Unit 40. They Taste Great, These Biscuits.
Tails
Unit 40; Part A
In informal spoken English, tails are sometimes used at the end of asentence to emphasise or make clearer what we have just said. We ofenuse them when we give an evaluation of something:
Tails consist of a noun or a noun phrase. They usually have a risingtone because they are referring to or expanding on something that hasbeen said before (see Unit 39). |
Unit 40; Part B
Some tails consist of this, that, these or those or a phrase beginning with one of these words. These tails usually emphasise what we are saying: They're all we've got LEFT ↓, THOSE two ↑. They taste GREAT ↓, these BIScuits ↑. It's BEAUtiful ↓, THIS part of the COUNtry ↑. It says here that they're going to put up a new town hall. INteresting ↓, THAT ↑. |
Unit 40; Part C
Other tails make clear who or what we are referring to: He's a good COOK ↓, Nlgel ↑. ( = Nigel is a good cook) She's really STRICT ↓, the headTEAcher ↑. I can't STAND it ↓, cigarETE smoke ↑. ( = I can't stand cigarette smoke) That's MY hat ↓, the ONE you're WEAring ↑. |
Unit 40; Part D
Important for listening! Another type of tail also with a rising tone. repeats the subject + verb in order to reinforce what we have just said. It is similar to a tag (see Unit 41), and is used mainly in very informal speech: A: Maybe you could borrow the money from your brother? B: No, he's incredibly MEAN ↓, HE is ↑. subject + verb A: Do you know those people over there? B: Yeah, they LIVE near me ↓, THEY do ↑ subject + verb |
Unit 40; Part E
Some other tails usually have a falling tone; for example, a tailadded to a wh- question in order to clarify who or what the questionrefers to: What time's it ON ↓, this SHOW ↑? How OLD is she ↓, your DAUGHter ↑? |
Exercises
| Unit 39 Unit 40 Unit 41 | |