Dislikes

In this programme we look at language you can use to answer a simple question about something and say that you don't like it. We also look at how using the adverb 'really' can change the strength of what you say and how it means different things if you put it in different places in the sentence.

This programme is suitable for elementary/pre-intermediate learners.

When you've listened to the programme, don't forget to practise what you've learned with the activity below!

Language for expressing likes
Subject	Adverb	Verb	Noun
I	(really)	don't like can't stand	it them ice cream Chinese food playing football watching TV
About the adverb 'really'. This adverb as we have seen is very useful in making what you say stronger. When talking about things you don't like though it can have a different meaning depending on where you put it in the sentence. For example: "I really don't like it!" This means you have a strong dislike of something. BUT "I don't really like it." This is not very strong. It means that you do not like something, but it is not a very strong dislike.

Pronunciation - disappearing sounds

When speaking fluently sometimes we don't pronounce some sounds. This is different from words which have silent letters. For example, look at this word can't If you say this word by itself you would normally pronounce the /t/ sound at the end. /ka:nt/ However, when speaking if the next word begins with a consonant sound we usually don't pronounce the /t/ sound. So the phrase "I can't stand it" is pronounced without the /t/ sound at the end of 'can't' To find out more about this and other features of fluent speaking visit the Connected Speech section of our Pronunciation area.

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WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT?

Vocabulary activity
Look at the conversation below which comes from the programme. Some of the words are missing. Use the drop down menu to choose the correct word to complete each sentence. To find out if you are right or wrong click the 'Check answers' button.

You can also listen to the conversation or download a printable version of this activity.