contractions

1 general rules
Forms like I’ve, don’t are called ‘contractions’. There are two kinds, noun/pronoun etc + (auxiliary) verb I’m tired. My father’s not very well.
Do you know when you’ll arrive? Where’s the station?
I’ve no idea. There’s a problem.
She’d like to talk to you. Somebody’s coming.
Here’s our bus.
(auxiliary) verb + not They aren’t ready. I haven’t seen him for ages.
You won’t be late, will you? Can’t you swim?
Contractions are formed with auxiliary verbs, and also with be and sometimes have when these are not auxiliary verbs.
The short form’s (= is I has) can be written after nouns (including proper names), question words, here and now as well as pronouns and unstressed there. The short forms ’11, ’d and ‘re are commonly written after pronouns and unstressed there, but in other cases we more often write the full forms (especially in British English), even if the words would be contracted in pronunciation.
‘Your mother will (/’mAФarl/) be surprised’, she said.
I wondered what had (/’wDtod/) happened.
Contractions are not usually written with double subjects.
John and I have decided to split up. (NOT John and I’ve decided-…)
The apostrophe (’) goes in the same place as the letters that we leave out: has not – hasn’t (NOT harsnt). But note that shan’t (BrE = shall not) and won’t (= will not) only have one apostrophe each.
Contractions are common and correct in informal writing: they represent the pronunciation of informal speech. They are not generally used in a formal style.
2 alternative contractions
Some negative expressions can have two possible contractions. For she had not we can say she’d not or she hadn’t, for he will not we can say he’ll not or he won’t. The two negative forms of be (e.g. she isn’t and she’s not) are both common in British English; American English prefers the forms with not (e.g. she’s not). With other verbs, forms with n’t (e.g. she hadn’t) are more common in most cases in standard southern British English; they are the only forms normally used in AmE. (Forms with not – e.g. she’d not – tend to be more common in northern and Scottish English.)
Double contractions are not normally written: she^n^t is impossible.
3 position
Contractions in the first group (noun / pronoun / question word + auxiliary verb) do not normally come at the ends of clauses.
– I’m late. – I’ve forgotten.
Yes, you are. (NOT Yes, you’re.) Yes, you have, (NOT Ґesj yott^ve.)
Negative contractions can come at the ends of clauses.
They really aren’t. No, I haven’t.
4 list of contractions
Contraction
Pronunciation
I’m
/aim/
I’ve
/ aiv/
I’ll
/ail/
I’d
/aid/
you’re
/jo:(r)/
you’ve
/ju:v/
you’ll
/ju:l/
you’d
/ju:d/
he’s
/hi:z/
he’ll
/hi:l, hil/
he’d
/hi:d/
she’s
/Ji:z/
she’ll
im, id/
she’d
/Jhd/
it’s
/its/
it’d (uncommon)
/’ itad/
we’re
/wra(r)/
we’ve
/wirv/
we’ll
/wi:l, wil/
we’d
/wi:d/
they’re
/9ea(r)/
they’ve
/5eiv/
they’ll
/5eil, 5el/
they’d
/8eid/
there’s
/Qaz/
there’ll
mi
there’d
/Qad/
aren’t
/a:nt/
can’t
/ka:nt/
couldn’t
/’ kudnt/
daren’t
/deant/
didn’t
/’didnt/
doesn’t
/’dAznt/
don’t
/daunt/
hadn’t
/’ hsednt/
hasn’t
/’haeznt/
haven’t
/’hsevnt/
isn’t
/’iznt/
mightn’t
/’maitnt/
mustn’t
/’ mAsnt/
needn’t
/’ni:dnt/
oughtn’t
/’o:tnt/
Meaning
I am I have I will
I had/would you are you have you will you had/would he is/has he will
he had/would she is /has she will she had/would it is/has it had/would we are we have we will
we had/would they are they have they will they had/would there is /has there will there had/would are not cannot could not dare not did not does not do not had not has not have not is not might not must not need not
ought not ?
Contraction
Pronunciation
Meaning
shan’t
/Joint/
shall not
shouldn’t
/’J’odnt/
should not
usedn’t
/’. juisnt/
used not
wasn’t
/’WDznt/
was not
weren’t
/w3:nt/
were not
won’t
/waont/
will not
wouldn’t
/’wudnt/
would not
Notes
1. Do not confuse it’s (= it is/has) and its (possessive).
2. Am not is only normally contracted in questions to aren’t (BrE) (/a:nt/).
I’m late, aren’t I?
3. Note the difference in pronunciation of can’t in British English (/ka:nt/)
and American English (/kжnt/)
4. Daren’t, shan’t and usedn’t are not often used in American English.
5. In non-standard English, ain’t (pronounced /eint/ or /ent/) is used as a
contraction of am not, are not, is not, have not and has not. I ain’t going to tell him.
Don’t talk to me like that – you ain’t my boss.
It’s raining. contractions No it ain’t.
I ain’t got no more cigarettes.
Bill ain’t been here for days.
6.
For the contraction let’s, see let 2: introducing imperatives.
7. May not is not normally contracted: mayn’t is very rare.