14. Reduction of function words in English. Words always weak in unstressed position.

The basic principle of utterance-stress in English, as in other languages, is that form-words, or functional words, are not stressed, unless there is a need for special contrast or prominence on them. The list of functional words that are generally unstressed in speech includes articles, prepositions, conjunctions, some pronouns, auxiliary and modal verbs.

An important feature of English pronunciation is the weake­ning and reduction of functional words in an unstressed position in an utterance. However, not all functional words are always reduced when unstressed. Some of them may be both weak and strong. There is yet another group of functional words which are never reduced.

Thus, according to their pronunciation in an unstressed position functional words can be divided into three groups.

I. Words always weak in an unstressed position

word strong form weak form

the	ui:	ui (before a vowel) йэ (before a consonant)
a	Ei	э
an	Xn	an
as	XZ	az
and	Xnd	an, n
but	bAt	bat
than	Dxn	flan
that(conj.)	fleet	dat
he	hi:	hi(-)
she	It	fl(')
you	ju:	ju(-)
me	mi:	mi()
her	пз:	h3()(ha)
them	Oem	6am
there	dea(r)	6a(r)
us	AS	as

Note: The strong form of these words is used when the word is said in isolation or with special emphasis.

15. Reduction of function words in English. Words which may be both weak and strong in an unstressed position.

The basic principle of utterance-stress in English, as in other languages, is that form-words, or functional words, are not stressed, unless there is a need for special contrast or prominence on them. The list of functional words that are generally unstressed in speech includes articles, prepositions, conjunctions, some pronouns, auxiliary and modal verbs.

An important feature of English pronunciation is the weake­ning and reduction of functional words in an unstressed position in an utterance. However, not all functional words are always reduced when unstressed. Some of them may be both weak and strong. There is yet another group of functional words which are never reduced.

Thus, according to their pronunciation in an unstressed position functional words can be divided into three groups.

I. Words always weak in an unstressed position

word strong form weak form

the	ui:	ui (before a vowel) йэ (before a consonant)
a	Ei	э
an	Xn	an
as	XZ	az
and	Xnd	an, n
but	bAt	bat
than	Dxn	flan
that(conj.)	fleet	dat
he	hi:	hi(-)
she	It	fl(')
you	ju:	ju(-)
me	mi:	mi()
her	пз:	h3()(ha)
them	Oem	6am
there	dea(r)	6a(r)
us	AS	as

Note: The strong form of these words is used when the word is said in isolation or with special emphasis.

16. When a Low Rise is used it indicates for the hearer that the Utterance is not finished and there is a continuation without which the information is incomplete. An.important characteristic of this intonation pattern is the high pitch of the prenuclear part (the High or the Stepping Head).

e. g.: Mr. 'Priestley's,daughter 'studies at a 'business college.

This pattern is typically pronounced in grammatically incomplete parts of utterances, such as

a) adverbial phrases:

A 'few days ago we 'went to a 'fast-food restaurant.

b) enumeration:

On the 'ground floor there is a /kitchen, a /pantry, a/dining-room, a cosy sitting-room and my 'husband's study.

c) initial subordinate clauses:

When 'Betty 'studied at /college she had a 'lot of friends.

d) principal clauses formed by the author's words in reported speech:

My 'younger 'sister /says \ that she 'can't stand 'loud music.

This pattern can also be used in an initial part of a compound sentence, especially when the adjacent clauses are syrnmetrical in their grammatical structure and meaning (in this case a Low Rise is often replaced by a Mid-High Rise)

There is a plate in front of John and there’s a plate in front of Mary.