Shadowing Practice: English Conversation with friend : A picnic (Passive Voice) - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 130 sentences and 1027 words to shadow. The speech runs for 9:26. The speaker talks slowly, about 109 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/ (adjective) — Pleasing to the sense of taste; tasty.
• picnic /ˈpɪknɪk/ (noun) — An informal social gathering, usually in a natural outdoor setting, to which the participants bring their own food and drink.
• sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ (noun) — A Japanese dish made of small portions of sticky white rice flavored with vinegar, usually wrapped in seaweed and filled or topped with fish, vegetables or…
• gear /ɡɪɚ/ (noun) — Equipment or paraphernalia, especially that used for an athletic endeavor.
• submit /səbˈmɪt/ (verb) — To yield or give way to another.
• essay /ˈɛs.eɪ/ (noun) — A written composition of moderate length, exploring a particular issue or subject.
• arrange /əˈɹeɪnd͡ʒ/ (verb) — To set up; to organize; to put into an orderly sequence or arrangement.
• cart /kɑɹt/ (noun) — A small, open, wheeled vehicle, drawn or pushed by a person or animal, often with two wheels on one axle, more often used for transporting goods than…
• fry /fɹaɪ/ (verb) — To cook (something) in hot fat.
• hungry /ˈhʌŋ.ɡɹi/ (adjective) — Affected by hunger; having the physical need for food.
• lately /ˈleɪt.li/ (adverb) — Recently; not long ago; of late; not long since.
• dean /diːn/ (noun) — A senior official in a college or university, who may be in charge of a division or faculty (for example, the dean of science) or have some other advisory or…
• arrive /əˈɹaɪv/ (verb) — To reach; to get to a certain place.
• beef /bif/ (noun) — The meat from cattle or other bovines; especially, that from adults.
• jealous /ˈd͡ʒɛl.əs/ (adjective) — Suspecting rivalry in love; troubled by worries that one might have been replaced in someone's affections; suspicious of a lover's or spouse's fidelity.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• pick up (verb) — To lift; to grasp and raise.
• come back (verb) — To return to a place.
• come in /ˌkʌm ˈɪn/ (verb) — To enter.
• come on /ˌkʌm ˈɒn/ — Come along with me; join me in going.
• do by (verb) — To perform on behalf of someone or with someone in mind; to behave in a manner befitting someone.
• get in (verb) — To get into or inside something, literally or figuratively.
• keep at (verb) — To persist in.
• make for (verb) — To set out to go (somewhere); to move towards.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, couldn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

• The “sh” and “zh” sounds: delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/, sushi /ˈsuːʃi/, specialize /ˈspɛʃəˌlaɪz/
• Long words — get the stress right: beautifully /ˈbju.tɪ.fə.li/, dormitory /ˈdɔɹ.mɪˌtɔɹ.i/

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like delicious, picnic, sushi.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video: