Youtube Exercise » English Grammar Homework

Silent Letter Day

Michael McIntyre

2.5M views 1 year ago

Warm-up Questions

What do you think “Silent Letter Day” could mean?
Do you know any English words with silent letters? Which ones?
Would you like a special day where people pronounce silent letters? Why or why not?

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Start With: Word Definition

Order: Alphabetical Random

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Silent Letter Day

Why do English words have silent letters? (00:00 – 01:36)

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1. What is the speaker mainly complaining about?

English grammar rules change every year
English spelling includes silent letters that seem unnecessary
English has too many words borrowed from other languages
English people speak too quickly to understand

2. Which example does the speaker use to criticize a silent H?

knock
subtle
honest
hour

3. In the joke about “subtle,” what silent letter does the speaker mention?

a W
a B
an H
a K

Silent Letter Day

The idea: “Silent Letter Day” (01:36 – 02:57)

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1. What is the speaker’s proposal?

A rule that people must speak more slowly
A spelling competition to remove silent letters
A holiday where silent letters “come out to play”
A new dictionary that deletes confusing words

2. What day of the week does the speaker joke the holiday would be on?

Tuesday
Sunday
Wednesday
Friday

3. What does the speaker say will be the symbol of Silent Letter Day?

A knife
A sandwich
A gnome
A knight

Silent Letter Day

Gifts, arguments, and the end-of-day celebration (02:57 – 04:40)

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1. What does the speaker say people give each other to celebrate?

A gnome
A sandwich
A receipt
A kite

2. What object does the speaker mention keeping after returning the gift?

The receipt
The wrapping paper
A gnome
A knife

3. How does the speaker say they will celebrate at the end of the day?

With a long walk
With a spelling test
With tea and biscuits
With champag(ne)

Silent Letter Day

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1. What kind of humor is used most in the video?

A scary mystery story
A formal debate with evidence
Serious historical explanation
Sarcastic complaints and playful word changes

2. Why does the speaker invent “Silent Letter Day”?

To explain how children learn to read
To teach the correct spelling rules for exams
To argue English should copy another language’s spelling
To imagine a world where silent letters are pronounced for fun

3. Which theme is repeated throughout the video?

English has no pronunciation rules at all
Silent letters make speaking faster
Only American English has silent letters
Silent letters are confusing and feel unnecessary

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

Silent Letter Day

Which silent letters in English annoy you most (e.g., in “hour,” “knuckle,” “subtle”)? Why?
If you created a “language holiday,” what would people do and what rules would change?
Do you think English spelling should be reformed (changed to match pronunciation)? What would be the benefits and problems?
Can you think of words in your language that are spelled one way but pronounced differently? How do learners handle that?