Name: 學習英語 - 系列一，第17集：水和老化 (Study English - Series 1, Episode 17: Water and ageing)
Uploaded: 2021-01-14T07:45:25.000Z
Duration: 9 min 59 s
Description: 【看影片學英語】數萬部 YouTube 影片，搭配英漢字典即點即查，輕鬆掌握單字發音與用法，長久累積看電影不必再看字幕。

Hello and welcome to Study English. I'm Margot Politis.

Today on Study English, we're going to look at some of the features of formal, written

In our clip, we'll hear from a man who believes that drinking water is the key to being healthy

He's going to talk about how he came to his conclusion, and how he tried to get some support

How does nature do it? What keeps body cells going and how can we improve on that process

so that we eliminate disease altogether and we live a long and healthy life? I don't think

We stumbled on the fact that they weren't actually getting rid of carbon dioxide out

of their bodies, they were neutralising the carbon dioxide in their bodies, and we found

out it was from the water they were drinking.

When we looked at these animals and saw what they were doing, it was exactly as we'd hypothesised

and that was a great feeling, a real feeling of elation.

I tried and I tried and I tried to be conventional in that sense. I went to one hundred people.

I wrote one thousand letters. I spoke to the Australian Academy of Science. I spoke to

the American Academy of Science. I spoke to hospitals. I spoke to professors of medicine,

because I wanted to do work independently. I couldn't get anywhere, so I had to do it

This is a food substance, this is something that's been drunk for thousands of years.

This is probably where the mythology of the fountain of youth came from. There would have

been natural springs somewhere bubbling out magnesium bicarbonate at an alkaline pH value.

And people that drank these springs lived longer.

But I want everybody to have the opportunity to live a long and healthy life, and that's

been my life's work, and we're getting somewhere, we're getting somewhere.

One of the most important areas for students to master is the difference between informal

spoken language and formal written English, including academic language.

There are many differences between formal and informal English.

Firstly, in written language, all words must be spelt correctly. There should be no words

in written English that you can't find in a dictionary.

Another important difference is that contractions are not used in formal written English. We

only use contractions in written English if we're trying to represent the way that people

The clip we've heard today is, of course, spoken English. Listen to part of it again

and see if you can identify the features of informal English.

When Dr Beckett is speaking he uses a number of contractions.

He says, "That's been my life's work", and "We're getting somewhere".

That's is short for that is, and we're is short for we are.

So if we were writing these statements, we'd write:

There are many common contractions. By using them in your spoken language, you will sound

more natural. But be careful to write them out in full in formal situations. Watch for

Another common feature of informal English is the use of phrasal verbs, or two word verbs.

Phrasal verbs consist of a verb and a preposition. They are commonly used in spoken English,

and their meanings are idiomatic, giving the verb a special, new meaning.

Listen for some phrasal verbs in this clip.

of their bodies. They were neutralising the carbon dioxide in their bodies, and we found

This is probably where the mythology of the fountain of youth came from.

He uses the phrasal verbs "stumbled on, get rid of, found out and came from.

In formal written English, it's best to use single word verbs.

They weren't getting rid of carbon dioxide,

and then we'd get rid of the contraction, so it would read:

They were not eliminating carbon dioxide.

This is probably where the myth came from.

This is probably where the myth originated.

Let's look at some other examples of common phrasal verbs.

Instead of look into, we would write investigate.

Instead of cut down, we would write reduce.

All of these words are more formal than using phrasal verbs.

Another important part of formal written English, is understanding how to use conjunctions.

Short sentences are less formal than compound or complex sentences. If you can, it's good

Listen to this clip, then we'll try to turn it into good formal English using coordinating

I went to one hundred people. I wrote a thousand letters. I spoke to the Australian Academy

of Science. I spoke to the American Academy of Science. I spoke to hospitals. I spoke

to professors of Medicine, because I wanted to do work independently. I couldn't get anywhere.

He uses a number of simple sentences in a row.

I spoke to the Australian Academy of Science. I spoke to the American Academy of Science.

I spoke to hospitals. I spoke to professors of Medicine.

I spoke to the Australian Academy of Science, the American Academy of Science and hospitals.

There are some rules to be aware of when you're using conjunctions.

In formal English, we don't start sentences with coordinating conjunctions.

Words like 'and' and 'but' are joining words. They are not used to begin sentences.

Listen to Dr Bechett again. Notice how he uses conjunctions to start his sentences.

There would have been natural springs somewhere bubbling out magnesium bicarbonate at an alkaline

pH value. And people that drank these springs lived longer. But I want everybody to have

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學習英語 - 系列一，第17集：水和老化 (Study English - Series 1, Episode 17: Water and ageing)

inevitable

opportunity

eliminate

alternative