Descriptive Grammar of English WSJO 2010/2011– Year 2

Weak forms (13)

1. Words which are not usually stressed are words that do not have a dictionary meaning in the way that nouns, verbs, adjectives
and adverbs have – such words are called grammatical or function words and they include:
• auxiliary and modal verbs
• pronouns
• articles
• prepositions
• conjunctions
2. Function words in connected speech are used in their weak form most of the time, for example:
My father was a sailor and I was born far away from home in the south.
/ma fɑ: wz  sel nd a wz b:n fɑ:r we frm hm n  sa/

Since my father had to travel often to that part of the country, my family went to live there.
/sns ma fɑ: hæd t trævl ftn t æt pɑ:t v  kntri | ma fæmli went t lv e/

After the war we went to live in a university town in the west, while my brother studied law.
/ɑ:ft  w: wi went t lv n  ˌju:nv :sti tan n  west | wal ma br stdid l:/

3. The most common weak forms:

• personal pronouns:
− those with a diphthong do not undergo any reduction when unstressed, e.g. I /a/, they /e/, my /ma/, our /a/,
their /e/
− those with a long vowel /i:/ or /u:/ become shorter, e.g. he /hi/, she /!i/, we /wi/, you /ju/, me /mi/
− /h/ dropping is not allowed in certain contexts: (i) at the beginning of a sentence or after a pause, (ii) with the
possessive pronouns:
I like him. /a lak m/
I've seen her. /av si:n /
What did he do? /wt dd i du:/
This book is hers. /s bk z h :z/
He left earlier. /hi left  :li/

• auxiliary vs. main verb – some words (have, do, be) can function as an auxiliary verb or as a main verb and:
− when they are used as auxiliary verbs they are weak
− if they constitute a main verb (even if they are unstressed) they must be used in their strong form
We have our holidays in June. /wi hæv a hlidez n d"u:n/
They had to leave. /e hæd t li:v/
He has seen that movie. /hi hz si:n æt mu:vi/
She should have told me. /!i !d v tld mi/
What do you do? /wt d ju du:/
− the various forms of the verb to be are an exception to this rule, i.e. they can appear in weak form even if they are
functioning as the main verb

• do, to, the – the choice of a weak vowel is determined by the phonetic context, i.e. /u, i/ before a vowel and // before a
consonant:
Do I know you? /du a n ju/
Do they want to? /d e wnt tu:/
The apples were good /i æplz w #d/
The children left. / t!ldrn left/
He spoke to everybody. /hi spk tu evri$bdi/
He spoke to the boss. /hi spk t  bs/
Descriptive Grammar of English WSJO 2010/2011– Year 2
• that:
− weak form /t/ is used in relative clauses
− strong form /æt/ is used when the word functions as a demonstrative pronoun
the people that live next door / pi:pl t lv nekst d:/
I need that book. /a ni:d æt bk/

• there:
− strong form /e/ is used when this word is an adverb of place
− weak form // is used in the existential construction, i.e. there is/are/was/were etc.
I bought it there. /a b:t t e/
There was a dog in the garden. / wz  d# n  #%:dn/

• some:
− strong form /sm/ is used if it means 'a certain', 'a considerable amount of or it is a pronoun
− weak form /sm/ when it means 'a few'
Some animal was shot. /!m ænml wz !t/
I haven't seen you for some time. /a hævnt si:n ju f sm tam/
some of the students /sm v  stju:dnts/
I need some. /a ni:d sm/
She met some friends at the party. /!i met sm frendz t  p%:ti/

• and – the various weak forms of this word (/nd, n, n/) are not restricted to specific environments, i.e. their use is
essentially random.

• others:
− most of the time weak forms are used (but see "Exceptions" below)
− there is, however, a number of words which are deceptive in that they look as though they should have weak
forms, because they are grammatical words with only one syllable and actually they do not have weak forms
− the most common and frequent of them are:
on /n/
off /f/ but of /v/ !!!
up /p/
or /:/
not /nt/

4. Exceptions – strong forms are used in the following cases:

• when auxiliaries, modals and prepositions are placed at the end of a sentence:
Where do you come from? /frm/
He is older than I am. /æm/
She wouldn't do that but I would. /wd/
He left before he should have. /hæv/

• when the word is stressed because of contrast:

I didn’t say apples or pears. I said apples and pears. /:/ /ænd/
The letter is from him not to him. /frm/ /tu:/

• in coordinated use of prepositions (with and, or conjunctions):

a work of and about literature /v/ /bat/
Descriptive Grammar of English
• when the word is stressed for emphatic purposes:
You must give me more money.
You must give me more money.
You must give me more money.
WSJO 2010/2011– Year 2
/ju mst #v mi m: mni/
/ju: mst #v mi m: mni/
/ju mst #v mi: m: mni/

• when the word is quoted:

You shouldn't put "and" at the end of a sentence. /ænd/

• in negated forms of auxiliaries or modal verbs, whether with or without orthographic contraction:
Jack hasn't done it. /hæznt/ or /hæz nt/
I wouldn't write it. /wdnt/ or /wd nt/

word weak form strong form comments

a /W/ /eç/
am /Wm/, /m/ /ém/
an /Wn/, /n/ /én/
and /Wnd/, /Wn/, /n/ /énd/ weak forms – always when unstressed
are /W/ /A:/
aren't - /A:nt/ this word has no weak form
as /Wz/ /éz/
at /Wt/ /ét/
be /bi/ /bi:/
been /bçn/ /bi:n/
but /bWt/ /bUt/
can (aux.) /kWn/ /kén/
could /kïd/ /kïd/ occasional weak form /kWd/
W
couldn't - /kïd nt/ this word has no weak form
/dW/ + consonant
do (aux.) /du:/
/du/ + vowel
does (aux.) /dWz/ /dUz/
for /fW/ /fO:/
from /frWm/ /früm/
had (aux.) /hWd/, /Wd/, /d/ /héd/ weak forms of have, has, had are used only when the
word functions as the perfective auxiliary, or is the
has (aux.) /hWz/, /Wz/, /z/ /héz/
equivalent of have got and is used with an object that
have (aux.) /hWv/, /Wv/, /v/ /hév/ is not a pronoun, or in the constructions had better.
hadn't - /hédWnt/ this word has no weak forms
W
hasn't - /héz nt/ this word has no weak forms
W
hadn't - /héd nt/ this word has no weak forms
he /hi/, /i/ /hi:/ /i/ in rapid speech when following a consonant
he's /hiz/ /hi:z/
her /hW/, /W/ /hä:/
him /çm/ /hçm/
his /hçz/, /çz/ /hçz/ /hçz/ at the beginning of a sentence
/'çntW/ + consonant
into /'çntu:/
/'çntu/ + vowel
just /}Ust/ /}Wst/
me /mi/ /mi:/
must /mWst/ /mUst/ often /mWs/ with elision of /t/
of /Wv/ /üv/
Descriptive Grammar of English WSJO 2010/2011– Year 2

word weak form strong form comments

on - /ün/
shall /SWl/ /Sél/
shan't - /SA:nt/ this word has no weak forms
she /Si/ /Si:/
she's /Siz/ /Si:z/
should /Sïd/ /Sïd/ occasional weak form /SWd/
W
shouldn't - /Sud nt/ this word has no weak forms
a determiner - as in some apples, some bananas, etc.,
where a weak form is used
some /sWm/, /sm/ /sUm/
a quantifier/pronoun - as in some were tired and some
were hungry, where the strong form is usual.
than /DWn/ /Dén/
weak form – when used in a relative clause
that /DWt/ /Dét/
strong form – when used as a demonstrative
/Di/ + vowel
the /Di:/
/DW/ + consonant
them /DWm/ /Dem/
there /DW/ /DeW/ strong form – adverb of place, interjection
/tW/ + consonant
to /tu:/
/tu/ + vowel
us /Ws/ /Us/
was /wWz/ /wüz/
wasn't - /wüzWnt/ this word has no weak forms
we /wi/ /wi:/
we're /wçW/ /wi: A:/ = we are
were /wW/ /wä:/, /weW/
the weak forms are used (if at all) only for the relative
who /hu/ /hu:/
(not the interrogative)
would /wïd/ /wïd/ occasional weak form /wWd/
W
wouldn't - /wïd nt/ this word has no weak forms
/jW/ is unusual in RP
you /ju/, /jW/ /ju:/
weak form before consonants (if used at all)
LPD: "Learners of BrE are advised not to use the
your, you're /jW/ /jO:/ weak form /jW/, which is fairly unusual in RP".