VOA常速英语2019--I Wanna Understand Gonna

 

Today on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Valens in Rwanda.

Question:

“Please explain how to use ‘gonna.’" – Valens, Rwanda

Answer:

Dear Valens,

You probably hear native English speakers on television and in movies using reduced forms of words all the time. Examples are the terms gonna, gotta, wanna, shoulda and oughta.

In spoken English, we often put words together. In the process, we also leave out some letters and the vowel¹ sounds change a little. So the expression "going to" becomes "gonna."

Reduced forms are informal² speech

Here are a few examples of reduced forms in formal and informal speech:

Formal: What are you going to do tonight? Do you want to see a movie?

Informal: Whatcha gonna do tonight? Wanna see a movie?

Formal: Sorry, but I've got to do my homework. You ought to do yours, too.

Informal: Sorry, but I gotta do my homework. You oughta do yours, too.

Note that the informal examples are how many people normally³ speak. It would sound very formal and, as a result, strange to pronounce every sound of every word. This shortening⁴ of sounds happens in many languages.

Use reduced forms in speech, not in writing

In English, you may not see the short forms in writing because writers are usually more careful to spell each word. But when a writer wants to show how a person is really speaking, these short forms can appear in books and, more commonly, in popular culture.

Compare these examples from popular movies. The first is the reduced form of "Get out of there!"

(phone rings. Tom Cruise⁵ answers) Cruise: Hello. Voice: Get outta there! They know. Get out!

Woman: Get outta there.

Man: Don't talk to him. Get outta there!

Here are examples of "It's going to blow." [explode]

Ironman: Got a nuke comin' in. It's gonna blow in less than a minute.

Boy: But wait, but the plane - it's gonna blow up, it's gonna blow up!

Sometimes, people have little time to tell others about their exact problem, so they use reduced form words. But people in everyday life also use reduced forms to seem friendly.

It's fine to use terms like these when you are speaking with friends. It's better not to use them in English class or a formal situation, like an office.

Remember that you should not write the reduced forms, except in informal communication to friends or family.

That's Ask a Teacher for this week. So I've gotta get outta here.

I’m Jill Robbins.

Words in This Story

vowel – n. a speech sound made with your mouth open and your tongue in the middle of your mouth not touching⁶ your teeth, lips⁷, or other parts of the mouth

formal – adj. (of language) suitable⁸ for serious or official speech and writing

informal – adj. (of language) relaxed in tone⁹ or not suited for serious or official speech and writing

pronounce – v. to make the sound of (a word or letter) with your voice

spell – v. to say, write, or print the letters of (a word or name)

nuke - n. (informal) a nuclear weapon

blow – v. (informal) to explode; to damage or destroy (something) with an explosion

1 vowel   

n.元音；元音字母

参考例句：

• A long vowel is a long sound as in the word"shoe ".长元音即如“shoe” 一词中的长音。
• The vowel in words like 'my' and 'thigh' is not very difficult.单词my和thigh中的元音并不难发。

2 informal   

adj.非正式的，不拘礼的，通俗的

参考例句：

• I got an informal reception.我受到了非正式接待。
• The leaders met over informal lunches.领袖们在非正式午餐时进行会晤。

3 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。

4 shortening   

n.缩针，简写；酥油/雪白奶油v.弄短，缩短( shorten的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Instead, sarcomere shortening occurs when the thin filaments'slide" by the thick filaments. 此外，肌节的缩短发生于细肌丝沿粗肌丝“滑行”之际。 来自辞典例句
• Use peanut or safflower oil or solid vegetable shortening for frying. 用花生或红花油，或者食用油来起酥。 来自互联网

5 cruise   

v.巡航，航游，缓慢巡行；n.海上航游

参考例句：

• They went on a cruise to Tenerife.他们乘船去特纳利夫岛。
• She wants to cruise the canals of France in a barge.她想乘驳船游览法国的运河。

6 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

7 lips   

abbr.logical inferences per second 每秒的逻辑推论n.嘴唇( lip的名词复数 )；（容器或凹陷地方的）边缘；粗鲁无礼的话

参考例句：

• Her lips compressed into a thin line. 她的双唇抿成了一道缝。
• the fullness of her lips 她丰满的双唇

8 suitable   

adj.合适的，适当的，适宜的

参考例句：

• Tomorrow will be quite suitable.明天挺合适。
• Is she suitable for the job?她适于做这工作吗？

9 tone   

n.语气，音调，气度，色调；vt.（up）增强

参考例句：

• There was a tone of mockery in his voice.他说话的语气含有嘲笑的意味。
• Holmes used an informal,chatty tone in his essays.霍姆斯在文章中语气轻松随便。