Cover of the textbook Cutting Edge Pre-Intermediate - Student's Book

The key answer of exercise Pronunciation 1

The key to exercise solutions in chapter 03 - Grammar focus 2 for the textbook Cutting Edge Pre-Intermediate - Student's Book with authors Sarah Cunningham, Peter Moor and Araminta Crace from Pearson Education

Question

Listen to four sentences. Does each speaker sat can /kæn/, can /kən/ or can't /kɑ:nt/?

Answer

  1. Can you hear him? [/kən/]
  2. Yes I can. [/kæn/]
  3. Can you speak Italian? [/kən/]
  4. No I can't. [/kɑ:nt/]
  • When can is used in a question it is not usually stressed.
  • When it is used in a short answer it is stressed.