Tag: Study

Definition of Phonetics

Phonetics is the scientific study of the production, transmission and reception of speech sounds (sounds of human speech). It studies the medium of spoken language, speech processes, including the anatomy, neurology and pathology of speech, the articulation, description, classification, production and perception of speech sounds. It looks at speech from three distinct but interdependent viewpoints:

  1. It studies the speech organs, which produce sounds of language.
  2. It studies waves, the physical way in which sounds are transmitted through the air from one person to another.
  3. It studies the way in which human beings perceive sounds through the medium of the ear.

Phoneticians try to study how the various organs of speech – the lungs, the larynx, the soft palate, the tongue and the lip function in the production of speech. They also attempt to offer articulatory descriptions of various sounds by describing the air-stream mechanism and the phonatory and articulatory processes involved.

Adverbs

  • Study the following sentences:
  1. Arun runs fast.
  2. The old man walked slowly.
  3. The dog barked loudly.
  4. She spoke rudely.

The words fast, slowly, loudly and rudely add something to the meaning of the verbs runs, walked, barked and spoke. They tell us how actions are done. Such words are called Adverbs.

When we ask the question:

How does Arun run?

We get the answer –

Arun runs fast.

The word fast tells us how Arun runs. Therefore fast is an Adverb.

  • Now read these sentences:
  1.    Ben came late.
  2.    Sam gets up early.
  3.    They play chess everyday.
  4.    Reena will come tomorrow.

 

The words late, early, everyday and tomorrow add something to the meaning of the verbs came, gets up, play and will come. They tell us when the action is done. Such words are also called Adverbs.

  • Now read these sentences:
  1.  Please sit here.
  2. The students looked up.
  3. The sky is above.
  4. The books are there.

The words here, up, above and there add something to the meaning of the verbs sit, looked, is and are. They tell us where the action is done. Such words are also called Adverbs.

  • Look at the sentences given below carefully:
  1. Rose is a very beautiful flower.
  2. I like Mary because she is so pretty.
  3. These oranges are too sour.
  4. These mangoes are almost ripe.

The words very, so, too and almost add something to the meaning of the adjectives beautiful, pretty, sour and ripe. They show the degree of the quality expressed by the adjective. Such words which add something more to the meaning of adjectives are also called Adverbs.  When we ask:

How beautiful or how pretty………?

We get the answer:

Very beautiful/so pretty.

  • Now study the following  sentences carefully:
  1. Mohan runs very quickly.
  2. He walks rather slowly.
  3. She sings quite sweetly.
  4. He works too noisily.

In the above sentences the adverbs quickly, slowly, sweetly and noisily have words added to them – very, rather, quite and too. They too are Adverbs. They add to the meaning of other adverbs.

An Adverb is a word that adds to the meaning of verb, adjective or another adverb. It tells us how a thing is done, when it is done or where it is done.