A contraction is a shortened version of the written and spoken forms of a word, syllable, or word group, created by omission of internal letters.
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1answer
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“No, I don't” or “No, I do not” in responding English questions
Consider:
A: Do you like ice cream?
B: No, I don't.
Usually in a grammar book when you answer someone's question with negation you'll use shortened answer as in "I don't". I know you can ...
8
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1answer
125 views
How was “ben't” used, and when did it cease to be used?
In Jane Austen's The Watsons, the maid of the titular family utters the following sentence:
"Please, ma'am, master wants to know why he ben't to have his dinner?"
I have never encountered ben't ...
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4answers
316 views
“You ain't able to be sure about anything.”
Does this sentence make any sense to you as a native speaker? The one who said this actually meant to say, "People like you can never be sure about anything" (implying the opposite side is very ...
4
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2answers
713 views
Usage of “ain't”?
As far as I understand, "ain't" can mean either "isn't" (ain't no sunshine) or "hasn't" (you ain't seen nothing yet).
Are there any rules when "ain't" is used? Does it have a different meaning than ...
1
vote
4answers
181 views
“Can take no other” vs. “can't take other”
As an ESL I'm not sure if I can use the following sentences:
You can take no other directions.
I'm using it on giving indications to a foreigner.
Should I use instead:
You can't take other ...
2
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3answers
710 views
Why does “Why doesn't it work?” become “Why does it not work?”
When you uncontract doesn't in "Why doesn't it work?" the not moves to "Why does it not work?"
This confuses me even more when I use a longer phrase instead of the pronoun it like below:
Why ...
2
votes
1answer
299 views
“Is it not raining” vs. “Isn't it raining”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Tag Questions “is he not”
Which is correct:
Is it not raining today?
Isn't it raining today?
3
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3answers
808 views
Counting contractions as one or two words [closed]
I read this in a product review, and it has been bugging me all day.
Three words: it's really cheap.
"It's" is obviously a contraction of two words, but does it count as one or two words?
16
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2answers
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Can the “don't” contraction be expanded when used as a command?
I refer to the usage of "don't" as an imperative to tell someone what not to do. As in,
Hey! Don't you dare touch that button!
When it is used in the interrogative or as part of a statement, ...
2
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1answer
2k views
When to use “cannot” versus “can't”?
When is it best to write "can't" versus writing "cannot"? Are they interchangeable in every situation?
9
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2answers
213 views
Is there a rule for when contractions are not possible? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is there some rule against ending a sentence with the contraction “it's”?
In conversing with non-native English speakers online, I saw someone type:
...
6
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1answer
115 views
Should a contraction taken from the center of a word have two apostrophes? [closed]
I'm currently reading Entrepreneur Magazine, and there is a story profiling a 13-year-old who created a series of stickers to embellish Lego blocks. The subtitle of the story reads
A pint-size ...
2
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3answers
336 views
Using abbreviations incorrectly?
In English it's considered correct to ask
I do it like this, don't I?
or
Why can't I go?
whereas "don't" is an abbreviation of "do not" and "can't" is an abbreviation of "cannot". ...
25
votes
8answers
2k views
Is it appropriate to use short form of “have” ('ve) when it means possession?
I feel uncomfortable saying sentences like the following:
"I've a car" instead of "I have a car"
"They've a great time" instead of "They have a great time"
"He's a pen" instead of "He has a pen"
...
12
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5answers
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Is “there're” (similar to “there's”) a correct contraction?
Q: "Do you have any juice?"
A: "Yes, there's some in the fridge."
Sounds perfectly fine to me, but:
Q: "Do you have any towels?"
A: "Yes, there's some in the closet."
Does not.
I asked ...
0
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2answers
344 views
“You're not” vs. “you ain't” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What does “ain't” mean?
What's the difference between "you're not" and "you ain't" ("...coming home")? I do realize that ain't is a contraction of are ...
13
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2answers
1k views
Is it incorrect to say, “Why cannot…?”
At any point in history was "Why cannot...?" used as frequently as "Why can't...?" Is it even grammatically correct to say "Why cannot you do this?" I know it can be rearranged to be "Why can you not ...
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3answers
314 views
Are contractions worth all the trouble? [closed]
One of the most difficult things even for native speakers of English to learn is the correct use of contractions. To this day when I type it and want to follow it with s I have to spend a fraction of ...
1
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2answers
473 views
What is the correct usage of contractions like “isn't” and “wasn't”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Do contractions (e.g. “don't”) and full phrases (e.g. “do not”) have the same meaning?
I frequently see contractions such as "isn't" and ...
9
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6answers
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Is “Don't you know? ” the same as “Do not you know?”?
Well, we know don't is the same as do not, right?
Therefore, can I say "Do not you know?", instead of "Don't you know?"?
Well, I know that chances are I can't do that, but technically that should be ...
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0answers
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When can one use a contraction at the end of a sentence? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is there some rule against ending a sentence with the contraction “it's”?
Sometimes it's fine to use a contraction at the end of a sentence:
"If you're ...
6
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2answers
5k views
Do contractions (e.g. “don't”) and full phrases (e.g. “do not”) have the same meaning?
What is the difference between "don't" and "do not" in the English literature as well as spoken English? Are they same?
The same question goes for "wouldn't" and "would not", "couldn't" and "could ...
3
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5answers
3k views
“There isn't” vs. “there's not”
They both expand to "there is not" but for some reason "There's not" sounds indescribably uncomfortable for most situations. Can anyone elucidate why this might be? Or am I wrong?
EDIT: Let me ...
9
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6answers
656 views
“Your” vs. “you're”: Why the confusion?
I have seen many comments on different blogs and forums where English native speakers spelled you're as your. I'm not a native speaker, but I know and understand the difference between the two. Why is ...
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3answers
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Difference between “I haven't” and “I've not” etc
If I have three consecutive words where each adjacent pair can be contracted, e.g. "I would have" or "You are not", is there a difference between the two possible contractions, e.g. "I would've" or ...
6
votes
1answer
3k views
“They're not” vs. “they aren't”
How dissimilar are "they're not" and "they aren't"?
Is it dependent on context or are these exactly the same?
They are supposed to be going, but they are not.
They are not going.
8
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4answers
2k views
“It isn't” vs. “it's not”
Is one stronger than the other? More correct? Just curious, one of the many abstract things to pop into my head on the drive home today...
5
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1answer
4k views
“Do you not” vs. “Don't you”
I live in the UK and I mostly hear people saying Don't you..., but some people say: Do you not...? What is the difference and which one is more correct?
You can put any example really. Something ...
1
vote
1answer
243 views
Pronunciation of “'ll”
How do I read the following sentences (especially in conversational speech)?
The dog'll eat the bones.
Tom'll go to school.
Anna'll come tomorrow.
I mean the sound of 'll.
0
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1answer
415 views
Is “<NOUN>'s” (contraction) proper English? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When is it grammatically correct to create a contraction of words followed by “is”?
Using contracted forms (“don't”, “let's”) in a formal text
Should ...
3
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3answers
791 views
Can you contract the main verb in a sentence?
One can contract I have to I've when have is a helping verb, e.g.
I've got an octopus in my pants.
Is contracting the main verb technically incorrect or merely antiquated? My father loves to ...
1
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0answers
44 views
“Mr. Bean” or “Mr Bean”(*), punctuation & contractions [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is it proper to omit periods after honorifics (Mr, Mrs, Dr)?
Studying punctuation and contractions I have searched on Wikipedia the questions correlated to this matter; ...
4
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1answer
151 views
Should the use of apostrophes be consistent?
It is time to rock, but don't be too loud.
Is it recommended to stay consistent with the use of apostrophes? Should it instead be:
It's time to rock, but don't be too loud.
If that is fine ...
13
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3answers
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“Let's” vs. “lets”: which is correct?
Say I'm promoting a product. Which is correct?
[Product] let's you [do something awesome].
[Product] lets you [do something awesome].
Or neither?
2
votes
1answer
152 views
Why is there an apostrophe in “h'm”?
By that I refer to the sound people make when they're thinking. Most people write "hm" nowadays, so they may not know of this, but traditionally, people wrote it as "h'm". The apostrophe can't ...
9
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5answers
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Why is “Why don't you like ___?” okay, but “Why do not you like?” ___?“ isn't?” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is “Don't you know? ” the same as “Do not you know?”?
"Why don't you like?" seems commonly used, but I never hear "Why do not you like?"
...
1
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0answers
33 views
Do you put double dots when a contraction occurs at the end of the sentence? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When “etc.” is at the end of a phrase, do you place a period after it?
Is it grammatically correct to use two dots at the end of the contraction 'etc' when ...
2
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1answer
935 views
“We're not” vs. “we aren't”
I'm just curious if there are any "official" rules (or opinions either way) about what form to use when three words can be contracted on either side.
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3answers
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How to pronounce the programmer's abbreviation “char”
In many programming languages, char is a type name for character values. The word character is pronounced with a [k] sound, but what about char?
While trying to find the answer elsewhere, I learnt ...
9
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2answers
512 views
Does the 18th century contraction “on't” survive phonologically in English today?
The February 18th-24th edition of The Economist has an article titled "Neurons v free will" in which the author, Anthony Gottlieb begins by quoting Dr. Johnson's statement about free will:
"Sir ...
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2answers
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Does “he's” mean both “he is” and “he has”? [closed]
It is alright to use the same contraction, 'He's', to mean both 'He is' and 'He has'? Example, " He's angry.", "He's been angry.", He's a beautiful house."
5
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3answers
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How can we distinguish between “I would” and “I had” if someone says “I'd”?
How can we unambiguously distinguish between I would and I had, if the native English speaker used the contraction I'd?
For instance, I'd read the newspaper.
We can mean the above sentence as either
...
21
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6answers
2k views
Are contractions of “I am” or “I would” rude? [closed]
I got edited on stackoverflow because I used "I'm", "you're" and "I'd" instead of "I am" etc.
Is it considered rude to use contractions like that in informal conversations on the internet? I would ...
9
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4answers
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Different pronunciations of “she's” depending on the meaning
According to The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the contraction she's may be pronounced both with a short [i] sound(as in pit) and a long [i:] sound(as in sheep) when it means she is, but it ...
2
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1answer
175 views
Distinguish contraction of “ain't”
I know the contraction of am not, is not, are not, has not, have not, do not, does not, and did not can be represented as ain't. How can I understand correctly which contraction the speaker meant?
9
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5answers
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Using contracted forms (“don't”, “let's”) in a formal text
How compelled should I feel to use non-contracted forms (do not rather than don't and so on) when writing in a rather formal text, say an academic paper? In one case I am afraid to seem too stilted, ...
5
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4answers
767 views
Contraction of “is not”
How exactly can you contract the phrase "is not"?
More specifically, what's the difference between the sentences, "The dog isn't running." and "The dog's not running."?
They both sound correct to ...
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2answers
280 views
When and where did “not” become commonly used in contraction for, as in “didn't”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Were contractions less common in olden days?
I have read some old books in which they did not use "didn't", "wasn't", or similar contractions with "not". I just watched ...
4
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0answers
166 views
“Aren't I” vs “Amn't I” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Why “ain't I” and “aren't I” instead of “amn't I”?
Why do we say "aren't I" rather than "amn't I"? Is it purely for ease ...
9
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2answers
213 views
Is there a word/term for a “super-contraction”
I am doing some informal research into dynamic speech and narrative generation, and I've been looking into some local colloquialism and having a little bit of difficultly classifying a set of them. I ...
