GUIDE ENGLISH GRAMMAR BOOK

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Spoken English and written English
52 Summary
Grammar in speech and writing • 53
There is normally more repetition in speech than in writing. In informal speech we
often use expressions like Well..., you know and sort of.
Stress and intonation • 54
The voice rises or falls on the new and important information. A rising intonation
usually means that the speaker is unsure or that the conversation is incomplete.
Weak forms and short forms • 55
In informal English we often use weak forms or short forms of some words. For
example have has a spoken weak form /v/ and a written short form 've.
Punctuation • 56
There are some rules of punctuation, such as how to punctuate correctly between
two clauses.
53 Grammar in speech and writing
1 This is part of a real conversation between three people.
STUCK ON THE UNDERGROUND
Tom: I had one appointment at nine o'clock, I had another one at ten o'clock, had
another one at half past twelve, another one at quarter past four and then I
knew I had to be at Pathway at six o'clock, I reckoned. So I timed it -
Sarah: These appointments were in town?
Tom: Yeah. So I timed it very carefully that I was going to leave at about ten past
five - this was in, er, this was in central London. And I reckoned I'd be at
Hounslow West just before five to six and I'd jump into a taxi and be at Pathway
just after six o'clock. So I got on the Underground at Green Park at about ten
past five, no, twenty past five, and erm, we moved along fairly well to Hyde Park
Corner and then we moved along about fifty yards and we stopped.
Simon: Why was this?
Tom: And we were there for - well, I'm not quite sure, I think there was a train
stopped in front of us and we were therefor - really for three quarters of an
hour.
(from M. Underwood Have you heard?)