1. Useful Verbs for Dental Hygiene and the Pronunciation of Their Past Tense Form

2. Past Tense
Past Tense: In English, the most common way of making a verb past tense is to add the ‘ed’ ending. However, the ‘ed’ ending is not pronounced the same in all words. The ‘ed’ can have three different sounds. It can sound like a ‘d’ (which is the most common), it can sound like a ‘t’ or it can sound like ‘id.’ When you see the “speaker icon” you can click it for a short audio presentation, when you see a video image, click it to play the video.

3. Past Tense
Download the list of verbs that goes with this exercise and make each of the words in the list past tense and then say it aloud. Write the correct ‘ed’ sound in the blank next to each word (better use a pencil in case you make a mistake). Now listen to the pronunciation of the words and check your answers (you may have to listen more than once).

4. Past Tense
After you listen, check and see which ones you missed. Do you see any patterns? Is there anything that will help you predict which words have which sounds? Which sound was the most common (was it ‘d’)?

5. Past Tense – List 1 Ask Brush Call Change Check Clench Close Concern
Decay
Decide
Diagnose

6. Past Tense – List 1 Ask [t] Brush [t] Call [d] Change [d] Check [t]
Clench [t]
Close [d]
Concern [d]
Decay [d]
Decide [id]
Diagnose [t]

7. Past Tense – List 2 Enhance Enjoy Fix Floss Lift Look Observe Open
Polish
Recede

8. Past Tense – List 2 Enhance [t] Enjoy [d] Exam [d] Fix [t] Floss [t]
Lift [id]
Look [t]
Observe [d]
Open [d]
Polish [t]
Recede [id]

9. Past Tense – List 3 Refer Repair Review Rinse Scare Seat Show Skill
Smile

10. Past Tense – List 3 Refer [d] Repair [d] Review [d] Rinse [t]
Scare [d]
Seat [id]
Show [d]
Skill [d]
Smile [d]

11. Past Tense – List 4
Soak
Sterilize
Swish
Treat
Turn
Use
Want
Wash
Work

12. Past Tense – List 4 Soak [t] Sterilize [d] Swish [t] Treat [id]
Turn [d]
Use [d] or [t] depending on usage
Want [id]
Wash [t]
Work [t]

13. Thanks
I hope you found this little presentation helpful. I’m sure there will be more to come. If you have any comments or suggestions please contact me.