In English one way to express surprise,
astonishment or extreme emotion is by making an exclamation.
They are usually almost involuntary remarks that have no
particular grammatical form, but which act as sentences.
The exclamation is pronounced with a big jump in the voice, which
can either be a FALL (for a statement) or a RISE (for
a question). The end point of the jump is where the voice
would have arrived normally. Therefore, the start of the jump
has to be (for a FALL) significantly higher or (for a
RISE)
significantly lower than normal.
The ability to make exclamations may be useful in Paper 5, when a
candidate wants to react to something either the other candidate
or the examiner has said.
Voice falls >>
statements
Now, you will hear six exclamations
(statements), each of which is an answer to a comment. Click
on PLAY and listen carefully!!
1.
PAUL:
The Apollo 11 spacecraft had
nearly two million working parts.
LUCY:
AMAZING!!
2.
PAUL:
Each spring 3,750
Japanese cherrytrees bloom in Washington,
DC.
LUCY:
WONDERFUL!!
3.
PAUL:
Believe
it or not, this palace was built by a pirate.
MIKE:
HOW
INTERESTING!!
4.
PAUL:
My
uncle Delaware gave me this painting for my birthday.
LUCY:
FASCINATING!!
5.
PAUL:
Madonna's fans will wait for six
hours just to meet her and get her autograph.
MIKE:
IT'S INCREDIBLE!!
6.
PAUL:
Come in.
Look how I have decorated my living-room by myself.
LUCY:
WOW!!
Voice rises
>> questions
Now, you will hear four exclamations
(questions), each of which is an answer to a comment.
Click on PLAY and listen carefully!!
1.
PAUL:
I've just won 500,000 dollars!!
LUCY:
WHAT?
2.
PAUL:
In twenty years people will be
having holidays in space.
LUCY:
REALLY?
3.
PAUL:
Leon Battista Alberti invented
the first mechanical anemometer in 1450.
LUCY:
WHEN?
4.
PAUL:
George Boosh himself left a
message at OM Personal English's guestbook.
LUCY:
WHO?
FELICITACIONES !!! Acabas de finalizar la UNIT 15 - LESSON 57
del OM First Certificate Exam. Antes de pasar a la siguiente lección, por favor asegúrate de
repasar todo lo que has aprendido aquí.
