Some words have two pronunciations: a strong form and a weak form. In normal speech,
we usually use the weak form as in the sentences below.
Activity 1
Look at sentences 1-5, and identify the prepositions.
1 Can I have a cup of tea?
2 We met at uni.
3 I’ve known him for ten years.
4 I’m from Dubai.
5 It’s quarter to ten.
Do you know the weak forms of the prepositions in the sentences above? Listen and repeat, taking
care not to stress the weak forms.
Exam tip: If you use weak forms correctly, you will be more fluent and you will sound more like a native speaker. This will get you higher marks in the exam. Knowing about weak forms will also help you understand the examiner more easily; t is easy to miss weak forms because they are unstressed.
Sometimes, even in fast speech, we use the strong form of a word:
a if we want to emphasise it, or contrast it with another word
b if it comes before a pause
c if it comes at the end of a sentence
Activity 2
Listen to sentences 1-4. Are the prepositions strong or weak? If they are strong, give a
reason from the list a-c above.
1 Has she been waiting for long? _____ _
2 What are you looking at? _____ _
3 The present’s not from Mark, it’s for Mark. _____ _
4 I want to go! _____ _
Now check your answers, Then repeat the sentences.
Exam tip: Other function words [or grammatical words] also have weak forms. Some common ones are:
• positive auxiliary verbs [e.g. can, must, do, shall, was, are]
• pronouns [e.g. her, you, them, your]
• conjunctions [e.g. and, but, because {‘cos}, than]
• articles [the, a, an]
A good dictionary will give you guidance on strong and weak pronunciations. Practise using weak forms by saying sentences that have prepositions in them.