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.
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questions
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1answer
34 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
31 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 ...
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2answers
33 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
192 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
54 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) ...
0
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0answers
15 views
There's lots of flavors out there [duplicate]
This comes courtesy of one of the episodes of Friends (Youtube):
There's lots of flavors out there.
Shouldn't 're be used here in lieu of 's?
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2answers
14 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
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1answer
25 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"?
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1answer
54 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 ...
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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 ...
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2answers
403 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; ...
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1answer
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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 ...
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4answers
5k 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
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2answers
58 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 ...
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4answers
45 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 ...
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2answers
29 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
...
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2answers
44 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.
...
0
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2answers
144 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
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0answers
675 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
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1answer
43 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?
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4answers
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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 ...
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1answer
56 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
37 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 =...
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2answers
875 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 ...
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3answers
1k 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
154 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 ...
0
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2answers
51 views
He's worried himself sick about his daughter
He's worried himself sick about his daughter.
In this sentence, Is either He's [He is] or [He has] ?
2
votes
1answer
78 views
Want To vs Wanna
What is the difference between both?
When should I use Want to and when should I use Wanna?
I was wondering if there is the correct way - gramatically speaking - depending on the situation, or if ...
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vote
3answers
52 views
“Do you like movies, do not you?” Correct?
In writing, contraction should be avoided, right?
However, I feel strange to see "do not you" instead of "don't you".
I wonder if native speakers use "do not you" in writing instead of using "don't ...
2
votes
1answer
221 views
Agreed or agree?
I often meet on Interntet forums the following exchange:
A: (some proposition)
B: Agreed.
Why "agreed", not "agree"? Is it a contracted form of "have agreed" or the past simple? Is the form "...
1
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1answer
486 views
Think somebody + adjective
Is this sentence from a movie grammatical?
I thought you overqualified.
The construction "think someone adj." strikes me as odd. Explanations/examples?
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2answers
52 views
where can I use aren't?
where I have to use aren't ? can I use "aren't" when I'm talking about clothes? example; " aren't this blouses a little expensive?" is it right?
0
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3answers
698 views
“needn't be answered” and “not needed to be answered”
Is there a difference or a grammatical mistake in this two sentences?
All the questions needn't be answered
All the questions are not needed to be answered
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3answers
7k views
“This's” instead of “this is”
Is it popular to contract "this is" to "this's"? Or is it better to keep the full form?
This's where we'll go tomorrow.
Or
This is where we'll go tomorrow.
1
vote
1answer
2k views
“here's it” versus “here it's”
Which is correct?
Weird is hard to spell. Here's it spelled correctly: weird.
or
Weird is hard to spell. Here it's spelled correctly: weird.
In conversation, both seem acceptable, but on paper ...
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3answers
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In the expression “There's got to be some” what does the 's stand for?
I wrote:
"Not at all." I kissed her slim curled lips. "There are very few things I want to do that doesn't include you."
"There got to be some."
A native speaker told me that I needed to ...
1
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1answer
297 views
Double contractions
Natives, what's the PDE grammar around double contractions like "couldn't've", "mustn't've" "shouldn't've" or "needn't've"? Are they in use in formal or informal English and in spoken or written ...
0
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1answer
339 views
“Is” instead of “are” with many
In spoken English I often hear a contraction of Why is used with many+plural noun. Is that acceptable informal language or should it be avoided?
Why's there so many books on the table? instead of Why ...
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2answers
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“Why do you not give” Vs “Why do not you give”
Are they, both sentences, grammatically and semantically acceptable?
Why do you not give him your flesh and your bones?
Why do not you give him your flesh and your bones?
3
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1answer
108 views
Contraction of were as 're
Is it okay to contract were as 're?
I was not here when you're saying I'm sorry.
Is it okay? Or at least okay for informal use?
Also, should I use quotation marks with I'm sorry
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1answer
113 views
Using “is” contraction for common nouns
I found this question in a grammar textbook while studying for an exam.
This is the sentence:
“Whatever the justifications/justification’s for your attitude…”
Circle the correct answer.
The correct ...
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vote
2answers
287 views
Negative deduction
In grammar books, it is written that you can use "cannot" or "can't" for negative deduction like:
'Susy cannot stay at her mother's house because she is in hospital.'
I know that this works for ...
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2answers
148 views
Is it ok to short words more than one time, like I'ven't?
Actually I have this question for long time. As I started to use contracted words like I've , it's, you're (verb with subject), and due to habit of shorting verb+not like haven't, isn't etc, ...
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1answer
2k views
“Aren't” instead “am not” for first person singular
I often notice that instead of "am not" the "aren't" version is used and I wonder if that is truly acceptable. What confuses me is that in school we were taught that the short version of am not is amn'...
3
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1answer
289 views
Contraction in present perfect
I'm a bit confused when I use the contracted form of present perfect.
Do you write like this?
My house's just been built.
Or you write like this:
My house has just been built.
Which one ...
0
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2answers
641 views
Can he's always be used instead of he is? [duplicate]
The word he's is a contraction of the words he and is. If I want to use the contraction to say
I'm a better driver than he is
I should be able to say/write I'm a better driver than he's, but that ...
0
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0answers
32 views
“USA” vs U.S.A." [duplicate]
I have noticed that we write 'USA' not 'U.S.A'. But why? It is the contracted form of "United States of America" so there must be dots but there are not. Same for MLA, AD and BC. But when it comes to ...
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7answers
12k views
“Do never…” vs. “Do not ever…”
I am just arguing with my friend if the phrase "do never something" is totally wrong compared to the phrase "do not ever something". And is "never" a contraction of "not ever"? Is it okay using "Do" ...
2
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1answer
676 views
<'d> contraction — is it short for “would” or “had”?
I found this sentence:
She asked if I'd had a good time on my holiday
I'm not sure if 'd is the short form of would or of had.
Is there any criteria (for an English language learner) to ...
2
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3answers
8k views
“I've not” vs. “I haven't” — is one preferred?
I sometimes see teens type:
I've not...
Instead of typing:
I haven't...
What can you say about it?
