Questions tagged [contractions]
A contraction of a word is made by omitting certain letters or syllables and bringing together the first and last letters or elements.
158
questions
1
vote
1answer
45 views
Is it common to use contractions with names
Are contractions commonly used with names in informal speech?
for example
Bob'll be here soon
Bill'll be here too
Mary'd find your joke amusing
And also, I find some contractions difficult to ...
0
votes
1answer
53 views
The preference for “may be” ot “maybe” after the conjuction “― and”
My dad turned around and stared at us, his fear confirming that something wasn't right ― and maybe even very wrong.
One student struggles to understand the sentence especially in a bold part. - and (...
1
vote
2answers
47 views
What does “gonna go” mean precisely? Is it the same as “going to go”?
Recently, I have come across the phrase "gonna go".
What is the difference between all these sentences?
I am gonna go get some ice cream.
I am going to go get some ice cream.
I am going to ...
0
votes
3answers
47 views
When can you use a contraction, and when can you not? What are some examples of longer contractions?
For example is
but I don't see how's that relevant
grammatical?
As for longer contractions, many of the ones that I've found on the internet don't seem to be legitimate. For example:
mustn't've
...
0
votes
0answers
16 views
Should I use “am” or “I'm” after already saying “I'm” in a sentence?
For example, "I'm looking forward to attending, and am excited to join" vs. "I'm looking forward to attending, and I'm excited to join."
0
votes
1answer
61 views
Does 'I'm pregnant with nobody' have a contradiction?
Does 'I'm pregnant with nobody' make sense? I try to express I have no baby growing in the uterus.
1
vote
1answer
106 views
Is “shouldn't it” equivalent to “should it not” in American English?
I have noticed that some Americans write "shouldn't it" in sentences. For example:
Why is the dog outside, shouldn't it be inside?
Is this correct grammar in American English? Because I ...
0
votes
1answer
103 views
What does the question imply?
What does Ron's question sound like it implies? A or B?
“Wait, you were busy and were going to reply?”
A: "Wait, you were going to reply after all? I thought you for sure missed my message”
B: &...
0
votes
1answer
276 views
“I was thinking you might’ve missed my message”
I have a question regarding the use of “might’ve”
Here I was thinking you missed my message.
vs
Here I was thinking you might’ve missed my message.
Would there have been any difference between using “...
0
votes
1answer
20 views
Contractions on a negative sentence in present
More specifically I'm talking about the present simple and continuous, for example I know you can answer a yes/no question whose answer is negative like this:
Is he in college?
No, he isn't.
Are ...
1
vote
2answers
38 views
Short forms of “be” and “have”
Are the short forms of verbs "To be" and "To have" common in written English?
For example "She has a baby" is probably more common than "She's a baby" in both ...
29
votes
2answers
4k views
Why can't I contract “it has” sometimes?
Why can we contract "it has" to "it's" in some sentences but not others?
For example:
Why is this correct
It's been moved (It has been moved)
this incorrect
It's four legs (It ...
0
votes
2answers
74 views
Can I use had in sentence for future time? For example “We'd be fee.” Is this a simple future or simple past?
Can I use had in sentence for future time?
For example We'd be free.
Is this a simple future or simple past?
1
vote
1answer
32 views
Using 's when saying something 'is'
I've just said to a friend "That cloud's looking very dark". And apparently that's not correct.
He said "it's" is allowed as an abbreviation but "cloud's" is never "...
0
votes
1answer
36 views
Correct contraction with to be (not)
If I say: You are not Julie, what is the correct contraction?
You're not Julie
You aren't Julie
1
vote
2answers
35 views
Use contractions with common nouns
Although there you can find the below example on the website of Cambridge, I had a feedback from an English teacher telling me that the two contractions in bold in the second sentence are wrong. What ...
1
vote
2answers
641 views
Can I use apostrophe s to shorten “is”?
For example, I'd say:
The interview's on Monday.
Is that grammatically acceptable?
1
vote
2answers
44 views
Can you contract WILL with nouns in informal writing / speaking?
I'm considering writing the following in an email to a friend.
I'm sure the exam'll be easy.
But it just sounds wrong to me, even in an informal setting....
2
votes
1answer
87 views
Weak and strong “You're”
Dictionaries list two pronunciations for you're, a weak pronunciation and a strong pronunciation. In which situations do we use the strong version of you're /jɔːr/, and in which situations do we use ...
0
votes
0answers
42 views
Contracted form of Present Continuous with nouns ending with -s
How do we form the contracted form of Present Continuous with nouns ending with -s, for example:
Thomas is playing football next Sunday.
Can we write
Thomas' playing football next Sunday.
How does ...
3
votes
2answers
542 views
Why do we add an apostrophe to “gon'”?
English is not my native language, and I keep trying every day to develop my skills in it but I saw a new word of gon' instead of gone.
And I keep wondering: why do we add an apostrophe to it?
...
1
vote
1answer
38 views
Is 'yet's' “yet is” in “the fact that they haven't caught him yet's one hell of an achievement”
"Hard to help a boy who's vanished off the face of the earth," said Dirk.
"Listen, the fact that they haven't caught him yet's one hell of an achievement," said Ted. "I'd take tips from him ...
1
vote
1answer
120 views
“I’ve a cold” vs “I have a cold”—are both correct?
Would the sentence “I’ve a cold” be correct? I’m wondering if contractions can always be used in place of the original words.
0
votes
2answers
66 views
Is it mandatory to use contractions in tag questions and the like?
Example 1:
The weather is hot, isn't it?
vs.:
The weather is hot, is it not?
Example 2:
Aren't you going to study tonight?
vs.:
Are you not going to study tonight?
Apart from ...
1
vote
1answer
144 views
Is contraction obligatory in negative interrogative sentences?
I know that a verb and "not" are usually contracted when together in a negative interrogative sentence. Example:
Aren't they lovely?
Is it grammatically wrong to avoid the contraction? Example:
...
-4
votes
1answer
51 views
Spelling for the spoken contraction of “on the” [closed]
When "on the" is spoken very fast they are connected, contracted, forming a connected-speech.
Even knowing that this contraction doesn't exist in English, how could it be written to reflect the ...
0
votes
2answers
42 views
Amy has had many different jobs : contraction
Can we contract the sentence
Amy has had many different jobs
to this one?
Amy's had many different jobs
4
votes
1answer
2k views
When “he's gone” means “he's dead”, is it a contraction of “he is” or “he has”?
I have seen this a lot in movies. When a man dies, another person goes near him, feels his pulse, and then says in a sad voice: "He's gone".
Is this a contraction of "he is gone", or "he has gone"?
...
3
votes
1answer
98 views
Are contractions discouraged in formal writing? [closed]
I remember reading something long ago that says people should avoid contractions in formal writing. I wonder whether that is true. And by formal writing, I mean specifically the four types:
(1) ...
1
vote
2answers
78 views
Can one use a contraction in a question?
a) Why are you trying so hard?
b) Why you're trying so hard?
Is you're (b) an acceptable contraction form of are you (a) when I want to keep the sentence in a question form?
Is there another ...
0
votes
1answer
26 views
Can you use contacted forms like “ 've ” without joining them to a noun/pronoun?
Is a sentence like this fine, maybe in spoken English:
"I love these films and books, 've seen and read them multiple times".
Do you have to add a noun, or at least use the full form "have"?
1
vote
1answer
489 views
Can the expanded form of {don't/doesn't} be used as 'correct English'?
I know it may not be very common, but I need to use it in its expanded form (i.e., do not and does not) for a formatting issue.
For example:
X does not see any logic in your reasoning.
X: is ...
16
votes
2answers
4k views
Are double contractions formal? Eg: “couldn't've” for “could not have”
Are double contractions, such as following, formal (ie allowed in formal documents/papers)?
it'll've for "it shall have" or "it will have"
mightn't've for "might not have"
How about multiple ...
1
vote
2answers
4k views
What is the issue about “You are welcome” and “You're welcome”?
Recently, I came across a comment where a native English speaker stated that it is not "you are welcome" but "you're welcome". It was a side-comment as the original post wasn't about their difference; ...
1
vote
1answer
623 views
What tense is this: “Why'd you make him live all those years alone?”
In the movie "Something big" with Dean Martin, Mr. Baker asks colonel's wife:
"Why'd you make him live all those years alone?"
What tense is that? Grammary suggest me:
Why'd you made him live all ...
12
votes
4answers
6k views
Can we say or write : “No, it'sn't”?
I know we can answer either :
No, it's not
No, it isn't
But is it accepted and understandable to write :
No, it'sn't
What about saying it ?
0
votes
2answers
119 views
Is “this is the man who stolen my car” grammatically correct?
I had this in my last english exam and I had a to choose between 4 answers
"this is the man (who-whose-who's-which) stolen my car"
"who" is the only answer which makes sense to me although I think ...
0
votes
5answers
3k views
Are “We've all” and “we all have” the same?
i had been reading a paper but i haven't understood a paragraph. Can you help me?
paragraph as follows
"We've all left meetings feelings good about what we discussed only to later wonder why so ...
0
votes
2answers
53 views
The meaning of “I'd 'a' plum got him,”
Inside, Buckley found Bud Dawson utterly ignoring a bullet wound in
his shoulder, while he feelingly wept at having to explain why he
failed to drop the "blamed masquerooter," who shot him. At the
...
2
votes
2answers
57 views
When can we use short forms of be?
It’s clear that we can say we’re, they’re, he’s, she’s. However, when the subjects are not subject pronouns, can we use short forms of be? For example, can we say:
My dad’s washing the car.
...
1
vote
2answers
1k views
is he's / she's + name a correct sentence?
Is it correct to include a name right after a he's or she's?
It would define fully written in: ''He is John'' or ''She is Maria'' but it somehow just sounds wrong or impolite to me.
0
votes
2answers
334 views
Are contractions and/or slang used in English exams and tests? [closed]
Are all those correct uses in English or is it just for explaining and not correct for writing on tests or exams?
Would it sound more fluent to write
Ex, Y'all, I'll, They're.
instead of
...
1
vote
0answers
2k views
What is the full form of 'won't you?' [duplicate]
In an example sentence like: 'Sit down, won't you?'
What is the full form of that sentence without contraction? Is it 'Sit down, will you not?' cause we can't say 'Sit down, will not you?'
0
votes
1answer
46 views
Can we write was and were in the form of contraction?
Can we write for example "We were waiting for you" in this way "We're waiting for you"? and if we can how to differentiate between the past and present in these sentences?
13
votes
4answers
3k views
What do 'er and patch 'er up mean?
What does the contraction 'er and the phrasal verb patch 'er up mean in the following text:
This section will cover a lot of ground and your brain may meltdown a few times, but don’t worry, that’s ...
1
vote
1answer
78 views
Is this usage of contraction correct and if so is it natural?
I've wrote the following to a friend.
A consequence of my brain tumor was that my sense of taste's almost completely gone today.
I can't help feeling that I should have written "...sense of taste ...
2
votes
2answers
147 views
Are there contractions for past tense of lexical verbs? (was and were)
For present tense (declarative) of lexical verbs (to be) we have contractions for all pronouns:
(I am = I’m. You are = you’re. He is = he’s. She is = she’s. It is = it’s. We are = we’re. They are =...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Using contractions correctly in Grammar like the word “weren't” when asking a question
Are the two example questions correct or is there a rule that applies when using and not using contraction words?
"weren't you able to log into your online account?"
"were not you able to log into ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
We got a PM who’s [sic] 93 years old
while @elmoehussaini posted: “We got a PM who’s [sic] 93 years old. We got a Team of Eminent Persons to repair the economy who are of 60 years old and above. I guess the “I’m too old for this s***” is ...
3
votes
1answer
327 views
How does one pronounce I'd've?
I think it's the first time I've ever seen a double contraction like this:
"That’s, let’s be optimistic, a 30 to 50 mile radius at least in which we are the only two people left. I can’t even ...
