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Unit 3 - Strong and Weak forms

The document discusses strong and weak forms of function words in English, highlighting the distinction between content words and function words. It explains that function words can have different pronunciations based on their stress position, with weak forms often occurring in unstressed positions. Additionally, it provides examples of weak forms and their usage in various contexts, along with pronunciation rules for final '-ed' endings.

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mf.1605
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12 views

Unit 3 - Strong and Weak forms

The document discusses strong and weak forms of function words in English, highlighting the distinction between content words and function words. It explains that function words can have different pronunciations based on their stress position, with weak forms often occurring in unstressed positions. Additionally, it provides examples of weak forms and their usage in various contexts, along with pronunciation rules for final '-ed' endings.

Uploaded by

mf.1605
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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UNIT 3

STRONG AND WEAK FORMS (function words)


Content and function words
- Content words
• Include sounds, adjectives, most verbs and adverts

• Have at least one stressed syllable

• Typically, changes happen in grammatical / function words (the most favourable environment

for these changes)


- Function words
• Include prepositions, articles, conjunctions, auxiliary and modal verbs and the verb to be

• There is only a limited number, but most of them occur very frequently

ON THE USE OF WF’S & SF’S

Many english grammatical words have more than 1 possible pronunciation depending mainly on
wether they are in a stressed or an unstressed position.
- Pronunciation used in stressed positions, which is also a citation form (the form appearing in a
dictionary) is the SF.
- The pronunciation used in unstressed positions is WF. the name WF comes from the fact that
they involve weakening or even loss of a vowel. for instance, id we take the from have: it can
have a nº of weak forms: ‘hav’, ‘əv’ o ‘v’.

WEAK FORMS (FUNCTION WORDS)


- Función forms: usually apear as weak forms, even in careful speech. Learners fail to use them,
because they are not shown in spelling.

- a, an: /ə/, /ən/ - a cat


- and: /ən(d)/, /n/ - men and women
- as: /əz/ - as soon as possible
- can: /kən/, /kn/ - i can leave (can’t)
- at: /ət/ - at home

*table 3.1: vowel changes


STRONG AND WEAK FORMS (FUNCTION WORDS)
- In WFs of words spelt with initial ‘h’ (have, has, had, he, his him, her) pronouncing /h/ is
variable
- No deletion of /h/ forms will occur at the beginning of an utterance
• Example: He didn’t come with us

- In other contexts both /h/ and /h - less/ forms can be heard


• Example: I saw her

+ The use of a great many /h/ forms in colloquial english tends to sound somewhat over-careful
- WFs ending in /ə/ take different forms before vowels
• Example: To /tə/ becomes /to/ (example: to arrive)
• For /fə/ becomes /far/ (example: for us)
- Though usually weak, Sus tent to be used in specific circumstances
a) If pronounced in their own, as a citation form: as dictionary entries
• Example: shall (strong /∫æl/ weak /∫əl/)

b) When emphasised (prepositions, pronouns)


• Example: I said at/æt 5 o’clock not after

- It turned out that ir was / w z true


- I didn’t say that
c) At the end of a phrase / intonation group (even if unstressed)
• Example: What are you looking for /fc:/?

- What was she getting at / æt?


- Do what you can / kæn
03.04.24
- At the start of a sentence, Sus tend to be used:
- Example: and the winner is...
- With a number of words, the use of WFs and SFs will be determined by the function in the
utterance
d) “That” has SF when used as a demonstrative (adjective or pronoun
• Example: That boy is sad /ðæT/

• That the best approach to the problem


e) “That” (relative pronoun or conjunction) used in WFs
• Example: He’s the man that i as talking about (relative pronoun)

- I think that he got a new bike (conjunction) /ðət/


f) “There” is SF when used as an adverb
• Example: I bought it there /ðeə/

g) “There” is WF in existential construction


• Example: There /ðe/ is a dog in the garden
- SFs are typically used for:
a) quantifiers (both, all, most, more, less, ...)
- Example: both of them came to the party
- we spent all the time reading
b) numbers andletters
- Example: two weeks in the UK
- interrogatives (who, what, where,...)
- Example: where are you going

- SFs and WFs will be used depending on the function, either as an auxiliary verb or as a main
verb
a) If used as main verbs, they will be used in the SF
• Example: we have our holiday in august → /hæv/ not /həv/ or /əv/

• we have to go → /hæv/ not /həv/ or /əv/


b) If used as auxiliaries, they are frequently pronounced in the weak form
• Example: you have seen them → /həv/ or /əv/ if unstressed

+ (The same applies to has, had, do and does)

- “Some”: WF or SF will depend on. the meaning


c) Sf if used as a pronoun
- Example: some of the boys ran //s m/
d) Otherwise, frequently used in the WF (kind of adjective)
- Example: i need some money /səm/

- The various forms of the vern to be are an ecception: they typically appear in weak form even
if they are functioning as the main verb
- Example: They are happy → /ɑ:/ SF vs /ə/ WF

SUMMARY: compare the following

- Demonstrative that /ðæt/ - Conjunction/ relative pronoun that /ðət/


- Dekosntrative there /ðeə/ - Existencial there /ðə/
- Negative can’t /k!:nt/, doesn’t /d zənt/ - Positive can /kən/ does /dəz/
- Two, too /tu:/ - To /tə/ /tƱ/
- Off / f/ - Of /əv/
- On / n/ - An /ən/ and /n/
PRONUNCIATION OF FINAL “-ed”
Use /t/ after voiceless or unvoiced final sounds: /p, k, f, Ɵ, s, ∫, t∫/
Asked: /a:skt/
Looked: /lƱkt/
Pushed: /pƱ∫t/
Watched: /w t∫t/

Use /d/ after voiced final sounds: /b, g, v, ð, z, Ʒ, dƷ, m, n, ŋ, l, vowels/


Sobbed: /s bd/
Believed: /bI’li:vd/
Filled: /fIld/
Judged: /dƷʌdƷd/

Use /Id/ or /əd/ after final /d/ and /t/ → this ending adds an extra syllable
Needed: /‘ni:dId/
Waited: /‘weItId/

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