How to practise

1. Listen once without reading.
2. Listen again and read along.
3. Pause after each line and repeat it out loud.

Example words

us, up, bus, bug, cup, hug, fun, run, rug, jump

Story

• Today there was a fuss on the bus.
• A bug jumped on Gus.
• Gus jumped up.
• Then it jumped on Russ.
• I saw the bug jump on the window.
• It was just a little bug.
• It liked to run up and down the window.
• The bug must like to ride on the bus.

How to practise

1. Say each one slowly three times.
2. Say it at normal speed three times.
3. Try it once as fast as you can.

The tongue twisters

1. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.
2. A noisy noise annoys an oyster.
3. Eleven elephants eagerly eat Easter eggs.
4. Three free throws.
5. She sells seashells by the seashore.
6. If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he chew?
7. How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?
8. He happily held his hat in his hand.
9. I have got a date at a quarter to eight. I’ll see you at the gate so don’t be late.
10. I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish.
11. Dashing Danny danced at dawn.
12. I slit the sheet. The sheet I slit. And on the slitted sheet I sit.
13. Mighty Max made a map of the maze in the meadow.
14. Nora never knits near noisy neighbors.
15. Red lorry yellow lorry.
16. Walter’s wagon wheel went westward with a wobbly whirl.
17. I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen.
18. He threw three free throws.
19. Thin sticks thick bricks.
20. Tom threw Tim three thumbtacks.
21. You know New York. You need New York. You know you need unique New York.
22. Susie works in the shoe shine shop. Where she shines she sits and where she sits she shines.
23. Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he?
24. Betty Butter bought some butter but she said the butter’s bitter. If I put it in my batter it will make my batter bitter. But a bit of better butter will make my batter better. So ’twas better Betty Butter bought a bit of better butter.
25. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? He would chuck, he would, as much as he could and chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood. Twenty-five. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? He would chuck, he would, as much as he could and chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood.
26. Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers. A pack of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers, where’s the pack of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
27. If practice makes perfect and perfect needs practice, I’m perfectly practiced and practically perfect.
28. If practice makes perfect and perfect needs practice, I’m perfectly practiced and practically perfect. Now it’s your turn to read the all tongue twisters.

How to practise

1. Listen once without reading.
2. Listen again and read along.
3. Pause after each line and repeat it out loud.

Transcript

• Excuse me, I’m sorry to trouble you, but can you tell me how I can get to the train station?
• Yes, no problem.
• It’s that way.
• Keep walking straight ahead, then after you pass the library, you have to turn left.
• Then take your first right and it’s across from the bus station.
• You cannot miss it.
• Thank you so much.
• I’ve only been in town a few days, so I really don’t know my way around yet.
• Oh, I know that feeling.
• My husband and I moved here a year ago, and I still don’t know how to find certain places.
• Houston is so big.
• So, just to double check, I keep walking straight ahead till I pass the library, then I have to turn left and take the first right.
• Then it’s across the bus station.
• Is that correct?
• Yes, that is correct.
• Well, thanks for helping me.
• I must go and catch my train.
• Hopefully I haven’t missed it.
• Okay, bye.

How to practise

1. Listen once without reading.
2. Listen again and read along.
3. Pause after each line and repeat it out loud.

Transcript

• Hi, welcome to McDonald’s, can I take your order?
• Yes, I would like a burger and fries.
• What kind of burger?
• I’m not sure, what do you have?
• Have a look at the menu overhead.
• I see, yes, I’ll have a Big Mac.
• Do you want a combo meal?
• It comes with fries and drink.
• Yes, I’ll have the combo.
• But can I have extra pickles on my Big Mac?
• Sure, what would you like to drink?
• I’ll have a Coke.
• Okay, so that’s a Big Mac combo, extra pickles on the Big Mac and Coke to drink?
• Yes.
• Would you like to upsize your fries and drink?
• What is upsize?
• For an extra 50 cents, you can upsize your fries and drink from regular to large.
• Sure, that sounds good.
• Okay, that would be $8.70.
• Sure, can I also have extra ice in my Coke?
• Yes, I can do that.
• Here’s your change.
• Would you like to donate your change to our hospital fund?
• No, thank you, maybe next time.
• Okay, I’ll be right back with the rest of the order.

How to practise

1. Listen once without reading.
2. Listen again and read along.
3. Pause after each line and repeat it out loud.

Transcript

• Hello, are you ready to order?
• I am, are you?
• Uh, yes, I think so.
• What’s the soup of the day, please?
• It’s spicy carrot soup.
• Hmm, no, I don’t want that.
• I’ll start with the mushrooms, please.
• And after that, can I have the chicken?
• Sure, and would you like potato chips or rice with your chicken?
• I’ll have the rice, please. Potatoes and chips are too heavy.
• Fine, and you, sir?
• Hmm, I’d like the tomato and bean salad to start, please.
• Sure, and for your main course?
• The bacon burger, please.
• Can I have it without cheese?
• No cheese, sure. And what would you like to drink?
• A beer for me, please.
• Really? You usually have wine.
• That’s true, but I don’t want that today.
• Hmm, I’ll have a beer, too.
• Oh, and could we have some water, too?
• Sure, I’ll bring your drinks in a moment.
• How’s your meal?
• Delicious, thank you.
• Would you like dessert? The menu is on the wall over there.
• Yes, I’d love one, but I can’t decide.
• The white chocolate cake or the orange cheesecake?
• Well, I know what I want. Apple pie.
• Sure, with cream or ice cream?
• Ice cream, please.
• No problem. And have you decided?
• Well, I had the orange cheesecake last time I was here,
• so I’ll have the white chocolate cake this time.
• Great, I’ll bring them for you soon.

How to practise

1. Listen once without reading.
2. Listen again and read along.
3. Pause after each line and repeat it out loud.

Transcript

• Hello Denise, how are you?
• I’m good, how are you doing?
• All is going well.
• I’m just looking for some delicious veggies for my dinner tonight.
• What are you making?
• I’m going to make some vegetable soup.
• It’s a very simple recipe.
• Yum, I can help you with that.
• Great!
• I have some fresh tomatoes that were just picked this morning.
• Would you like some of them?
• Those look wonderful.
• I’ll take four, please.
• And do you have any green beans or peas?
• I have green beans this week.
• Would you like a pound of them?
• Yes.
• I think a pound will work.
• Here you go.
• What about some potatoes?
• Sure.
• I’ll take four red potatoes.
• I’ll also take some carrots.
• A full pound of carrots, please.
• Here you go.
• Anything else?
• What fruits are in season right now?
• My kids love the watermelon I got from you last week.
• I have more watermelons this week.
• I have more watermelons if you are interested.
• But I also have strawberries.
• They are perfectly sweet and delicious.
• I would love some.
• I’ll take two pounds, please.
• Is that everything?
• Yes.
• That will be $23.45.
• Here you go.
• Keep the change.
• Thank you. I’ll see you next week.
• Thank you. Bye.

The rules

• Most verbs: add -ed (work → worked)
• Verbs ending in e: add -d (love → loved)
• Consonant + y: change y to -ied (study → studied)
• Short verbs ending consonant-vowel-consonant: double the last letter (stop → stopped)

Try it yourself

Say the past form of each verb before you listen:

play, study, wash, die, paint, watch, try, start, phone, stay, love, help, carry, walk, skip, answer, enjoy, cry, laugh, invite, visit, move, tidy, like

Then choose eight of the verbs and write one sentence about yesterday with each.

• I / he / she / it → was
• you / we / they → were

How to practise

1. Listen to each line.
2. Pause and repeat it out loud.
3. Play it again and try to answer before you hear the answer.