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Strong and Weak Forms (4)

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Amparo Langhi
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7 views

Strong and Weak Forms (4)

Uploaded by

Amparo Langhi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FUNCTION WORDS ⇾ STRONG AND WEAK FORMS

STRONG FORMS are used when words are in final position, in contrast/emphasis use or for cited or quoted words.

WEAK FORMS are used only in unstressed positions. The main reasons for using weak forms are:
1. They are used by native speakers.
2. They are important for communication and understanding.

● The /ə/ is the most frequent vowel sound in weak syllables.


● Weak /i/ /u/

A weak form is distinguished from a strong from:

● By the difference in vowels sounds


● By the absence of a sound (vowel or consonant)
● By the difference in the length of a vowel.

DETERMINERS QUANTIFIERS

ORDINARY STRONG FORM(S) WEAK FORM(S)


SPELLING

the ðiː ðɪ (followed by


vowel)
ðə (followed by a
consonant)

a eɪ ə (before consonants)

an aen ən (before a vowel)

some sʌm (before a countable səm (before countable


noun: ”unknown nouns and other
individual”) nouns: an unspecified
amount/number of).
INDEFINITE
PRONOUNS (DET
QUANTIFIERS?)

WH WORDS

WHOSE /huːz/
WHO as a relative pronoun → /hu/
for questions → /hu:/
WHERE /weə/
WHEN /wen/
WHAT /wɒt/
WHICH /wɪtʃ/
HOW /haʊ/
PRONOUNS

ORDINARY STRONG WEAK FORM(S)


SPELLING FORM(S)

she ʃiː ʃi

he hiː hi (beginning of a sentence)


i (anywhere else)

we wiː wi

you ju: ju (final positions/ before vowels)


jə (before consonants)

his hɪz ɪz (before a noun)


hɪz (beginning of a sentence)

him hɪm ɪm

her hə (beginning of a sentence)


hɜːʳ əʳ (before vowels)
ə (before consonants)

your jɔ:ᵣ jəʳ (before vowels)


juəᵣ jə (before consonants)

them ðem ðəm

us ʌs əs

WORDS WITH ONLY ONE BBC TRANSCRIPTION ACCEPTED:

SURE /ʃɔ:/
OUR /ɑ:/
THESE /ðiːz/
THIS /ðɪs/
THEIR /ðeə/
THEY /ðeɪ/
CAN’T /kɑːnt/
ITS /its/

CONTRACTIONS

she's /ʃiz/
he's /hiz/ /I:z/
we’d /wid/
isn't /ˈɪznt/
doesn't /dʌznt /
PREPOSITIONS

ORDINARY STRONG WEAK FORM(S)


SPELLING FORM(S)

than ðan ðən

at æt ət

for fɔ:ʳ fə (before consonants)


fəʳ (before vowels)

from frɒm frəm

of ɒv əv

to tuː tə (before consonants)


tu (before vowels/final position)

as æz əz

there demonstrative: existential there:


(for final
position can be ðeə (before ðə (before consonants)
any of them) consonants ðəʳ (before vowels)
ðeəʳ (before
vowels)

CONJUNCTIONS

ORDINARY STRONG WEAK FORM(S)


SPELLING FORM(S)

and and ənd (before a vowel)


ən (before consonants)

but bʌt bət

that ðæt (as a ðət (as relative pronoun)


demonstrative)
AUXILIARY VERBS ⇾ when they occur in the negative form and in final position, they are always pronounced in their
strong form.

ORDINARY STRONG WEAK FORM(S)


SPELLING FORM(S)

be bi: bi

can kæn kən

could kʊd kəd

have hæv həv, əv

has hæz həz, əz

had hæd həd, əd

will wɪl wl

shall ʃæl ʃəl

should ʃʊd ʃəd

would wʊd wəd

must mʌst məs (before consonants)


məst (before vowels)

do duː də (before consonants)


du (before vowels)

does dʌz dəz

am æm əm

are ɑː ə (before consonants)


ɑːʳ əʳ (before a vowel)

was wɒz wəz

were wɜː wə (before consonants)


wəʳ (before a vowel)

been biːn bɪn


GENERAL RULES FOR TRANSCRIPTIONS:

1.

LINKING R
Occurs when a /r/ is in ordinary spelling and the INTRUSIVE R
following word starts with a vowel. When the word is Occurs when a /r/ is not present in the spelling but is
plural, ends in a consonant or is in final position, we added when we pronounce a sentence.
omit the linking R. Compulsory. It doesn't occur with all vowels, only at the end of words
with these vowels: /ə / /ɪə/ /ɑ:/ /ɔ:/
e.g. Mother and father.
/ˈmʌðəʳ an fɑːðə/ e.g. China and TV
/ˈʧaɪnər ən ˌtiːˈviː/

2. YOU CANNOT HAVE 2 WEAK FORMS TOGETHER IN FINAL POSITION: one of them must be in the
strong form.

e.g. preposition + pronoun

for you → /fɔ: ju/ or /fə ju:/

3. We use /i/ if the 'y' is in ordinary spelling and in the end of the word.

4. In the dictionary, sounds in italics or the mini /ə/ are omitted.

5. IN YES/NO QUESTIONS, the auxiliary verbs or modal verbs followed by pronouns:

weak + strong OR strong + weak IN THE BEGINNING of questions. NO BOTH WEAK OR BOTH STRONG !

→ PUNTO: //
→ COMMA: /

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