Weak & Strong

Forms
 we saw stressed and
unstressed syllables in
individual words
 something similar
happens in complete
sentences
Where are you from?
Where are you from?

I’m from London.

Where are you from?

I’m from London.

Where are you from?

I’m from London.

Where are you from?

I’m from London.

 ɒ
Where are you from?

I’m from London.

Are they from Italy?
 Are they from Italy?

Yes, they are.

 Are they from Italy?

Yes, they are.

 Are they from Italy?

Yes, they are.

 Are they from Italy?

Yes, they are.

 ə

Are they from Italy?

ɑː
Yes, they are.
some words have two
pronunciations
a weak form

from / frəm /
are / ə /
and a strong form

from / frɒm /
are / ɑː /
the weak form is the
usual pronunciation
 the weak form is the
usual pronunciation
it’s used when the word is
unstressed
the strong form is used
only when the word is
stressed
the strong form is used
only when the word is
stressed
eg. when it’s the last
word
the vowel is simplified
(in most cases)
to ə or ɪ
which words have weak
and strong forms?
prepositions
prepositions
auxiliary verbs
prepositions
auxiliary verbs
modal verbs
prepositions
auxiliary verbs
modal verbs
pronouns
prepositions
auxiliary verbs
modal verbs
pronouns
possessive adjectives
prepositions
auxiliary verbs
modal verbs
pronouns
possessive adjectives
possessive pronouns
prepositions
auxiliary verbs
modal verbs
pronouns
possessive adjectives
possessive pronouns
conjunctions
prepositions
auxiliary verbs
modal verbs
pronouns
possessive adjectives
possessive pronouns
conjunctions
articles
prepositions
auxiliary verbs
modal verbs
pronouns
possessive adjectives
possessive pronouns
conjunctions
articles
prepositions ‘g r a m m a r ’
auxiliary verbs
words
modal verbs
pronouns
possessive adjectives
possessive pronouns
conjunctions
articles
which words only have
strong forms?
nouns
nouns
main verbs
nouns
main verbs
adjectives
nouns
main verbs
adjectives
adverbs
nouns
main verbs
adjectives
adverbs
nouns
main verbs ‘ me a n i n g ’
adjectives words
adverbs
preposition weak form strong form

s
from frəm frɒm
to tə tuː
at ət æt
in ɪn ɪn
on ɒn ɒn
aux. verbs weak form strong form

am əm æm

are ə ɑː

have həv hæv

had həd hæd

does dəz dʌz

modal weak form strong form

verbs
can kən kæn
will wɪl wɪl
would wəd wʊd
shall ʃəl ʃæl
must məst mʌst
articles weak form strong form

a ə eɪ

an ən æn

the ðə ðiː
when do weak forms
become strong?
 1.
the end of the sentence
Where are you from?
Yes, I am.
No, I’m not.
 2.
negatives
I can speak German.
 ə

I can speak German.

I can’t speak German.
 ɑː

I can’t speak German.

You aren’t listening.
NB
I’m not listening.
the stress is always on
‘not’
even when it’s
abbreviated
 3.
auxiliary or modal
substitutes or includes
the main verb
I can’t speak German

but my friend can.

Do you like English
coffee?

No, I don’t.
 4.
double stress for
emphasis
I do like your hat!
I didn’t crash my car!
I didn’t crash my car.
I crashed hers!
look at this passage from
Charles Dickens’
A Tale of Two Cities

How many weak forms

can you find?
It was the best of times, it was the worst
of times, it was the age of wisdom, it
was the age of foolishness, it was the
epoch of belief, it was the epoch of
incredulity, it was the season of Light, it
was the season of Darkness, it was the
spring of hope, it was the winter of
despair, we had everything before us, we
had nothing before us, we were all going
direct to Heaven, we were all going
direct the other way—in short, the period
was so far like the present period, that
some of its noisiest authorities insisted
on its being received, for good or for evil,
in the superlative degree of comparison
It was the best of times, it was the worst
of times,
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age
of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief,
it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the
season of Light, it was the season of
Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it
was the winter of despair, we had
everything before us, we had nothing
before us, we were all going direct to
Heaven, we were all going direct the
other way—in short, the period was so
far like the present period, that some of
its noisiest authorities insisted on its
being received, for good or for evil, in the
ɪt wəs thə best əf times, ɪt wəs thə worst
əf times, ɪt wəs thɪ age əf wisdom, ɪt wəs
thɪ age əf foolishness, ɪt wəs thɪ epoch əf
belief, ɪt wəs thɪ epoch əf incredulity, ɪt
wəs thə season əf Light, ɪt wəs thə
season əf Darkness, ɪt wəs thə spring əf
hope, ɪt wəs thə winter əf despair, wɪ had
everything before əs, wɪ had nothing
before əs,
wɪ wə all going direct tə Heaven, wɪ wə
all
going direct thɪ other way—ɪn short, thə
period wəs so far like thə present period,
thət some əf ɪts noisiest authorities
insisted on ɪts being received, fə good ə
fə evil, ɪn thə superlative degree əf
now find the stressed and
unstressed syllables in
these words

How many have ə or ɪ ?

ɪt wəs thə best əf times, ɪt wəs thə worst
əf times, ɪt wəs thɪ age əf wisdom, ɪt wəs
thɪ age əf foolishness, ɪt wəs thɪ epoch əf
belief, ɪt wəs thɪ epoch əf incredulity, ɪt
wəs thə season əf Light, ɪt wəs thə
season əf Darkness, ɪt wəs thə spring əf
hope, ɪt wəs thə winter əf despair, wɪ had
everything before əs, wɪ had nothing
before əs,
wɪ wə all going direct tə Heaven, wɪ wə
all
going direct thɪ other way—ɪn short, thə
period wəs so far like thə present period,
thət some əf ɪts noisiest authorities
insisted on ɪts being received, fə good ə
fə evil, ɪn thə superlative degree əf
ɪt wəs thə best əf times, ɪt wəs thə worst
əf times, ɪt wəs thɪ age əf wisdom, ɪt wəs
thɪ age əf foolishness, ɪt wəs thɪ epoch əf
belief, ɪt wəs thɪ epoch əf incredulity, ɪt
wəs thə season əf Light, ɪt wəs thə
season əf Darkness, ɪt wəs thə spring əf
hope, ɪt wəs thə winter əf despair, wɪ had
everything before əs, wɪ had nothing
before əs,
wɪ wə all going direct tə Heaven, wɪ wə
all
going direct thɪ other way—ɪn short, thə
period wəs so far like thə present period,
thət some əf ɪts noisiest authorities
insisted on ɪts being received, fə good ə
fə evil, ɪn thə superlative degree əf
ɪt wəs thə best əf times, ɪt wəs thə worst
əf times, ɪt wəs thɪ age əf wisdəm, ɪt wəs
thɪ age əf foolɪshnəss, ɪt wəs thɪ epoch əf
bɪlief, ɪt wəs thɪ epoch əf ɪncrədulɪtɪ, ɪt
wəs thə seasən əf Light, ɪt wəs thə
seasən əf Darknəss, ɪt wəs thə spring əf
hope, ɪt wəs thə wintər əf dɪspair, wɪ had
everɪthɪng bɪfore əs, wɪ had nothɪng
bɪfore əs,
wɪ wə all goɪng direct tə Heavən, wɪ wə
all
goɪng direct thɪ othər way—ɪn short, thə
perɪəd wəs so far like thə presənt perɪəd,
thət some əf ɪts noisɪəst authorɪtɪs
ɪnsistɪd on ɪts beɪng rɪceived, fə good ə fə
evil, ɪn thə superlətɪve dɪgree əf
ɪt wəs thə best əf times, ɪt wəs thə worst
əf times, ɪt wəs thɪ age əf wisdəm, ɪt wəs
thɪ age əf foolɪshnəss, ɪt wəs thɪ epoch əf
bɪlief, ɪt wəs thɪ epoch əf ɪncrədulɪtɪ, ɪt
wəs thə seasən əf Light, ɪt wəs thə
seasən əf Darknəss, ɪt wəs thə spring əf
hope, ɪt wəs thə wintər əf dɪspair, wɪ had
everɪthɪng bɪfore əs, wɪ had nothɪng
bɪfore əs,
wɪ wə all goɪng direct tə Heavən, wɪ wə
all
goɪng direct thɪ othər way—ɪn short, thə
perɪəd wəs so far like thə presənt perɪəd,
thət some əf ɪts noisɪəst authorɪtɪs
ɪnsistɪd on ɪts beɪng rɪceived, fə good ə fə
evil, ɪn thə superlətɪve dɪgree əf
 HOMEWORK

make a list of the weak

forms that you used in
your latest writing
homework
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