Shadowing Practice: Harvey Goes To The Rescue | Suits - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 44 sentences and 353 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:36. The speaker talks at a steady 136 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 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:

• explanation /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/ (noun) — The act or process of explaining.
• suck /sʌk/ (verb) — To use the mouth and lips to pull in (a liquid, especially milk from the breast).
• generous /ˈd͡ʒɛn(ə)ɹəs/ (adjective) — Noble in behaviour or actions; principled, not petty; kind, magnanimous.
• rifle /ˈɹaɪfəl/ (noun) — A firearm fired from the shoulder; improved range and accuracy is provided by a long, rifled barrel.
• donation /doʊˈneɪʃən/ (noun) — A voluntary gift or contribution for a specific cause.
• jointly /ˈd͡ʒɔɪntli/ (adverb) — Together, acting as one; collectively.
• espionage /ˈɛs.pi.əˌnɑːʒ/ (noun) — The act or process of learning secret information through clandestine means.
• extort /ɪkˈstɔː(ɹ)t/ (verb) — To take or seize from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity.
• extortion /ɪkˈstɔɹʃən/ (noun) — The practice of extorting money or other property by the use of force or threats.
• hearsay /ˈhɪəseɪ/ (noun) — Information that was heard by one person about another that cannot be adequately substantiated.
• lieu /ljuː/ (noun) — A place or stead.
• jail /d͡ʒeɪl/ (noun) — A place or institution for the confinement of persons held against their will in lawful custody or detention, especially (in US usage) a place where people are…
• favor /ˈfeɪ.vɚ/ (noun) — A kind or helpful deed; an instance of voluntarily assisting (someone).
• somehow /ˈsʌmhaʊ/ (adverb) — In one way or another; in a way not yet known or explained; by some means
• brief /ˈbɹif/ (adjective) — Of short duration; happening quickly.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• play at (verb) — To pretend to be a different person while playing a game.
• break into (verb) — To enter illegally or by force, especially in order to commit a crime.
• get by (verb) — To subsist; to succeed, survive, or manage, at least at a minimal level.
• live with (verb) — To share an abode as an unmarried partner in a sexual relationship.
• pay off (verb) — To bribe, especially to deter oversight.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 14 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, doesn't, gonna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

• The “sh” and “zh” sounds: explanation /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/, donation /doʊˈneɪʃən/, espionage /ˈɛs.pi.əˌnɑːʒ/, extortion /ɪkˈstɔɹʃən/
• Long words — get the stress right: explanation /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/, espionage /ˈɛs.pi.əˌnɑːʒ/

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 explanation, suck, generous.