This document discusses function words and how they can be reduced in speech. It defines function words as words that only have grammatical meaning like prepositions, articles, auxiliary verbs, pronouns, and quantifiers. Content words are usually stressed while function words are usually unstressed. The document provides examples of common function words and how they can be reduced, such as "a" becoming "uh" and "the" becoming "thuh". It then provides practice examples for the reader to try reducing function words in sentences. Finally, it encourages attendees to post any questions to an online forum.

1. Lunch & Learn
Reduced Function words

2. What are function words?
Question

3. Function words are words that only
have grammatical meaning. They
don’t add anything to the content of a
sentence or paragraph.
answer

4. Content words may include nouns and
verbs, while function words include:
-prepositions
-articles
-auxiliary verbs
-pronouns
-quantifiers

5. Content words are usually
stressed. Functions words
are usually weak.
(unstressed)

6. Function
word
In context Reduced Example
a I’ll have a coffee uh I’ll have [uh]
coffee
an We want an
apple.
n We want [n]
apple.
the Did you see the
game last night?
thuh Did you see
[thuh] game
last night?
Articles

7. Function
word
In context reduced example
he When did he
arrive?
e When did [e]
arrive?
her She lost her
wallet.
er She lost [er]
wallet.
him I saw him
yesterday.
im I saw [im]
yesterday.
Pronouns

8. Function
word
In context Reduced Example
his Where does his
aunt live?
iz Where does [iz]
aunt live?
them Give it to them. em Give it to [em].
you What would you
like?
ya What would
[ya] like?
Pronouns

9. Function
word
In context Reduced Example
to I went to school
yesterday.
tuh I went [tuh]
school
yesterday.
for Is this for me? fur Is this [fur] me?
as It’s as big as a
house!
uz It’s as big [uz] a
house!
of May I have a piece
of cake?
uv May I have a
piece [uv] cake?
Prepositions

10. Function
word
In context Reduced Example
have they should have
been here.
av They should
[av] been here.
had I thought she had
asked you!
ad I thought she
[ad] asked you!
do What do you
want?
da What [da] you
want?
Auxiliary verbs

11. Function
word
In context Reduced Example
can Can I come? ken [Ken] I come?
could Could you help
me?
cud [Cud] you help
me?
should Should I go or
not?
shud [Shud] I go or
not?
Would
have
What would have
Happened?
wudav What [wudav]
happened?
Should
have
I should have
come.
shudav I [shudav] come.
Modal verbs

12. Let’s practice!
Read the following sentences.

13. 1
I want to speak to you.
I want to speak tuh ya.

14. 2
Jan spoke to them yesterday.
Jan spoke to em yesterday.

15. 3
Would you like a coffee?
Would you like uh coffee?

16. 4
Can you help them later?
Can you help em later?

17. 5
Did you wash the car?
Did you wash thuh car?

18. 6
She wants to go to the movies
with her best friend.
She wants to go to the movies
with er best friend.

19. 7
What do you think about this?
What do ya think about this?

20. 8
What did he say to them?
What did e say to them?

21. 9
I would’ve helped you if you had
asked.
I wudav helped you if you ad
asked.

22. 10
Do you think you could have
come if we had asked you
earlier?
Do you think you could av come
if we had asked you earlier?

23. Homework:
Go to the forum and leave a
post!

24. Questions?
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25. Thank you for attending!
See you next time!
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