Table II, continued
| Words | Strong Forms | Weak Forms | Examples |
| she | Jb | Tr.fi. /" | iiz,pnti |
| we | wi: | wi*, wi, wi | wi avgrt |
| me | mi: | mi*, mi, mi | "*let mi xsi: |
| her | ïý: + Ñ | hv, ha, a + V | "*nikzha,SAn |
| ïç:ã + V | ÏÝÃ, ÝÃ + V | "*tclhar,a:I | |
| his | hiz | IZ | ai ~*laik iz^feis |
| him | him | im | "*send im a,wj:d |
| us | AS | 3S, S | "*li:v as in ,pi:s |
| them | flem | flam, ýò | ~*a:sk dam ta kdu- it |
| your | ja: + Ñ | jr.ja, ja + Ñ | ~*hiazja,hast |
| jar + V | J3% jar, jar | aim jar ~*3uld (frend | |
| our | aua + Ñ | àý + Ñ | "*braunz aa,neiba |
| auar + V | aar + V | hiz aar ~* suld v frend | |
| Verbs | |||
| be | bi: | biJ, bi, bi | "* d3ont bi j no:ti |
| been | bun | biJn. bin, bin | aivbin ,610^10 |
| am | xm | m — after f, am | aim vtaiad |
| are | a- + Ñ | a; a + Ñ | jua4leit |
| a:r + V | àò, ýã + V | juar a,bun |
Note: The sound [hj is not dropped in the words Ëå. him, his, her, has, have, had at the beginning of intonation groups or sentences.
Table II. continued
| Words | Strong Forms | Weak Forms | Examples |
| is | 1Z | z — after voiced con sonants and vowels | "*wcaz ,nik |
| s — after voiceless consonants | oils ,rait | ||
| iz — after s, z, J, 3, | da~*haus iz tla:dj | ||
| was | WDZ | W3Z | ~*wot waz jrorj |
| were | W3: + Ñ ws:r + V | W3-, W3, W3 + Ñ W3T, W3r, war + V | Äà "* tri:z wa xgri:n da "*baiz war jDnist |
| have | haev | haev, av, v — after personal pronouns | da "*ka:zav vstopt |
| has | haez | haz, az, z — after voiced consonants and vowels s — after voiceless consonants | èç ~*dokta haz (êëò "'dSskSjkAin |
| had | haed | had, ad, d — after personal pronouns | Vnik had 'finijt it bai ,faiv |
| can | kaen | kan, kn | dei kan ,stei |
| could | kud | kad, kd | Oai kad , faun |
| must | òëÿ | mast, mas | ai mast xwa:n im |
| will | Wll | fleil a,gri: | |
| would | wud | wad, ad, d — after personal pronouns | oa "*äç:1 wad 4stei |
| shall | /xl | Jal, J] — after personal pronouns | wijl ,wa:k |
| should | Jud | Jad./d — after personal pronouns | ai Jd ""Mai ê ta (stei |
| do | du: | dua, du, du, da | "* wot da oei ,ïçè |
| does | d*z | daz | "* wen daz 1 Êêëò |
Table II. continued
| Ã Words | Strong Forms | Weak Forms | Examples |
| Conjunctions and | xnd | and, an, n | beikn and ,egz |
| that | est | fat | jo ** ïçî flat joa , n>rj |
| but | bAt | bat | bat "* wai v not |
| than | <Jaen | flan, dn | its~*w3:madan ,jestadi |
| as | aez | az | çã "*su:n ýã vpDSibl |
| or | ý: + Ñ ý:ã + V | ý ý, à + Ñ ýò, ýã, à + V | ~* red ý j wait ~* torn ýã ,sen |
| Particles to | ta | ta + Ñ | ~*trai ta vdu:it |
| to + V | "* trai to j it it | ||
| there | äýý | éý + Ñ äçò + V | da wj (letaz âàãà jtfildrsn |
The weak forms of the words listed in Table 11 should be used in unstressed positions.
The strong forms of auxiliary and modal verbs, personal and possessive pronouns and form-words are by far more rarely used. Fhey are used in their strong forms when they are said in isolation, when they become the communicative centres of utterances. The following cases should be also remembered as the iraditional use of strong forms in the English language.
Prepositions have their strong forms though they might remain unstressed:
(a) at the very end of an intonation group or phrase, eg
VVTiar are you looking at? ["* wnt ý ju ^lukio act].
(b) at the end of an intonation group or phrase when they are
followed by the unstressed pronoun. Monosyllabic prepositions
ire either stressed or not, according to the rhythmic pattern of
I he phrase, eg
I'm not talking to you. [aim ~* not ^takin tu: ju]
but [aim ^rmt 'takirj ta vju:]
Polysyllabic prepositions followed by a pronoun at the end of phrase are stressed as a rule, eg
lave a look under it. j^haev ý 'luk õëïñ1ýã it].
Auxiliary and modal verbs have their strong forms:
(a) at the end of an intonation group or a phrase whether
tressed or not, eg
Vho has done it? — Mary has [õòñýï hsezj. ire you free? — / am (ai xaeml.
(b) At the beginning of general and alternative questions in
areful colloquial style, while in rapid colloquial style they are
mstressed and reduced, eg
Ton you get it by tomorrow? p-kasn ju 'get it bai ta.mDreu], mt: Have you got any matches? [hav ju "* got eni .maetfiz].
(c) In contracted negative forms, eg
don't know the man. [ai ~* d3unt ,ïçè äý masnj.
The following form-words should be remembered as having 10 weak forms whatsoever: what, where, when, how, which, on, n, with, then.
The verb to have used as a content verb in the meaning of to possess' has no weak forms (whether stressed or not) though )ften unstressed, eg
have a little brother [ai haev ý ~* litl ,Üãëäý].
The demonstrative pronoun that is never reduced while the ronjunction that is, eg
know that (ai ,ïçè daet],
jut: / know that he is here. [ai "* ïçè dot hiz ,hia].
Neither are reduced the absolute forms of possessive pro-louns, eg.
Hie ball-pen is mine. [áý "* Üý:1 pen iz ,mam].
All the form-words, auxiliary and modal verbs, personal and possessive pronouns are generally stressed and consequently lave their strong forms in case they become the logical centres Df phrases, eg
I'm speaking of your work, not of your sister's, {aim ~* splkin ý Jo: w3:k | ~* not av ja xsistaz].
Comparison with Russian.Russian speech is characterized by different rhythmical structure. Personal and possessive pronouns, auxiliary and modal verbs are often stressed in Russian, cf
By the ~* time we ,get there | it'll be "* too ^late.
Ê òîìó âðåìåíè êàê ìû òóä& äîáåð¸ìñÿ, | áóäåò óæå
ñëèøêîì ïáçäíî.
Mistakes of Russian Learners.Russian students of English fail to use weak forms correctly. On the one hand they introduce stiong forms in unstressed positions. On the other hand they replace strong forms by weak forms in places where there should be no,reduction in the unstressed position. Careful practice of form-words in various accentual patterns is desirable.