Have you ever started the day in a good mood and then felt completely different a few hours later? This is normal. An emotion is often connected to what is happening around us, what we are thinking about and even how tired or hungry we are.
Some emotions appear very quickly. You might feel amazed when you hear unexpected good news or delighted when you achieve something you have worked hard for. Before an important event, you may feel excited, but you can also become anxious because you do not know what will happen.
Unpleasant situations can produce many different reactions. A small problem may leave you annoyed, while a difficult task can make you feel confused. If something does not go as well as you hoped, you may be disappointed. After making a mistake in front of other people, you might feel embarrassed, and if you believe you have done something wrong, you may feel guilty.
Our relationships also affect our emotions. We can feel grateful when somebody helps us, but we may become jealous when another person receives something we wanted. Even when we are surrounded by people, we can sometimes feel lonely.
Fear also comes in different forms. A strange noise at night might make you scared or frightened, while a genuinely dangerous situation could leave you terrified. Unexpected bad news may make you feel shocked and upset at the same time.
Emotions are also affected by our energy levels. After a long and stressful day, you may feel exhausted. If the same irritating situation continues for days or weeks, you might become fed up with it.
No one stays in exactly the same mood all day. Our feelings change as situations, thoughts and experiences change. Learning to notice these changes can help us understand our reactions and communicate them more clearly.
Some emotions appear very quickly. You might feel amazed when you hear unexpected good news or delighted when you achieve something you have worked hard for. Before an important event, you may feel excited, but you can also become anxious because you do not know what will happen.
Unpleasant situations can produce many different reactions. A small problem may leave you annoyed, while a difficult task can make you feel confused. If something does not go as well as you hoped, you may be disappointed. After making a mistake in front of other people, you might feel embarrassed, and if you believe you have done something wrong, you may feel guilty.
Our relationships also affect our emotions. We can feel grateful when somebody helps us, but we may become jealous when another person receives something we wanted. Even when we are surrounded by people, we can sometimes feel lonely.
Fear also comes in different forms. A strange noise at night might make you scared or frightened, while a genuinely dangerous situation could leave you terrified. Unexpected bad news may make you feel shocked and upset at the same time.
Emotions are also affected by our energy levels. After a long and stressful day, you may feel exhausted. If the same irritating situation continues for days or weeks, you might become fed up with it.
No one stays in exactly the same mood all day. Our feelings change as situations, thoughts and experiences change. Learning to notice these changes can help us understand our reactions and communicate them more clearly.
In this unit, you will explore different emotions and moods and learn how to describe them.
emotion — [ɪˈməʊ.ʃən] — a strong feeling such as love, fear or anger; the part of a person’s character that consists of feelings; emocija
mood — [muːd] — the way you are feeling at a particular time; noskaņojums
mood — [muːd] — the way you are feeling at a particular time; noskaņojums
Learn: now it is time to cover some adjectives that appeared in the text above. Let's dig in.
Key vocabulary:
amazed — [əˈmeɪzd] — very surprised; ļoti pārsteigts(a)
annoyed — [əˈnɔɪd] — slightly angry or irritated; aizkaitināts(a)
anxious — [ˈæŋk.ʃəs] — worried and nervous about something; satraukts(a), noraizējies(usies)
confused — [kənˈfjuːzd] — unable to understand something clearly; apjucis(kusi)
delighted — [dɪˈlaɪ.tɪd] — very pleased; ļoti priecīgs, sajūsmināts(a)
disappointed — [ˌdɪs.əˈpɔɪn.tɪd] — unhappy because something was not as good as expected; vīlies(usies)
embarrassed — [ɪmˈbær.əst] — uncomfortable or ashamed because of something awkward; samulsis(usi), nokaunējies(usies)
excited — [ɪkˈsaɪ.tɪd] — very happy and interested in something that is going to happen; sajūsmināts(a), satraukti priecīgs(a)
exhausted — [ɪɡˈzɔː.stɪd] — very tired; pārguris(usi)
fed up — [ˌfed ˈʌp] — bored or unhappy, especially with a situation that has continued for too long; tāds(a), kam kaut kas ir apnicis
frightened — [ˈfraɪ.tənd] — afraid; feeling fear; nobijies(usies)
grateful — [ˈɡreɪt.fəl] — feeling thankful; pateicīgs(a)
guilty — [ˈɡɪl.ti] — feeling ashamed because you have done something that you know is wrong or have not done something that you should have done; vainīgs(a), vainas apziņas pārņemts(a)
jealous — [ˈdʒel.əs] — unhappy because someone has something you want or because of someone else’s attention; greizsirdīgs(a), skaudīgs(a)
lonely — [ˈləʊn.li] — unhappy because you are alone or feel that nobody understands you; vientuļš(a)
scared — [skeəd] — frightened or afraid; nobijies(usies)
shocked — [ʃɒkt] — very surprised and upset by something unexpected; satriekts(a)
terrified — [ˈter.ə.faɪd] — very frightened; pārbijies(usies), šausmu pārņemts(a)
upset — [ʌpˈset] — unhappy, worried or angry because something unpleasant has happened; sarūgtināts(a), satraukts(a)
annoyed — [əˈnɔɪd] — slightly angry or irritated; aizkaitināts(a)
anxious — [ˈæŋk.ʃəs] — worried and nervous about something; satraukts(a), noraizējies(usies)
confused — [kənˈfjuːzd] — unable to understand something clearly; apjucis(kusi)
delighted — [dɪˈlaɪ.tɪd] — very pleased; ļoti priecīgs, sajūsmināts(a)
disappointed — [ˌdɪs.əˈpɔɪn.tɪd] — unhappy because something was not as good as expected; vīlies(usies)
embarrassed — [ɪmˈbær.əst] — uncomfortable or ashamed because of something awkward; samulsis(usi), nokaunējies(usies)
excited — [ɪkˈsaɪ.tɪd] — very happy and interested in something that is going to happen; sajūsmināts(a), satraukti priecīgs(a)
exhausted — [ɪɡˈzɔː.stɪd] — very tired; pārguris(usi)
fed up — [ˌfed ˈʌp] — bored or unhappy, especially with a situation that has continued for too long; tāds(a), kam kaut kas ir apnicis
frightened — [ˈfraɪ.tənd] — afraid; feeling fear; nobijies(usies)
grateful — [ˈɡreɪt.fəl] — feeling thankful; pateicīgs(a)
guilty — [ˈɡɪl.ti] — feeling ashamed because you have done something that you know is wrong or have not done something that you should have done; vainīgs(a), vainas apziņas pārņemts(a)
jealous — [ˈdʒel.əs] — unhappy because someone has something you want or because of someone else’s attention; greizsirdīgs(a), skaudīgs(a)
lonely — [ˈləʊn.li] — unhappy because you are alone or feel that nobody understands you; vientuļš(a)
scared — [skeəd] — frightened or afraid; nobijies(usies)
shocked — [ʃɒkt] — very surprised and upset by something unexpected; satriekts(a)
terrified — [ˈter.ə.faɪd] — very frightened; pārbijies(usies), šausmu pārņemts(a)
upset — [ʌpˈset] — unhappy, worried or angry because something unpleasant has happened; sarūgtināts(a), satraukts(a)
These verbs will help you describe different emotions and moods, show changes in how someone feels, and express how a person appears to feel.
He became frustrated with the task.
feel + adjective — to experience a particular emotion or mood
I feel nervous before exams.
get + adjective — to change and begin to experience a particular emotion or mood
She gets nervous before presentations.
grow + adjective — to gradually begin to experience an emotion or to experience it more strongly
She grew anxious as the time passed.
look + adjective — to appear to have a particular emotion based on someone’s appearance
You look worried today.
remain + adjective — to continue to be in the same emotional state; more formal than stay
He remained worried after the phone call.
seem + adjective — to give the impression of being in a particular emotional state
He seems upset about something.
sound + adjective — to appear to have a particular emotion because of the way someone speaks or what they say
You sound excited about the trip.
stay + adjective — to continue to be in the same emotional state
She stayed calm during the discussion.
Revise: watch the video and revise how to pronounce the -ed ending, as many words describing emotions and moods end in -ed.
Key Takeways:
The ending -ed can be pronounced in three ways: /d/, /t/ or /ɪd/. To choose the correct pronunciation, listen to the final sound before -ed.
1. -ed — /d/
Use /d/ after a vowel sound or a voiced consonant sound. A voiced sound makes your throat vibrate.
amazed, confused
2. -ed — /t/
Use /t/ after an unvoiced consonant sound. An unvoiced sound does not make your throat vibrate.
shocked, embarrassed
3. -ed — /ɪd/
Use /ɪd/ after the sounds /t/ or /d/. This pronunciation adds an extra syllable.
excited, disappointed
1. -ed — /d/
Use /d/ after a vowel sound or a voiced consonant sound. A voiced sound makes your throat vibrate.
amazed, confused
2. -ed — /t/
Use /t/ after an unvoiced consonant sound. An unvoiced sound does not make your throat vibrate.
shocked, embarrassed
3. -ed — /ɪd/
Use /ɪd/ after the sounds /t/ or /d/. This pronunciation adds an extra syllable.
excited, disappointed
Svarīgi!
Remember: focus on the sound before -ed, not simply the final letter of the word.
Practice: You already know the language of emotions and moods — now put it into words! Answer the discussion-type questions and practise developing longer, exam-style responses by explaining your ideas, giving reasons and supporting them with examples. Use the answer prompts if you need help organising your response.
Discussion-Type Questions
1. Why is it important to understand your own emotions?
“In my view, understanding your own emotions is important because it helps you react to situations more calmly. For example, if you realise that you feel anxious before an exam, you can think about what is causing that feeling and decide what might help. It can also make it easier to explain your feelings to other people. As a result, understanding your emotions can help you deal with difficult situations more effectively.”
1. Why is it important to understand your own emotions?
“In my view, understanding your own emotions is important because it helps you react to situations more calmly. For example, if you realise that you feel anxious before an exam, you can think about what is causing that feeling and decide what might help. It can also make it easier to explain your feelings to other people. As a result, understanding your emotions can help you deal with difficult situations more effectively.”
2. Do you think people should always talk about how they feel?
“I do not think people need to talk about every emotion they experience, but it can be helpful when something is really bothering them. For instance, if someone feels upset, lonely or disappointed for a long time, talking to a person they trust may make the situation easier. At the same time, some people need time to understand their feelings before discussing them. So, I think expressing emotions is important, but people should choose the right time and person.”
“I do not think people need to talk about every emotion they experience, but it can be helpful when something is really bothering them. For instance, if someone feels upset, lonely or disappointed for a long time, talking to a person they trust may make the situation easier. At the same time, some people need time to understand their feelings before discussing them. So, I think expressing emotions is important, but people should choose the right time and person.”
3. What can affect a person’s mood during the day?
“Many different things can affect a person’s mood. One strong factor is what happens during the day. Good news may leave someone delighted or excited, while an argument can make them annoyed or upset. Tiredness can also have a big effect because people may feel exhausted and become fed up more easily. In addition, conversations, schoolwork and unexpected events can quickly change the way someone feels.”
“Many different things can affect a person’s mood. One strong factor is what happens during the day. Good news may leave someone delighted or excited, while an argument can make them annoyed or upset. Tiredness can also have a big effect because people may feel exhausted and become fed up more easily. In addition, conversations, schoolwork and unexpected events can quickly change the way someone feels.”
4. Why might people react differently to the same situation?
“People may react differently because the same event does not have the same meaning for everyone. For example, speaking in front of a class might make one person feel excited, while another person could feel anxious or even frightened. Previous experiences can also influence our emotions. This means that we should not expect everyone to feel exactly the same way in the same situation.”
“People may react differently because the same event does not have the same meaning for everyone. For example, speaking in front of a class might make one person feel excited, while another person could feel anxious or even frightened. Previous experiences can also influence our emotions. This means that we should not expect everyone to feel exactly the same way in the same situation.”
5. Can positive and negative emotions both be useful?
“I think both positive and negative emotions can be useful because they tell us something about our experiences. Feeling grateful or delighted can help us recognise positive moments, while feeling disappointed or guilty may encourage us to think about what happened. Even fear can be useful because it can warn us about danger. For this reason, negative emotions are not always something we should simply try to avoid.”
“I think both positive and negative emotions can be useful because they tell us something about our experiences. Feeling grateful or delighted can help us recognise positive moments, while feeling disappointed or guilty may encourage us to think about what happened. Even fear can be useful because it can warn us about danger. For this reason, negative emotions are not always something we should simply try to avoid.”
Atsauce:
BBC Learning English (18.01.2021), 3 ways to pronounce 'ed' - English In A Minute [Video], YouTube.