COMPLETE KEY - TRANSCRIPTION OF DIALOGUES Key to page 32 (FF1)

Transcribed in R.P. English (Southern British English standard). Thus, the transcription
illustrates characteristics of that variety of English such as the absence of post-vocalic /r/
(e.g. R.P. /, G. Am. //), and the pronunciation of some words with //
(e.g., can’t in R.P. /knt/, in G. Am. /knt/). Some words that end in –day, can be
pronouced as /-de/ or /-d/: // or //.

B. ()
 
C. 
B. 
 
 ()
C. 
 
B. 
 
C. 
 
B. 
C. 
B. 
 
C. 
B. 
 
C. 
 
B. 
C. 
 
P. 
B. 
J. 
 
 

B. 
C. 
P. 

C. 
B. 
 
Steps in transcription.
Example

BARBARA: Do you think those two boys have forgotten that they were supposed to meet
us here at eight o'clock?
CHRISTINE: They'll probably be here soon. Perhaps they can't find the cinema.
B: Nonsense! Everyone knows where the ABC is. Of course, they may not come at all. They
may never have intended to turn up. We've only met them once, so for all we know they may
be sitting in a pub having a drink.

Divide into thought groups:

BARBARA: // Do you think those two boys (/) have forgotten that they were supposed to
meet us here (/) at eight o'clock? //
CHRISTINE: // They'll probably be here soon.// Perhaps they can't find the cinema.//
B: //Nonsense! // Everyone knows where the ABC is. // Of course, they may not come at all.
// They may never have intended to turn up. // We've only met them once, / so for all we
know / they may be sitting in a pub having a drink. //

Mark stress (in bold here, use ˈ):

BARBARA: // Do you think those two boys have forgotten that they were supposed to
meet us here at eight o'clock? //
CHRISTINE: // They'll probably be here soon.// Perhaps they can't find the cinema.//
B: //Nonsense! // Everyone knows where the ABC is. // Of course, they may not come at
all. // They may never have intended to turn up. // We've only met them once, / so for all
we know / they may be sitting in a pub having a drink. //

Transcribe keeping in mind:

- words that are likely to have weak forms (articles, auxiliaries, etc.), and those likely to have
strong forms (e.g. negative auxiliaries)
- no stressed schwa
- reduced vowels
- predictable transcriptions: endings (plural, past tense, past participle, genitive,
contractions)
- linking r before a vowel-initial word
- velar nasal before velar stops

B. ()


C.

B.

() 