Shadowing Practice: Contractions using the past perfect had - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Contractions using the past perfect had”. This video has 29 sentences and 217 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:51. The speaker talks at a steady 117 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| connect verb | /kəˈnɛkt/ | To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object. |
| weed noun | /wiːd/ | Any plant unwanted at the place where and at the time when it is growing. |
| contraction noun | /kənˈtɹækʃ(ə)n/ | An act of incurring debt; also (generally), an act of acquiring something (generally negative). |
| heed verb | /ˈhiːd/ | To mind; to regard with care; to take notice of; to attend to; to observe. |
| ordinarily adverb | /ɔɹdɪˈnɛɹɪli/ | Usually or as a general rule; commonly. |
| recap verb | /ɹiːˈkæp/ | To seal (something) again with a cap. |
| cake noun | /keɪk/ | A rich, sweet dessert food, typically made of flour, sugar, and eggs and baked in an oven, and often covered in icing. |
| wonder noun | /ˈwʌndɚ/ | A sense of awe, astonishment and curiosity, inspired by unexpected events, novel experiences and inexplicable circumstances, sometimes accompanied by surprise… |
| link noun | /ˈlɪŋk/ | A connection between places, people, events, things, or ideas. |
| minute noun | /ˈmɪnɪt/ | A unit of time which is one sixtieth of an hour (sixty seconds). |
| comment noun | /ˈkɑmɛnt/ | A spoken or written remark. |
| twice adverb | /twaɪs/ | Two times. |
| draw verb | /dɹɑ/ | To pull (someone or something) in a particular direction or manner. |
| discussion noun | /dɪˈskʌʃ.ən/ | Conversation or debate concerning a particular topic. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- I'd waited for quite a long time.
- I'd been wondering what was happening.
- We'd eaten cake several times that day.
- They'd seen us twice already.
- I'd waited for over an hour.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | You've been waiting · you've been listening |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | we're going to continue · I'm going to look |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 23 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'd, you've, he'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: contraction /kənˈtɹækʃ(ə)n/, discussion /dɪˈskʌʃ.ən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like lesson, connect, weed.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.