7.3 Gradation of pronouns
The second column gives the SF, the third the WF, and the fourth column gives an illustration of the use of the WF.
| SF | WF | Example | |
| me | miː | mi | Tell me |
| you | juː | ju
also: jə |
You ate it?
You want to come? |
| he | hiː | (h)i | What he says is true |
| him | hɪm | (h)ɪm | You don’t know him |
| his | hɪz | (h)ɪz | Is that his address? |
| she | ʃiː | ʃi | She reads a lot |
| her | hɜr | (h)ər | That’s her husband |
| we | wiː | wi | We know |
| us | ʌs | əs
(let us: /lɛts/ |
It shouldn’t worry us |
| them | ðɛm | (ð)əm | Tell them |
| their | ðɛr | (ð)ər
(before vowels only) |
Their own fault |
The SFs of these pronouns are used when they are accented. In unaccented positions it is normal to find WFs. Some speakers avoid the form /əm/ or /ðəm / for them, and use the SF. Note:
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- /h/ is usually pronounced when a pause precedes, while in other positions it is usually left out: He likes her /hi ˈlaɪks ər/;
- some, that and who are gradation words in certain functions only:
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- some when it is equivalent to Dutch ‘wat‘. Some /səm/ cheese, some /səm/ chairs. The SF /səm/ is used when some is accented, but also when it occurs finally, as in I’d like some /aɪd ˈlaɪk sʌm/. When some is equivalent to Dutch een of andere, enige, sommige it is always /sʌm/: some /sʌm/ woman or other, with some /sʌm/ difficulty, some /sʌm/ chairs are a bit wobbly. Also the adverb is always /sʌm/: some /sʌm/ ten years ago.
- that when it is a relative (betrekkelijk) pronoun or when it is a conjunction: I remember the horse that /ðət/ finished second, I remember that /ðət/ he had a limp. Also as in His excuse, that he’d missed the train, was not accepted. When it is a demonstrative (aanwijzend) pronoun, as in I like that blue one or an adverb, as in It isn’t all that difficult, it is always /ðæt/.
- who is a gradation word when it is a relative pronoun. I know the man who /(h)u/ said this. When it is an interrogative (vragend) pronoun, it is always /huː/: Who /huː/ said this?
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