Strong and weak forms of auxillary verbs
Auxiliary verbs commonly use reduced forms when unstressed and strong forms when emphasised or used in short answers.
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The pronunciation tables contrast weak auxiliary forms in questions with strong forms in short answers. Examples include Do you ...? /də/ and I do. /duː/; Does she ...? /dəz/ and She does. /dʌz/; Can I ...? /kən/ and You can. /kæn/. Further pairs include Could we ...? /kəd/ and We could. /kʊd/; Were they ...? /wə/ and They were. /wɜː/; Has he ...? /həz/ and He has. /hæz/. Learners listen, repeat, identify the auxiliary, and notice that an unstressed auxiliary is commonly reduced, whereas an auxiliary carrying emphasis or forming a short answer is pronounced strongly. The accompanying comprehension statements also place auxiliaries in meaningful sentences about exercise, food, and healthy habits.