Sichuan Post and Telecommunication CollegeAbout Weak forms and Rhythm Unit 12SPTCChengdu, CNWednesday, May 2st, 2005

Guo Liangyan Huang Deqiang Liu JiaHu Jie

This unit deals with weak forms which are one of the most remarkable features of English. As a matter of fact, one must learn to use the weak forms of English words if one wants his English sounds to be English. There are about 50 function words of one syllable which have more than one pronunciation in connected speech--a strong form and one or more weak forms, depending on their position in the tone unit, the degree of accentuation which they receive, their style of speech and, moreover, the influence of rhythm of the language. As compared with the strong forms, the weak forms of these words show the following features:reductions of the length of sounds;obscuration of vowels towards //, // or / /// or // ;elision of vowels and consonants. The following list presents the most common of these function words.Unit12 Weak forms

and /nd/ nd \ at. /n/ blk n\ wait. /nd/ hi st nd\ it. // bred n\ b as /z/ z l ju\ but /bt/ bt ai k\ prs ju:. that // ai m frid t a :nt \ help ju. han /n, n/ m: n\ ev Unit12 Conjunctions

he /hi/ (in careful speech or hi 1vz iz \ lnd in initial position) // (in rapid speech, never at hz / raivd? the beginning of an utterance)him /im/ wi: ik spektid im\ jestdei. his // hi pt t in iz \ pkshe // we did \ . her /:/ li:v : \ ln. / / av \ met . /h/ (when sentence-initial) h \ neim iz \ met me /mi/ v mi \ hnd. them /m/ v m \ lesn. we /wi/ hau kn wi\ et ? w V :t t. us /s/ let s \ du:t. /s/ let s \ . you /ju/ ju \ r jes, ju\ kn. that /t / hi sed hiz \ best. Unit12 Pronouns

do (aux.) /du /+ (before vowels) wai du :l v ju \ km? /d /+ (consonants) w ju \ nu? (vowel) +/d / (consonant) ha d ju / laik t? does (aux. ) /dz/ wen d re \ rav. /z/ wenz i: \ rav? /s/ wts i: \ laik? am I +/m/ aim \ rat. /m/ ( elsewhere) wt a t \ d? are //+ consonant t v \ m /r/+ vowel pz r \ i. be /bi/ t bi \ fa. t s t bi m\ p:vd. been /b/ hiz bin \ we Unit12 Verbs

is /s/ (after /p, t, k, f, / ) ts n\ uld \ mp. /z/ (after vowels and voiced hi:z \ k. consonants except stridents /z, , d/ ) (after /s, z; , ; , d/, the strong form /z/ is always used: wtz\ rt?)was /w/ a \ has (aux. ) /z/ (after /s, z, , , t, d/) z su z / pbl. /s/ (after /p, t, k, f, / ) d ra:f s l \ nek. // (elsewhere) hiz \ sn. have (aux. ) /v/ (after I, we, you, they) wiv \ t. /v/ w v ju \ t? /hv/ (at the beginning of hv ju / tuld im? a tone unit)Unit12 Verbs

had (aux. ) /d/ (after I, he, she, we, hi d ud \ db. you, they) /d/ re d \ st. /hd/ (at the beginning of hd ri: t / km? a tone unit)can /kn/ kn \ da:ns. /k/ nau. could /kd/ kd ju / tel mi? shall /l/ tde l \ km. /1/ al bi \ will / /(after I, you, he, she, a 1\ k:l ju. we, you, they) /1/ (after consonants t 1\ du:. except /1/) /1/ (after vowels and /l/) b1 lu:zln 1\ w. must /mst / ( before vowels) ju mst \ upn it. /ms/ ( before consonants) ju ms\ tel hm. Unit12 Verbs

a // (before consonants) hv kp v \ ti:. an /n/ ( before vowels) hv n \ p 1. /n/ (in rapid speech, parti hi h n \ di. -cularly after an alveolar or palato-alveolar consonant) the // (before consonants) : \ s:t pli:z. /i/ (before vowels) a d z \ ret. some /sm, sm/ kn ju v mi s / pei.p? (When some means "a certain quantity", it is always accented and pronounced as /sm/:sm \ frendz.)Unit12 Determiners

at /t/ lst wi:ksteid t \ h. for /f/( before consonants) km f \ 1nt, pli /fr, fr/( before vowels) aimdst \ da fr / dk. from /frm,fm/ hi kms fr \ 1ndn. of /v/ \ sm v s. to /t/ ( before consonants) wit:kt t \ meri. /tu/ (before vowels and in w bed m tu \ ri: final position) ju dunt \ hv tu. Unit12 Prepositions

When there is used as an adverb of place and direction, it has no weak form and should be pronounced as /(r)/, as in All of us are\ there. However, when there is used to introduce a sentence which states that something exists, usually its weak form is used. Here are the two most commonly used pronunciation for there is and there are respectively: there is /z/ z 'n \ wt there are /r/ r 'verfain \ vju:z. Unit12 There

Certain English contracted verbs have special contracted forms when combined with not which has the weak form /nt/ after vowels and /nt/ after consonants when it follows are, is, should, would , has, have, could, dare, might. Special attention should be given to the negative forms of can, shall, will, do, must. For example: can't /k:nt/ ai k:nt \ ri: wi ju. shan't // :nt nt m u:m \ . won't /wnt/ a wtlet ju \ !1 don't /dunt/ wi dnt lak it mustn't /'m.nt/ ju ' nt \ du: t. Unit12 Contracted forms

Although the weak forms mentioned in the previous part is common in English, their strong forms must be used in the following eases:1) Whenever the word is stressed, e. g. / kn a? w wn d ju \ tu:z, / s : \ m? ai sed \ ei / sn, nt\ i: sn. 2) Whenever the word is in a final position in a tone unit, except the personal pronouns he, him, his, her, them, us ,e. g. wts \ t f:? aid \ 1 tu:. m hz. 3) Some prepositions, when occur before an unstressed pronoun, may either use the strong or weak form. mst v (or /v/ ) \ kes . av bin \ wet f (or /f:/) ju. Unit12 The use of strong forms

1. Now listen and repeat. a cup of tea a loaf of bread a bundle of flowers at the door in the field have an idea coming and going sons and daughters in and out tell him about it give her a lesson Yes, he has. drive them home some of them most of us from all over the world from above come from London the office for the sake of for a long time Yes, I'd like to. come to me as it is It was late. You are correct. He is wonderful. Does he like her? Do you know that? Yes, I do. No, I don't, Yes, she does. I've been there for two times. There are two of them. There is a car over there. He's two sons. We can not do it. You mustn't do that. That will do.Exercise

2. Now try the same with the following sentences. (1) We were very worried. (2) I'm just dying for a drink, (3) There wasn't a single woman. (4) There are some very fine views. (5) Which month suits the others? (6) We talked to Tom. (7) They stood by and watched. (8) His beard gives him a very fierce appearance. (9) We're so weary of hearing his ideas. (10) How far is it to the Town Hall? (11) What can we suggest to them for Christmas? (12) How much can you let my mother have? (13) Haven't you heard from Harry Atkins?, (14) Most of them are missing. (15) Has he taken his umbrella with him?. Exercise

3. Listen to the tape. Pay special attention to the pronunciation of the italicized words. Then read after the tape. I have just received a letter from my brother, Tim. He is in Australia. He has been there for six months. Tim is an engineer. He is working for a big firm and he has already visited a great number of different places in Australia. He has just bought an Australian car and has gone to Alice Springs, a small town in the center of Australia. He will soon visit Darwin. From there, he will fly to Perth. My brother has never been abroad before, so he is finding this trip very exciting. (Adapted from New Concept English , Book II, Lesson 4)Exercise

In most descriptions of English pronunciation over the last 50 years, English rhythm has been said to be stress-timed , that is, stressed syllables tend to occur at relatively regular intervals no matter how many unstressed syllables there are in between. However, all the instrumental studies fail to support such a theory. According to these studies, it is the occurrence of full vowels, rather than the stressed syllables, that generally predicts the rhythm of English. For rhythmical purposes, //, // and /u/ when they occur without a pitch accent are taken as reduced vowels, while all the other English vowels, are counted as full vowels. The one simple rule which governs the English rhythm is the Borrowing Rule whereby a syllable with a reduced vowel "borrows time" from any immediately preceding syllable containing a full vowel. By the prediction of the Borrowing Rule, full-vowelled syllables each take approximately an equal amount of time (although in practice this will be affected by the innate vowel length and the consonants in the syllable). Each syllable containing a reduced vowel is much shorter, and a full-vowelled syllable is itself shortened if it is immediately followed by a syllable with a reduced vowel. Let's take the following sentences as examples: (a) Those fallacies are \ dangerous. F F-R R R F-R R (b) Those brush-fire wars aren't \ dangerous. F F F F F F-R RUnit12 Rhythm and stress

In these examples, syllables marked F are equally long, those marked R are equally short, and those marked F- are long syllables shortened by the following reduced-vowelled syllables. A sequence of F-followed by R is equal to a single F; but any further following Rs do not take time from the F-. Thus, dangerous has the same rhythm in the two examples, where the first R borrows time from F-, but the second R does not. The rhythm of fallacies are and that of brush-fire wars aren't are different. By a theory of stress-timed rhythm, the two sentences should be said with the same rhythmical pattern because they are stressed in the same way. (For further details, please see Gimson's Pronunciation of English, 6th edition by Cruttenden, 2001. ) . Unit12 Rhythm and stress

4. Mark out the rhythm of the following rhymes. The first one has been done for you. Then read after the tape. (1) I like to go out in the garden... F F-R F F-R R F-R I like to get up on the wall... F F-R F F-R R F I like to do anything really... F F-R F F-R R F-R But I hate to do nothing at all. R F F~R F F-R R F (2) Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. When the glorious sun is set, When the grass with dew is wet, Then you show your little light. Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Exercise

(3) There was a young man of Devizes.. ~ Whose ears were of different sizes... One was so small... It was no use at all... But the other won several prizes.(4) There are words like Freedom Sweet and wonderful to say. On my heartstrings freedom sings All day every day. There are words like Liberty That almost make me cry. If you had known what I know You would know why.Exercise

(5) In the merry month of May, All the little birds are gay; They all hop and sing and say, "The winter days are far away. Welcome, welcome the merry May !" : In the merry month of May, All the' pretty flowers are gay. They all dance and sing and say, "The winter days are far away. Welcome, welcome the merry May!" In the merry month of May, All the girls and boys are gay. They all laugh and sing and say, "The winter days are far away. Welcome, welcome the merry May !" Exercise

5. Now read after the tape the following sentences with rhythm. (!) It's cold. (2) I agree. (3) She'll be in the room. (4) Ann went to the cinema. (5) Anna has gone to the cinema. (6) Break it into several pieces. (7) He used to play the piano with a jazz group at the university. (8) I thought you had something to drink at the Roths'. (9) Time and tide wait for no man. (10) It is almost impossible for a rich man to get into the kingdom of Heaven.Exercise

6. Now read the passage after the tape. Late in the afternoon, the boys put up their tent in the middle of a field. As soon as this was done, they cooked a meal over an open fire. They were all hungry and the food smelt good. After a wonderful meal, they told stories and sang songs by the camp fire. But some time later it began to rain. The boys felt tired so they put out the fire and crept into their tent. Their sleeping-bags were warm and comfortable, so they all slept soundly. In the middle of the night, two boys woke up and began shouting. The tent was full of water! They all leapt out of their sleeping-bags and hurried outside. It was raining heavily and they found that a stream had formed in the fields The stream wound its way across the field and: then flowed right under their tent ! (Adapted from New Concept English Book II ,Lesson 27)Exercise