Everyday Grammar TV: Describing Pets 1: How Do We Describe Our Pets?

JR: Dr. Jill, did you hear we’re going to have a “Bring Your Pet to Work” day?
Dr. J.: Alright! I’ve always wanted to bring my dog to work.
JR: What kind of dog do you have?
Dr. J.: I have an energetic little dog named Arya.
JR: That’s a good example of how you can use two or more adjectives to describe a pet. We call them cumulative adjectives when they must appear in a special order to express the meaning that we want.
Dr. J.: Yes, I told you what I think about her first, or my opinion: she’s energetic. Then I gave her size, little, and finally her name.
JR: Did you hear what other pets are coming?
Dr. J.: I think Dorothy is bringing her five turtles.
JR: Have you seen them?
Dr. J.: She showed me a picture - they’re calm tiny terrapins.
JR: That’s our state university’s mascot!
Dr. J.: And they’re great pets - quiet and fun to watch. Did I follow the order of adjectives?
JR: Yes, you said, your opinion - “calm,” their size, “tiny,” and what kind of animal, “terrapins.”
Dr. J.: What kind of pet are you bringing, John?
JR: It’s a surprise. But I can give you a hint: it is a scary-looking huge reptile.
Dr. J.: I can’t wait to see it. That’s Everyday Grammar TV!
---------
Learning English is Voice of America’s multimedia source of news and information for millions of English learners worldwide. We help you build vocabulary, strengthen your speaking skills and improve your ability to communicate for work, school and everyday life.
EXPLORE OUR PLAYLISTS:
» Learning English Podcast: • Learning English Podcast
» Let's Learn English with Anna! (For children 8-12) • Let's Learn English wi...
» Let's Learn English Level 1 • Let's Learn English
» Let's Learn English Level 2 • Let's Learn English Le...
» VISIT OUR WEBSITE: learningenglis...
» LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE: / voalearningenglish
» FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: / voalearningenglish
» FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: / voalearnenglish
» SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PODCAST ON ITUNES: itunes.apple.c...
Voice of America (VOA) is the largest U.S. international broadcaster, providing news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of 326 million people.