GFS Learning Corner

IELTS preparation tips

IELTS preparation tips.

Go to YouTube channel of GFS Learning Corner for more lesson.

If you've spoken with native English speakers, you know that we use a lot of informal phrases.

For example, we might say...

"What's up?" instead of "Hello."
"I'll get in touch" instead of "I'll contact you."
"Gotta run!" instead of "I need to leave."

The word “hand” is one of the most common nouns. That's simple, right? Your hand is part of your body. But did you know...

*hand out means "to distribute"
*out of hand means "out of control"
*hands down means "unquestionably"
*to tip your hand means "to reveal one of your secrets"

Narration/Direct or Indirect Speech
The art of reporting the words of a speaker is called Narration.
There are two main ways of reporting the words of a speaker
1. Direct Speech
2. Indirect speech
Direct Speech
In this form, the actual words of the speaker are put in quotes “ “
Ex:-
Rahim said, “I am very busy now.”
Speaker reporting reported speech
verb
In the above example,
Rahim is known as Speaker or Reporter
Said is known as Reporting Verb
“I am very busy now.” is known as Reported Speech
Indirect Speech
In this form, the actual words of the speaker are transformed and said/written in simple manner.
Ex:-
Rahim said that he was very busy then.
There are five basic rules to convert a Direct speech to Indirect Speech.
1. To change the reporting verb according to reported speech
2. To remove the inverted comma from the Direct speech and replace them with an appropriate conjunction.
3. To change the pronoun of Reported speech according to speaker or listener.
4. To change the Tense of Reported speech according to the Tense of Reporting Verb.
5. To change the Adverbs of Direct Speech.

Ex:-
Direct: Razib said to me, “ I am going to cinema hall today.”
Indirect: Razib told me that he was going to cinema hall that day.
In the above example,
Reporting verb said to is changed into told.
Inverted commas are replaced by the conjunction that.
Reported speech’s pronoun I is changed into he.
Reported speech’s verb am going changed into was going i, e, present continuous tense becomes past continuous tense.
The Adverb today is changed into that day.
Follow the steps below:
Step-1:
Identify the speaker and listener (if any) of Direct speech.
Identify the sentence of reported speech.
Step-2:
Change the reporting verb according to the sentence of reported speech.
Put conjunction according to the sentence of Direct speech. Follow the table below:
Direct Indirect
Sentence Reporting verb Reporting verb Conjunction
Assertive Said to told that
Interrogative Said to asked or enquired of/demanded If/whether(for yes/no question) and Wh-word(for information question)
Imperative Said to Ordered, requested, told, advised, commanded, suggested, proposed etc
to
Optative Said to Wished, prayed for that
Exclamatory Said to Exclaimed with joy, exclaimed with sorrow that

N.B: If there is no hearer/listener after reporting verb, said to remains unchanged.
If reporting verb is in present form- say/says, it is changed to tells/tells.
According to the context, said to can be replaced by replied, informed, stated,
added, remarked, asserted, assured, pleaded, reminded, reported, complained
etc (specially in the passage narration).
Step-3:
Change the person of Reported speech according to the person of speaker or listener.
First person changes to the person of speaker
Second person changes to the person of listener.
There is no change if there is third person.
Ex:-
Direct: She said to me, “You have done your work.”
Indirect: She told me that I had done my work.
Step-4:
If the reporting verb is given in past tense, reported speech will change into corresponding past tense. Follow the table:
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
Present Indefinite- S+V(s/es)+……….. Past Indefinite- S+V(past)+…………
Present Continuous- S+am/is/are+V+ing+……. Past Continuous- S+wa/were+V+ing+……
Present Perfect- S+have/has+V.P.P.+……….. Past Perfect- S+had+V.P.P+……….
Present Perfect Continuous- S+has/have+been+V+ing+…………. Past Perfect Continuous
S+had +been+V+ing+……….
Past Indefinite- S+V(past)+………… Past Perfect- S+had+V.P.P+……….
Model verbs: shall/will
can
may
must would
could
might
had to

Ex:-
Direct: She said to me, “ I take my breakfast at 7 o’clock in the morning.”
Indirect: She told me that she took her breakfast at 7 o’clock in the morning.

Step-5:
Change the Adverbs of the reported speech according to the following table:
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
here there
now then
these that
these those
today that day
to-night that night
yesterday the previous day/the day before
Last night The previous night
Last week The previous week
tomorrow The next day/ the following day
Next week The following week
ago before
thus so
hence thence
hither thither
come go

Prepared by-
Gulam Faruque Siddiquee
Asstt. Professor of English

Some vocabularies
Puberty=Youth Idioms: at no time=then
Altercation=Argument
Enforcement=put into practice
Evacuation=Mass departure
Trespassing=Unlawful entrance
Castigate=criticize
Evoke=Call to mind
Scrapped = canceled
Relegate=downgrade
Stoked=Put fuel on
Hallowed=Sacred
Distortion=Misrepresentation
Gross=Disgusting

1. Listen to the dialogue and find out the words containing “r” after a vowel and discover
how they remain silent while speaking. Repeat the words by yourself.

2. Circle the multisyllabic words and listen how they are stressed.

Makeover

Catherine: Hello you're listening to The English We Speak with me, Catherine.

Feifei: Catherine? Is that you? Wow!! I almost didn't recognize you there! You look totally different!
Catherine: Yes, it's me. What do you think?

Feifei: You look… Different! You've had your hair cut – and it's a different colour!

Catherine: Do you like it?

Feifei: Well yes I do! It's very different to your normal hairstyle! But it really suits you – and it makes you look a lot… Younger!

Catherine: Younger in a good way, I hope…

Feifei: Most definitely! And, let's see… You're wearing a new jumper… New shoes…

Catherine: Do you like them?

Feifei: Well yes! Normally you wear quite dark colours… But these are so bright! You look really pretty!

Catherine: Thanks, Feifei!

Feifei: It's true – but something else is different... Let's see… Aha! Your eyeshadow… Blusher… Lipstick – you've completely changed your make-up!

Catherine: Oh the make-up? Yes, that's different too. Everything's different, in fact! I've had a makeover.

Feifei: A makeover? I said you've changed your make-up. What's all this about a makeover?

Catherine: Yes, I've changed my make-up. And I've changed my hairstyle and the type of clothes I wear too. When you make lots of changes to something so that it looks completely different, fresh, new and much better – you've given it a makeover.

Feifei: Ohhh…. You've completely changed your appearance so that you look better, fresher, nicer. That's a makeover a makeover. What verbs go with a makeover?

Catherine: Have a makeover, give something a makeover, get a makeover, need a makeover. Here are a few examples

Examples
I was so fed up with the way my husband dressed. He looked so untidy all the time! I threw out all his old clothes and took him shopping for a completely new wardrobe. Now he's had a makeover, he looks as handsome as he did when we first met.
- This room looks so old-fashioned! It really needs a makeover.
- Yes, if we paint the walls and change the curtains it will look so much better.

Feifei: So not only people but also things can have makeovers.

Catherine: You can give almost anything a makeover, Feifei. Even you can have a makeover – I'll take you shopping if you like! We can start with your hair – a nice short cut I think would suit you, then get you a nice new pair of skinny jeans, and change your makeup, and get –

Feifei: I'm quite happy with the way I look, thanks. I don't think I need a makeover.

Catherine: Oh, OK, sorry.

Feifei: That's OK.

Catherine: Just a haircut then…

Feifei: No!

Catherine: Colour change maybe? A little bit of red here and there?

Feifei: I do not need a makeover.

Catherine: Well, if you change your mind, you know where I am! Now I must be going, I'm going to give my living room a makeover and there's a sale on at the furniture shop.

Feifei: Well, good luck with that Catherine.

Catherine: Thanks Feifei. Join us again for more The English We Speak.
3. Questions: (a) Number of words with “r” after vowel…………………………..
(b) Number of multisyllabic words………………………………….
4. Now make a dialogue between you and your partner on makeover.