042 buttressing

Prof. Francisco Zabala - 2014

Buttressing
In unemphatic sentences, the nucleus should go on the last lexical item (normally a noun or a verb). The speaker
can choose to keep the final preposition and pronoun in their weak form. Without changing the meaning of the
utterance, the speaker can also choose to apply buttressing .!aUsq?rHM.
(i.e.
(i.e. to ‘strengthen’ the preposition).
preposi
If the
preposition is buttressed, its strong form should be used.
E.g.
a. I’ve been WAITing
ing for you.
.`Hu
aHm
!vdHsHM
e?
it.
No
No buttressing




b.
I’ve been WAITing
ing for you.

.`Hu
aHm

!vdHsHM
/eN9
it.
Buttressing
Buttressing

If the pronoun gets stressed, then the sentence becomes contrastive. This is possible only if the context
requires a contrast. We have got to fight the Spanish tendency of stressing the last word so as not to
create unnecessary contrasts, which may confuse the listener.
E.g.
I’ve been waiting
ing for YOU. Contrastive: ‘not her’
.`Hu
aHm
!vdHsHM
e?
!it9.
.`Hu
aHm
!vdHsHM
e?
!it9.

Practise!
Read out these sentences. You should be able to read them with and without buttressing. Pay special attention not to
change the nucleus!

•

Preposition + Pronoun
No buttressing

pic
1. What was Ben DOing in that picture?

2. What about Shawn’s eXAM?

•

Buttressing

a. He was LOOKing at you.

He was LOOKing at you.

b.He was TALKing to her.

He was TALKing to her.

c. He was SCREAMing at them

He was SCREAMing at them

a. He’s reVISing for it.

He’s reVISing
re
for it.

b.He’s having a GO at it.

He’s having a GO at it.

c. He’s setting his MIND to it.

He’s setting his MIND to it.

Pronoun + Preposition + Pronoun

3. What about these SCONES?

4. What shall I do with this BALL?

5. What did Fiona do with the rePORT
PORT?

BOX
6. What did Robby say about the BOX?

No buttressing

Buttressing

a. She’s BROUGHT them for you.

She’s BROUGHT them for you.

b.Mary’s COOKed them for me.

Mary’s
y’s COOKed them for me.

a. GIVE it to me.

GIVE it to me.

b.THROW it at them

THROW it at them

a. She corRRECTed it for me.

She corRRECTed
cor
it for me.

b.She MAILED it to them.

She MAILED it to them.

a. He ASKED me for it.

He ASKED me for it.

b.He SENT you for it.

He SENT you for it.