00:00Hi, I'm Tim and this is my pronunciation workshop. Here I'm going to show you how English is really spoken. Come on, let's go inside.
00:20Oh dear. Excuse me. I'm a bit tired. I was out late last night with the lads. I know, yeah, we didn't get back until 9.30 in the evening. It was a wild night. I know, I know, I am a party animal.
00:50Anyway, while I get myself together a bit, let's ask some other people in London what they got up to last night.
00:58At 9 o'clock last night I was watching a movie. I was laying in bed. I was invited to a dinner at my friend's house. I was playing football. I was out drinking.
01:07Well, well, what interesting lives we all lead. Now they all used the past form of the verb to be. Was.
01:16Now the word was is made of the sounds w, o, z, isn't it? Or is it? Listen again. What sound can you actually hear?
01:29At 9 o'clock last night I was watching a movie. I was laying in bed. I was invited to a dinner at my friend's house. I was playing football. I was out drinking.
01:38When the word was is unstressed, as in the examples we've just heard, then the vowel sound changes to a schwa, a. So was becomes was and also were becomes w. These are called weak forms. Here are some more examples.
02:02I was there when it happened. We were delighted with the results. We were having a good time until it rained. He was feeling much better last night.
02:11Right, now you've heard the examples and now it's your turn. Listen and repeat.
02:20I was there when it happened. We were delighted with the results. We were having a good time until it rained.
02:33He was feeling much better last night.
02:38Great work. Remember, if you want to learn more about pronunciation, then please visit our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
02:48And that is about it from the pronunciation workshop for now. I'll see you soon. Bye bye.
02:55Now, oh look. Hey, you know what this is? This is was backwards. Get it? Was backwards. It's a saw.
03:13Now, I know what you're thinking. You were thinking that I was going to have some terrible accident.
03:19Well, don't worry. It's not even switched on. Look.
