This English language reduction is used often especially
in places like New York.
Note: Reductions
Remember the following:
Reductions are reduced forms of
English words.
Reductions, such as whaddaya are
not real words in English.
You need to use reductions in
order to sound more natural.
You need to know reductions in
order to understand conversations between native
English speakers.
Reductions are used extensively
in American TV, movies, music, literature, and in
conversations among native English speakers.
Reductions In Music and TV
Bob Geldof - Love or Something
Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof KBE (/ˈɡɛldɒf/;[1] born 5 October
1951), is an Irish singer-songwriter, author, political activist,
and occasional actor. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of
the Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s, who
achieved popularity at the time of the punk rock movement. The band
had UK number one hits with his compositions "Rat Trap" and "I Don't
Like Mondays". Geldof starred as "Pink" in Pink Floyd's 1982 film
Pink Floyd – The Wall. As a fundraiser, Geldof organised the charity
supergroup Band Aid and the concerts Live Aid and Live 8, and
co-wrote "Do They Know It's Christmas?", one of the best-selling
singles of all time.
This video is a good example of the usage of "whaddaya",
and "kinda" English language
reductions.
Use a
dictionary
to look up words you do not understand.
Lyrics
It was last night baby when I caught your eye
Sssh don't tell nobody but I almost died
And like a beach bunny sobbing on a shag pile rug
I thought of "Going to a Go-Go"
And the Family Stone frug
So we twist and shout then when it's feeling great
She drifts away
(Talk, talk, baby, whaddaya say?)
She walk away
(Walk, walk, baby, why don't you stay?)
But like a cardboard suitcase in the pouring rain
She falls apart on me and then we start again
It must be love or something else
Oh oh love or something else
Well I talk with her and then I stay all night
We did everything but it
Still it felt alright
She was careful 'bout her health so it didn't hurt
When she started dropping pills in her blue grass skirt
Then she twist and dip and do the flip-flop slide
She drifts away
(Talk, talk, baby, whaddaya say?)
She walk away
(Walk, walk, baby, why don't you stay?)
Well trembling like an earthquake, slipping like soap
I don't believe with her I'll ever give up hoping
This is love or something else
It must be love or something else
Still I never take for granted that what's new
Am I overstating what at root
Seems cute and more to boot
The point is moot, but up to you
Is this love or something else?
It's only love or something else
I don't believe in love, baby, if I'm honest with myself
I don't believe it lasts long, it's
kinda like your
health
Hey everything is spinning round down the laundromat
And love is like your clothes, it's only useful while it
lasts
Save your soul
Dans se monde il n'ya qu'une femme pour chaque homme
Et je pense qu'il n'ya qu'un age pour chaque age
Et ca c'est vraiment vrai
So don't you walk
(Talk, talk, tell me whaddaya say?)
Don't you walk
(Walk, walk, baby, why don't you stay?)
So don't you walk
(Talk, talk, tell me whaddaya say?)
And walk away
(Walk, walk, baby, why don't you stay?)
So don't you walk
(Talk, talk, tell me whaddaya say?)
You walk away
(Walk, walk, baby, why don't you stay?)
Is this love
(Talk, talk, tell me whaddaya say?)
Or something else?
(Walk, walk, baby, why don't you stay?)
Is this love
(Talk, talk, tell me whaddaya say?)
Or something else?
(Walk, walk, baby, why don't you stay?)
Is this love or something else?
Is this love or something else?
Is this love or something else?
Is this love
Is this love
Is this love
Is this love...
Additional Lessons
About These
Lessons
The following classroom lessons are great for students
who want additional conversation, listening, and reading
practice.
Conversation Lesson -
Advanced
Level. Dialogs for everyday use.
Short situational dialogs for students of English as
a Foreign (EFL) or Second (ESL) Language with a
written conversation and a conversation notes
section.
Conversation Lesson
22 - What Are You Good At?
(Advanced -
Conversation, Reading)
Dialogs for everyday use. Short situational dialogs for
students of English as a Foreign (EFL) or Second (ESL)
Language.
What Are You Good At?
SANDRA: So … what should we do?
JULIE: Well, I like to do arts and crafts,
and I’m really good at drawing. What do you think?
SANDRA: Hmm … how about playing a board
game? That would be more fun.
JULIE: OK. Let’s play Scrabble! I’m really
good at spelling, too!
SANDRA: Oh, yeah? We’ll see about that!
Conversation Notes
So … Notice how the “o” sound is drawn out here,
combined with the intonation, which shows boredom.
I’m really good at “Really” means “very” and is used to
emphasize “good.” It goes before the adjective.
What do you Notice the pronunciation here — it sounds
like “Whaddaya.”
Hmm … is used to show that the speaker is thinking. It
is also used to show that the speaker disagrees with an idea.
How about is used to make a tentative suggestion. The
speaker is introducing an idea and doesn’t want to sound too strong.
Let’s is used to make a strong suggestion. The speaker
feels confident about the plan.
Oh, yeah? We’ll see about that! “Oh, yeah?” is used in a
joking way to show a bit of friendly competition. Notice the emphasis on
“that,” which refers back to “good at spelling.”
This is a collection of 30 situational conversations
which focus on a wide variety of communicative and
natural encounters in English....these
lessons are for beginning students.
This is a collection of 36 situational conversations
which focus on spoken American English in a relatively
natural way....these
lessons are for intermediate students.
The complete lesson includes an audio program explaining this
topic, the script for the audio program, a words in this story section,
and other important information.
Click for the complete lesson
Audio Program
Listen to the audio program explaining this topic.
The complete lesson includes an audio program explaining this
topic, the script for the audio program, a words in this story section,
and other important information.
Click for the complete lesson
Audio Program
Listen to the audio program explaining this topic.
The lesson includes an audio program explaining this
topic, the script for the audio program, a words in this story section,
and other important information.
Click for the complete lesson
Audio Program
Listen to the audio program explaining this topic.
Hey Students,
Use this dictionary and reference to look up any words you do not
understand in Fun Easy English.
