Weak And Strong Forms - Prepositions

Full-meaning words versus function/grammar words

Function/grammar words two pronunciations: weak and strong

Weak and strong forms - Prepositions Weak forms Strong forms From fr@m frQm At @t 9t to t@ D@ ... tu: / tU @ ... of @v Qv and @nd, @n, n &nd

Handout - CD1: 2.3a - 19, 2.3b - 20, 2.3c - 21 In its weak or strong form? 1. It’s not for her, it’s for him. 2. It’s not for her, it’s from her. 3. The pronunciation of “and” is different depending on what follows. 4. I need to eat. 5. They wanted to leave right away.

Transcribe these sentences:  What is it made of? It’s made of plastic.  Where’s it from? It’s from the USA.  What’s it for? It’s for keeping our teacher fit.

TRANSCRIPTION What is it made of? ["wQtIzIt "meId "Qv]

It’s made of plastic. [Its "meId@v "pl&stIk]

Where’s it from? Where is it .. ["we@zIt "frQm] ["we@rIzIt ...]

It’s from the USA. ["Itsfr@mD@ !ju:es"eI]

What’s it for? ["wQtsIt "fO:]

It’s for keeping our teacher fit. [(")Itsf@ "ki:pINaU@ "ti:Í@ "fIt]

It’s for opening a tin.

[(")Itsf@"r@Up@nIN@ "tIn]

Guide to MP3 files - Handout Weak forms, reduced and contracted forms Handout - CD1: 2.3a - 19, 2.3b - 20, 2.3c - 21 CD1: 5.3b - 55, 5.3c - 56 CD1: 1.3a - 6, 1.3b - 7

CD1: 1.3a - 6 Your turn Listen and transcribe what you can here. When uncertain, consult a dictionary or the key below. I’m We’re being you It’s been Don’t be You’re being Have you been (doing) We were (trying) We’ll I was told I’d be (seen) I’ve been (waiting) Are doing They’re Do you (think) You could (wait)

Key to CD1: 1.3a - 6 I’m aɪm aɪm —In casual speech the phrase I'm going to before a verb is also aɪŋ ən ə, aɪm ən ə

We’re being wɪə bi ː ɪŋ wɪə ǁ wɪ ə r (= weir) being ˈbiː ɪŋ being|s z you ju strong form juː , weak forms ju jə , before a vowel also §j —(1) Learners of British English are advised not to use weak forms other than ju ; jə is unusual in Received Pronunciation.In General American, on the other hand, the weak form jə is acceptable. —(2) The initial j of this word readily coalesces with the final t or d of a preceding word to give tʃ or dʒ respectively: don’t you ˈdəʊntʃ u ǁ ˈdoʊntʃ ə, did you ˈdɪdʒ u ǁ -ə It’s been (driving) ɪts bi ː n ‘it is’; ‘it has’ ɪts —non- Received Pronunciation weak form əts

been bi ː n bɪn ǁ bɪn — Some British English speakers have biːn as strong form, bɪn as weak form. — Preference poll, British English (for strong form): biːn 92%, bɪn 8%. Don’t be d əʊ nt bi ː d əʊ nt ǁ doʊnt —also, non-finally, especially before a consonant sound, d əʊ n ‖ doʊn . This word has no weak form except occasionally də in don’t mind, don’t know (see dunno ). strong form bi ː , weak form bi

You’re being jɔ ː / jʊə bi ː IN strong forms jɔː jʊə ǁ jʊ ə r , weak form jə ǁ j ə r —Learners of British English are advised not to use the weak form jə , which is fairly unusual in Received Pronunciation.

Have you been (doing) həv bi ː n have strong form hæv , weak forms həv, əv, v — The weak form v is used only after a vowel (when it is often written as the contraction ’ve ), or in very fast speech at the beginning of a sentence; əv is not used at the beginning of a sentence. Weak forms of have, has, had are used only when the word functions as the perfective auxiliary, or is the equivalent of have got and is used with an object that is not a pronoun, or in the constructions had better/best/rather.

We were (trying) w i wə strong form wɜː weə ǁ wɝːweəwɜːwɝː, weak form wə ǁ wər — Preference poll (strong form), British English: wɜː 94%, weə 6%. We’ll (sort …, shall wil we?) strong form wiː ə l , weak form wil I was (told) aI wəz strong form wɒz ǁ wʌz wɑːz , weak form I’d be (seen) aɪd bi strong form biː , weak form bi

I’ve been (waiting) aɪv biːn Are doing ə ˈ du ː ‿ ɪŋ strong form ɑː ǁ ɑːr , weak form ə ǁ ə r They’re ðeə ðeə §ˈðeɪ ə ǁ ðer (= there)

Do you (think) dʊ/də ju strong form duː , weak forms dʊ, də, d ju You could (wait) ju kəd strong form kʊd , weak form kəd

1.3b KEY A you’ve A didn’t you They’re A they’ve been (having) was (burgled) They were (asleep) B I didn’t A Sonia’s been (suffering) She was even (off) B Mark’s been (made) A they’ve (decided) Mark’s being (paid) They’re going to (start) B Do you They’re (leaving) A I don’t (know) They’ll be (going) B I’ll (give) A I’m (sure) they’d (appreciate)