b. He has aged a good deal. He is aged.
c. I used to use it; you used it too.
Try to account for the pronunciation of used in the sense of "was accustomed" (see § 49).
8. Transcribe your pronunciation of halfpenny, twopence, threepence. Show the difference between the English and the French pronunciation of franc, and between the English and the German pronunciation of mark.
9. A waiter was heard to remark pathetically that he never could tell whether a customer wanted "cold lamb" or "cold ham." What caused his uncertainty?
10. The pronunciation of the children of Walworth attending the Church schools has given much concern to Canon Horsley, who says that in their speech "I've been to take her home" becomes "binter tiker rome," "Oh, shake hands" becomes "ow shy cans," and "I've been having a game" becomes "binnavinagime." Consider the pronunciation suggested by this rough transcription, transcribe it more carefully, and comment on such features of the Walworth dialect as it illustrates.
11. You are familiar with the term "alliteration," and know that it is a favourite device of cheap journalism. Criticise the alliteration in the following scare-lines: CITY CLERK CHASED. THIEF TAKEN. SOLICITOR SHOT.
12. Mention words in which the following letters are written but not sounded: b, g, gh, k, l, m, n, t, w.
13. Comment on the following statement: "The letters l and r are called trills, because there is a vibration in the sounds, or in some part of the vocal apparatus by which we pronounce them."
14. Consider this statement: "The ai in fair, ea in lead, ie in field, ei in receive, are none of them true diphthongs; they are more or less clumsy ways of showing the length of an elementary vowel-sound."