc. Depending on your native language these may be easy to pronounce, or sometimes quite difficult.  (In another podcast we'll practice some of the longer, harder clusters. Can you say "desks" for example?) 1- English is not so hard to learn. 2- The guard watched us as we approached the door. 3- My mother stirred the pot of soup. 4- My brother gave me part of his sandwich. 5- Please spell the third word in that sentence. 6- She parked her car in the dark. 7- I work as a clerk. 8- Slurp is a verb. 9- The horse ran around the race course. 10- The nurse was carrying a purse. 11- There are no cars on Mars. 12- My cat purrs all the time. 13- His dog snarled at me. 14- I called her the ‘Girl with the pearl earrings.’ 15- Did you hear the alarm at the farm? 16- I warned them of the approaching storm. 17- She lives on a farm. 18- He walked away from the accident unharmed. 19- My friends got divorced last year. 20- My first job was the worst. 21- The horse was pulling a cart full of garbage. 22- I like the girl with the curly hair. 23- She poured out her heart to her sister. 24- The world is warming. 25- How much is that diamond worth?

#practice with fixed expressions Here are examples of syncope (the loss of unstressed vowels after a stressed syllable) in various words and phrases: 1. Chocolate Original: I like to eat chocolate. Syncope: I like to eat [CHAW-kluht]. 2. Camera Original: She took a picture with her camera. Syncope: She took a picture with her [KAM-ruh]. 3. Family Original: We are having a family dinner. Syncope: We are having a [FAM-lee] dinner. 4. Memory Original: She has a great memory. Syncope: She has a great [MEM-ree]. 5. Restaurant Original: Let’s go to a nice restaurant. Syncope: Let’s go to a nice [RES-tront]. 6. Favorite Original: That’s my favorite movie. Syncope: That’s my [FAY-vrit] movie. 7. Different Original: They have different opinions. Syncope: They have [DIFF-rent] opinions. 8. Comfortable Original: This chair is comfortable. Syncope: This chair is [KUMF-tuh-buhl]. 9. Separate Original: We’ll need to separate the tasks. Syncope: We’ll need to [SEP-rit] the tasks. 10. Mysterious Original: The forest was dark and mysterious. Syncope: The forest was dark and [MYST-ree-us]. 11. Every Original: I go there every day. Syncope: I go there [EV-ree] day. 12. Business Original: He runs a successful business. Syncope: He runs a successful [BIZ-niss]. 13. Interest Original: She has an interest in art. Syncope: She has an [IN-trist] in art. 14. General Original: This is a general guideline. Syncope: This is a [GEN-rul] guideline. 15. History Original: He loves learning about history. Syncope: He loves learning about [HIS-tree]. 16. Chocolate Original: I bought some chocolate cake. Syncope: I bought some [CHAW-kluht] cake. 17. Several Original: We have several options. Syncope: We have [SEV-rul] options. 18. Desperate Original: She was desperate for help. Syncope: She was [DES-prit] for help. 19. Library Original: I’m going to the library. Syncope: I’m going to the [LIE-bree]. 20. Opera Original: She enjoys watching the opera. Syncope: She enjoys watching the [OP-ruh]. 21. Temperature Original: The temperature is rising. Syncope: The [TEMP-ruh-chur] is rising. 22. Separate Original: They live in separate houses. Syncope: They live in [SEP-rit] houses. 23. Vegetable Original: She eats a lot of vegetables. Syncope: She eats a lot of [VEJ-tuh-buhlz]. 24. Police Original: The police arrived quickly. Syncope: The [PLEECE] arrived quickly. 25. Secretary Original: The secretary took notes during the meeting. Syncope: The [SEK-ruh-tee] took notes during the meeting. 26. Battery Original: My phone battery is low. Syncope: My phone [BAT-ree] is low. 27. Different Original: We have different views. Syncope: We have [DIFF-rent] views. 28. Interesting Original: This book is very interesting. Syncope: This book is very [IN-trist-ing]. 29. Laboratory Original: She works in a laboratory. Syncope: She works in a **[LAB Here are more examples of syncope: 31. Broccoli Original: She added broccoli to the stir-fry. Syncope: She added [BROK-lee] to the stir-fry. 32. Comfortable Original: This couch is very comfortable. Syncope: This couch is very [KUMF-tuh-buhl]. 33. Evening Original: We’ll meet this evening. Syncope: We’ll meet this [EVE-ning]. 34. Laboratory Original: The laboratory is down the hall. Syncope: The [LAB-ruh-tory] is down the hall. 35. Barbara Original: Barbara is a good friend of mine. Syncope: [BAR-bruh] is a good friend of mine. 36. Catholic Original: She attends a Catholic church. Syncope: She attends a [KATH-lik] church. 37. Conference Original: The conference is next week. Syncope: The [KON-frens] is next week. 38. Favorite Original: That’s my favorite song. Syncope: That’s my [FAY-vrit] song. 39. Secretary Original: The secretary will type the notes. Syncope: The [SEK-ruh-tee] will type the notes. 40. General Original: It’s a general rule. Syncope: It’s a [GEN-rul] rule. Here are more examples of syncope: 41. Several Original: We discussed several options. Syncope: We discussed [SEV-rul] options. 42. Library Original: I’m going to the library after school. Syncope: I’m going to the [LIE-bree] after school. 43. Temperature Original: The temperature dropped overnight. Syncope: The [TEMP-ruh-chur] dropped overnight. 44. Separate Original: They decided to live in separate homes. Syncope: They decided to live in [SEP-rit] homes. 45. Miserable Original: She felt miserable after the exam. Syncope: She felt [MIZ-rub-uhl] after the exam. 46. Family Original: The family gathered for a reunion. Syncope: The [FAM-lee] gathered for a reunion. 47. Interest Original: He showed interest in the subject. Syncope: He showed [IN-trist] in the subject. 48. Every Original: Every day is a new opportunity. Syncope: [EV-ree] day is a new opportunity. 49. Memory Original: She has a sharp memory. Syncope: She has a sharp [MEM-ree]. 50. Barbara Original: Barbara invited us to the party. Syncope: [BAR-bruh] invited us to the party. --- These examples continue to show how syncope simplifies pronunciation by dropping unstressed syllables in casual or rapid speech.

Here are 30 sentences showcasing polysyllabic words with syncope, including their pronunciations: 1. Chocolate Original: I bought some chocolate cake. Syncope: I bought some [CHAW-kluht] cake. 2. Comfortable Original: This couch is very comfortable. Syncope: This couch is very [KUMF-tuh-buhl]. 3. Different Original: We have different views. Syncope: We have [DIFF-rent] views. 4. Family Original: The family gathered for a reunion. Syncope: The [FAM-lee] gathered for a reunion. 5. Restaurant Original: Let’s go to a nice restaurant. Syncope: Let’s go to a nice [RES-tront]. 6. Vegetable Original: She eats a lot of vegetables. Syncope: She eats a lot of [VEJ-tuh-buhlz]. 7. Separate Original: We need to separate the tasks. Syncope: We need to [SEP-rit] the tasks. 8. Comfortable Original: This chair is very comfortable. Syncope: This chair is [KUMF-tuh-buhl]. 9. Memory Original: She has a great memory. Syncope: She has a great [MEM-ree]. 10. Favorite Original: That’s my favorite song. Syncope: That’s my [FAY-vrit] song. 11. Pronunciation Original: Proper pronunciation is important. Syncope: Proper [proh-nun-see-AY-shun] is important. 12. Laboratory Original: The laboratory is well-equipped. Syncope: The [LAB-ruh-tory] is well-equipped. 13. Different Original: Their opinions are different. Syncope: Their opinions are [DIFF-rent]. 14. Mysterious Original: The forest is mysterious at night. Syncope: The forest is [MYST-ree-us] at night. 15. Wonderful Original: The concert was wonderful. Syncope: The concert was [WUN-der-fuhl]. 16. Regular Original: He follows a regular schedule. Syncope: He follows a [REG-yuh-lur] schedule. 17. Camera Original: She used her camera to take photos. Syncope: She used her [KAM-ruh] to take photos. 18. Unbelievable Original: The news was unbelievable. Syncope: The news was [UN-buh-LEE-vuh-buhl]. 19. Possible Original: It is possible to finish the task. Syncope: It is [PAH-suh-buhl] to finish the task. 20. Incredible Original: The view was incredible. Syncope: The view was [in-KRED-uh-buhl]. 21. Extraordinary Original: The event was truly extraordinary. Syncope: The event was truly [ik-STRAWR-din-air-ee]. 22. Confidential Original: The document is confidential. Syncope: The document is [KON-fi-DEN-shul]. 23. Original Original: The artist created an original piece. Syncope: The artist created an [uh-RIJ-uh-nuhl] piece. 24. Unintentional Original: The mistake was unintentional. Syncope: The mistake was [un-in-TEN-shuh-nl]. 25. Artificial Original: The flowers were artificial. Syncope: The flowers were [ahr-tuh-FISH-uhl]. 26. Contribution Original: Her contribution was significant. Syncope: Her [kon-trib-YOO-shun] was significant. 27. Combination Original: The combination was perfect. Syncope: The [KOM-buh-NAY-shun] was perfect. 28. Interest Original: He has a strong interest in history. Syncope: He has a strong [IN-trist] in history. 29. Misunderstanding Original: There was a misunderstanding about the plan. Syncope: There was a [mis-uhn-DER-stan-ding] about the plan. 30. Participate Original: We need to participate in the meeting. Syncope: We need to [par-ti-SAYT] in the meeting. 1. Difficult Original: This problem is difficult to solve. Syncope: This problem is [DIFF-uh-kult] to solve. 2. Historical Original: The historical site is well-preserved. Syncope: The [his-TAWR-ik-uhl] site is well-preserved. 3. Emphasis Original: She placed emphasis on the main points. Syncope: She placed [EM-fuh-sis] on the main points. 4. Photograph Original: I took a photograph of the landscape. Syncope: I took a [FOT-uh-graf] of the landscape. 5. Electrical Original: The electrical system needs maintenance. Syncope: The [i-LEK-tri-kuhl] system needs maintenance. 6. Possible Original: It’s possible to complete the project early. Syncope: It’s [PAH-suh-buhl] to complete the project early. 7. Important Original: It is important to follow the guidelines. Syncope: It is [im-PORT-uhnt] to follow the guidelines. 8. Tradition Original: They follow a family tradition each year. Syncope: They follow a family [truh-DISH-uhn] each year. 9. Facility Original: The facility offers many amenities. Syncope: The [fuh-SIL-uh-tee] offers many amenities. 10. Dangerous Original: The cliff is dangerous to climb. Syncope: The cliff is [DANG-uh-ruhs] to climb. 11. Voluntary Original: Participation in the event is voluntary. Syncope: Participation in the event is [VOL-uhn-ter-ee]. 12. Illustration Original: The book has a beautiful illustration. Syncope: The book has a beautiful [il-uh-STRAY-shun]. 13. Application Original: The application process is straightforward. Syncope: The [AP-lee-KAY-shun] process is straightforward. 14. Tremendous Original: The team achieved tremendous success. Syncope: The team achieved [truh-MEN-duhs] success. 15. Education Original: Her education is very important to her. Syncope: Her [ed-yoo-KAY-shun] is very important to her. 16. Opportunity Original: The job offers a great opportunity. Syncope: The job offers a great [op-er-TOO-ni-tee]. 17. Celebrity Original: The celebrity attended the charity event. Syncope: The [suh-LEB-ree-tee] attended the charity event. 18. Celebration Original: The celebration lasted all night. Syncope: The [sel-uh-BRAY-shun] lasted all night. 19. Motorcycle Original: He rides a motorcycle every day. Syncope: He rides a [MOH-tor-sy-kul] every day. 20. Preparation Original: The preparation for the party took hours. Syncope: The [prep-uh-RAY-shun] for the party took hours. 21. Recognition Original: She received recognition for her work. Syncope: She received [rek-uh-NISH-uhn] for her work. 22. Unbelievable Original: The results were unbelievable. Syncope: The results were [UN-buh-LEE-vuh-buhl]. 23. Combination Original: The combination of flavors is unique. Syncope: The [KOM-buh-NAY-shun] of flavors is unique. 24. Additional Original: We need additional information. Syncope: We need [uh-DISH-uh-nuhl] information. 25. Disappearance Original: The disappearance of the cat was sudden. Syncope: The [dis-uh-PEER-uhns] of the cat was sudden. 26. Revolutionary Original: The invention was revolutionary for its time. Syncope: The invention was [rev-uh-LOO-shuh-ner-ee] for its time. 27. Possibility Original: There is a possibility of rain tomorrow. Syncope: There is a [pah-suh-BIL-uh-tee] of rain tomorrow. 28. Information Original: The information was useful for the report. Syncope: The [in-fer-MAY-shun] was useful for the report. 29. Constitution Original: The constitution defines the country’s laws. Syncope: The [kon-sti-TOO-shun] defines the country’s laws. 30. Operation Original: The operation was successful. Syncope: The [op-uh-RAY-shun] was successful. Certainly! Here are 30 more examples of sentences with polysyllabic words showing syncope, including their pronunciations: 1. Information Original: The information was sent via email. Syncope: The [in-fer-MAY-shun] was sent via email. 2. Chocolate Original: I made a chocolate cake for the party. Syncope: I made a [CHAW-kluht] cake for the party. 3. Communicate Original: They need to communicate their ideas clearly. Syncope: They need to [kuh-MYOO-nuh-kayt] their ideas clearly. 4. Different Original: Her approach is different from others. Syncope: Her approach is [DIFF-rent] from others. 5. Unnecessary Original: The additional details were unnecessary. Syncope: The additional details were [uhn-NES-uh-ree]. 6. Unbelievable Original: The story was almost unbelievable. Syncope: The story was almost [un-buh-LEE-vuh-buhl]. 7. Accidental Original: The mistake was purely accidental. Syncope: The mistake was purely [ak-si-DEN-tl]. 8. Hospital Original: She was admitted to the hospital yesterday. Syncope: She was admitted to the [HOS-pi-tl] yesterday. 9. Revolutionary Original: The invention was a revolutionary idea. Syncope: The invention was a [rev-uh-LOO-shuh-ner-ee] idea. 10. Conversation Original: We had a long conversation about the project. Syncope: We had a long [kon-ver-SAY-shun] about the project. 11. Probable Original: It’s probable that we’ll see rain tomorrow. Syncope: It’s [PRAH-buh-buhl] that we’ll see rain tomorrow. 12. Telephone Original: I left a message on her telephone. Syncope: I left a message on her [TEL-uh-fohn]. 13. Artificial Original: The artificial flowers look very realistic. Syncope: The [ahr-tuh-FISH-uhl] flowers look very realistic. 14. Direction Original: The map shows the direction to the beach. Syncope: The map shows the [di-REK-shun] to the beach. 15. Decoration Original: The room needs some decoration. Syncope: The room needs some [dek-uh-RAY-shun]. 16. Volunteer Original: She decided to become a volunteer at the shelter. Syncope: She decided to become a [VOL-uhn-teer] at the shelter. 17. Parliament Original: The parliament is debating the new law. Syncope: The [PAR-luh-ment] is debating the new law. 18. Accountant Original: The accountant reviewed the financial reports. Syncope: The [uh-KOWN-tuhnt] reviewed the financial reports. 19. Combination Original: The combination of spices is perfect. Syncope: The [KOM-buh-NAY-shun] of spices is perfect. 20. Contractor Original: The contractor finished the renovation ahead of schedule. Syncope: The [KON-trak-tor] finished the renovation ahead of schedule. 21. Differentiate Original: It’s important to differentiate between the two cases. Syncope: It’s important to [dif-uh-REN-shee-ayt] between the two cases. 22. Observatory Original: The observatory is open for visitors. Syncope: The [ub-ZUR-vuh-tor-ee] is open for visitors. 23. Vegetable Original: She cooked a variety of vegetables for dinner. Syncope: She cooked a variety of [VEJ-tuh-buhlz] for dinner. 24. Raspberry Original: She made a raspberry pie for dessert. Syncope: She made a [RAZ-ber-ee] pie for dessert. 25. Potential Original: He has a lot of potential in his field. Syncope: He has a lot of [puh-TEN-shuhl] in his field. 26. Abbreviation Original: The abbreviation for Doctor is Dr. Syncope: The [uh-bree-vee-AY-shun] for Doctor is Dr. 27. Document Original: The document needs to be signed. Syncope: The [DOK-yuh-ment] needs to be signed. 28. Necessary Original: It is necessary to follow the instructions. Syncope: It is [NEC-uh-ser-ee] to follow the instructions. 29. Consistent Original: Her performance has been consistent all year. Syncope: Her performance has been [kuhn-SIS-tuhnt] all year. 30. Pediatric Original: The pediatric clinic is on the second floor. Syncope: The [pee-dee-AT-rik] clinic is on the second floor. These examples further demonstrate how unstressed vowels are often omitted or reduced in casual or rapid speech, simplifying the pronunciation of polysyllabic words. Certainly! Here are 30 more examples of sentences with polysyllabic words showing syncope, including their pronunciations: 1. Information Original: The information was sent via email. Syncope: The [in-fer-MAY-shun] was sent via email. 2. Chocolate Original: I made a chocolate cake for the party. Syncope: I made a [CHAW-kluht] cake for the party. 3. Communicate Original: They need to communicate their ideas clearly. Syncope: They need to [kuh-MYOO-nuh-kayt] their ideas clearly. 4. Different Original: Her approach is different from others. Syncope: Her approach is [DIFF-rent] from others. 5. Unnecessary Original: The additional details were unnecessary. Syncope: The additional details were [uhn-NES-uh-ree]. 6. Unbelievable Original: The story was almost unbelievable. Syncope: The story was almost [un-buh-LEE-vuh-buhl]. 7. Accidental Original: The mistake was purely accidental. Syncope: The mistake was purely [ak-si-DEN-tl]. 8. Hospital Original: She was admitted to the hospital yesterday. Syncope: She was admitted to the [HOS-pi-tl] yesterday. 9. Revolutionary Original: The invention was a revolutionary idea. Syncope: The invention was a [rev-uh-LOO-shuh-ner-ee] idea. 10. Conversation Original: We had a long conversation about the project. Syncope: We had a long [kon-ver-SAY-shun] about the project. 11. Probable Original: It’s probable that we’ll see rain tomorrow. Syncope: It’s [PRAH-buh-buhl] that we’ll see rain tomorrow. 12. Telephone Original: I left a message on her telephone. Syncope: I left a message on her [TEL-uh-fohn]. 13. Artificial Original: The artificial flowers look very realistic. Syncope: The [ahr-tuh-FISH-uhl] flowers look very realistic. 14. Direction Original: The map shows the direction to the beach. Syncope: The map shows the [di-REK-shun] to the beach. 15. Decoration Original: The room needs some decoration. Syncope: The room needs some [dek-uh-RAY-shun]. 16. Volunteer Original: She decided to become a volunteer at the shelter. Syncope: She decided to become a [VOL-uhn-teer] at the shelter. 17. Parliament Original: The parliament is debating the new law. Syncope: The [PAR-luh-ment] is debating the new law. 18. Accountant Original: The accountant reviewed the financial reports. Syncope: The [uh-KOWN-tuhnt] reviewed the financial reports. 19. Combination Original: The combination of spices is perfect. Syncope: The [KOM-buh-NAY-shun] of spices is perfect. 20. Contractor Original: The contractor finished the renovation ahead of schedule. Syncope: The [KON-trak-tor] finished the renovation ahead of schedule. 21. Differentiate Original: It’s important to differentiate between the two cases. Syncope: It’s important to [dif-uh-REN-shee-ayt] between the two cases. 22. Observatory Original: The observatory is open for visitors. Syncope: The [ub-ZUR-vuh-tor-ee] is open for visitors. 23. Vegetable Original: She cooked a variety of vegetables for dinner. Syncope: She cooked a variety of [VEJ-tuh-buhlz] for dinner. 24. Raspberry Original: She made a raspberry pie for dessert. Syncope: She made a [RAZ-ber-ee] pie for dessert. 25. Potential Original: He has a lot of potential in his field. Syncope: He has a lot of [puh-TEN-shuhl] in his field. 26. Abbreviation Original: The abbreviation for Doctor is Dr. Syncope: The [uh-bree-vee-AY-shun] for Doctor is Dr. 27. Document Original: The document needs to be signed. Syncope: The [DOK-yuh-ment] needs to be signed. 28. Necessary Original: It is necessary to follow the instructions. Syncope: It is [NEC-uh-ser-ee] to follow the instructions. 29. Consistent Original: Her performance has been consistent all year. Syncope: Her performance has been [kuhn-SIS-tuhnt] all year. 30. Pediatric Original: The pediatric clinic is on the second floor. Syncope: The [pee-dee-AT-rik] clinic is on the second floor.