Weak forms or gradation
Strong forms: stressed words (usually lexical).!
Weak forms: unstressed words.!
Grammatical words in English are usually unstressed unless for emphasis or in specific positions.
The forms are contracted, vowels are reduced, syllables are lost, etc. !
To be
"
To have
-have uses WF with got and as an AUX in compound tenses. !
-SF (lexicalized) in expressions like have breakfast, have a nap, etc.
Modal verbs
Word
Strong form
Weak form
Be
/bi:/
bi
Been
/bi:n/
/bɪn/
Am
/æm/
/əm/, /m/
Is
/ɪz/
/s/, /z/, (assimilation: s after
voiceless, z after voiced)
Are
/aː(r)/
/ə(r)/
Was
/wɒz/
/wəz/
Were
/wɜː(r)/
/wə(r)/
Word
Strong form
Weak form (s)
Have
/hæv/
/həv/, /əv/, /v/
Has
/hæz/
/həz/, /əz/, /z/, /s/ (assimilation
after voiceless C
Had
/hæd/
/həd/, /əd/, /d/
Word
Strong form
Weak form(s)
Will
/wɪl/
/əl/, /l/
Shall
/ʃæl/
/∫(ə)l/
Would
/wʊd/
/wəd/, /əd/, /d/
Should
/∫ʊd/
/∫əd/
Can
/kæn/
/k(ə)n/
Could
/kʊd/
/kəd/
