2. Prepositions

	strong forms	weak forms
		quantitative reduction	qualitative reduction	zero reduction
to	/tH/	/tu., tu/ + V	/tV/ + V /tq/ + C	/t/ + C
into	/'IntH/		/'IntV/ + V /'Intq/ + C
through	/TrH/		/TrV/
at	/xt/		/qt/
from	/frPm/		/frqm/
of	/Pv/		/qv/	/v/
for	/fL/ + C /fLr/ + V		/fq/ + C /fqr/ + V	/fr/ + V

NOTE:

1) Some prepositions are always used in their full form being unstressed. They are:

• monosyllabic prepositions

e.g. in /In/, on /Pn/, with /wID/;

• the majority of disyllabic prepositions

e.g. before /bI'fL/, above /q'bAv/, after /'Rftq/, under /'Andq/, about /q'baVt/, without /wI'DaVt/ etc.

2) All prepositions have their full form when they are final and unstressed.

e .g. Where do you come from? / wFq dq jV kAm frPm/.

3) Both weak and strong forms of prepositions can be used before an unstressed personal pronoun at the end of a sense-group or a sentence.

e .g. I’ll come to you /aIl kAm tH (tq) jV/.

Monosyllabic prepositions are either stressed or unstressed, disyllabic prepositions are usually stressed in this case.

e .g. Why are you looking at me? / waI a^. jV lVkIN _(.)xt mI/

H ave a look under it! / hxv q 'lVk Andqr It/

3. Conjunctions

	strong forms	weak forms
		quantitative reduction	qualitative reduction	zero reduction
or	/L/ + C /Lr/ + V	/O., O/ + C /O.r, Or/ + V	/q/ + V /qr/ + C
and	/xnd/		/qnd/	/nd, qn, n/
than	/Dxn/		/Dqn/	/Dn/
as	/xz/		/qz/
but	/bAt/		/bqt/
that	/Dxt/		/Dqt/

NOTES:

1) Conjunctions are stressed and used in their full form if they stand at the beginning of a sentence and are followed by an unstressed word.

e .g. As he asked me a question, I must answer.

/ xz hI 'Rskt mI q kwesCqn aI mqst Rnsq/

2. Some conjunctions are never reduced while being unstressed. They are:

• monosyllabic conjunctions:

if /If/, though /DEV/, so /sEV/, while /wail/, else /els/, lest /lest/;

• disyllabic conjunctions:

because /bI'kLz/, whereas /wFqr'xz/, although /Ll'DEV/.

3. Mind the forms of unstressed composite conjunctions:

• some composite conjunctions have the first element in its weak form and the second element in its strong form; they are: as if /qz 'If/, as though /qz 'DEV/, or else /Or 'els/;

• some composite conjunctions have the first element in its strong form and the second element in its weak form; they are: neither … nor /'naIDq ('nJDq) … nO^./, either … or /'aIDq ('JDq) … O^./, both … and /'bEVT … qnd/;

• the conjunction as … as /qz … qz/ has both elements unstressed.

4. Unlike the conjunction that /Dqt/ the demonstrative pronoun that /Dxt/ is always stressed and used in its full form.

C f. I know that girl. /aI nEV 'Dxt gE:l/

I know that the girl is here. /aI nEV Dqt Dq 'gE:l Iz hIq/

5. The conjunction than /Dqn/ mustn’t be confused with the adverb then /Den/ which is stressed and used in its full form.

C f. She was young then. /SI wqz jAN .Den/

S he was younger than me. /SI wqz jANgq Dqn mJ/