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Grammar - Everyday Grammar - Don't Be Afraid of Contractions! |
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| Don't Be Afraid of Contractions! |
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 Don't
Be Afraid of Contractions!
The lesson includes an audio program explaining this
grammar topic, the script for the audio program, a words in this story section,
and other important information. |
Audio Program
Listen to the audio program explaining this grammar
topic. Then read the following written information. |
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Don't Be Afraid of Contractions! |
Many languages shorten words in everyday speech. In
English, we shorten a lot of words.
One way we do this is with contractions: two words
joined with a special mark called an “apostrophe.” The
apostrophe shows the reader where letters have been
removed. For example, the words “is” and “not” can be
combined to form the contraction “isn’t.” There is a
letter missing between the letters “n” and “t.”
Contractions are one of the most feared subjects for
English learners. They usually do not enjoy writing or
reading them. Many are unsure how to say them and often
can't understand native English speakers when they use
them.
This fear probably comes from questions about them.
Learners are unsure of what the words mean, which
letters were removed, how to spell them and where to put
the apostrophe.
Some English learners are even unsure whether
contractions are correct English. They hear them in
films and songs and may think they are not grammatical.
In this Everyday Grammar program, we’ll try to answer
those questions. (You may also remember an earlier
program that shared some of the sounds of contractions.)
When and why use them?
We use contractions in speaking, informal writing and
even some kinds of formal writing. They are, indeed,
grammatical.
You might even see contractions in newspapers, such as
The Washington Post, or on television. Yet we do not use
contractions in very formal writing, such as in a
college paper or a business letter.
Native speakers almost always speak with contractions
unless they purposely choose not to in order to
emphasize something . Compare these sentences:
I’m not tired.
I am not tired.
The first sentence seems to be a simple, factual
statement. But if a native speaker uses the second one,
they are likely emphasizing they are not tired. It makes
a stronger statement.
Using contractions makes your English sound more
natural, but English learners are not required to use
them.
Getting to know contractions
But, since contractions are so widely used, it’s a good
idea to know their mechanics. This will help reduce
misunderstandings – and hopefully fear.
Number 1: Most contractions are some form of noun +
verb.
The first word in a contraction is usually a pronoun and
the second is usually an auxiliary verb. Contractions
combine these parts of speech:
pronoun + verb (as in “he’ll” meaning “he will” and
“she’d” meaning “she would”)
noun + verb (as in “The book’s on the table”)
name + verb (as in “Anna’s going to a baseball game”)
verb + not (as in “aren’t” meaning “are not” and
“shouldn’t” meaning “should not”) and
question word + verb (as in “Where’s the beef?” and
“What’s that?)
Notice that most of these involve some form of noun +
verb.
We can also make contractions with the words “this,”
“that,” “here” and “there,” as in “This’ll only take a
minute” and “There’s my phone!”
Number 2. Most verbs in contractions are auxiliary
verbs.
You may recall from earlier programs that auxiliary
verbs are helping verbs. They help to give meaning or
purpose to main verbs.
In the sentence “She’s leaving today,” the word “is”
acts as an auxiliary verb and is part of the present
continuous verb tense. The main verb is “leaving.”
Auxiliary verbs also include modal verbs (sometimes
called “modal auxiliaries”), such as “should,” “can,”
“could,” “must,” “will” and “would.”
Number 3. The verbs “be” and “have” act as auxiliary
verbs in some contractions. In others, they act as main
verbs.
In a statement like “She’s a teacher,” the word “is” in
“She’s” is a main verb. But, in “She’s leaving today,”
the verb “is” is an auxiliary verb and part of a verb
tense.
Number 4. Affirmative contractions are never used at the
end of a sentence. An affirmative contraction is a
contraction that confirms a piece of information. Let’s
hear an example:
Are you in the library?
Yes, I am.
The correct way to answer is, “Yes, I am,” not “Yes,
I’m.”
Number 5. We do end statements with negative
contractions. Listen to an example of someone answering
a yes or no question:
Have you been to the new café yet?
No, I haven’t.
Number 6. Contractions with the verb be + negative can
be made in two ways. To better understand this, let’s
hear examples:
They’re not at the meeting place.
In this sentence, the contraction is they + are.
They aren’t at the meeting place.
In this sentence, the contraction is are + not.
The first way is more common than the second.
Number 7. Do not make “have” into a contraction when it
is the main verb.
As I said earlier, the verb “have” can be either an
auxiliary verb or main verb in contractions. But when a
sentence uses “have” as the main verb, we do not shorten
it.
For example, Americans would not say, “I’ve a cat,” to
mean “I have a cat.” The British, however, do use this
kind of contraction, although it is not as common as
them saying, “I’ve got a cat” (which is not correct in
American English).
To use or not…?
If you’d like to communicate more fluently and better
understand the writing and speech of native speakers,
it’s a good idea to understand contractions. We hope
this program has helped reduce your fears. But
practicing is the best thing you can do.
And remember: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes!
I’m Alice Bryant.
Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English.
George Grow was the editor. |
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Words in This Story |
- emphasize
- v. to give special
attention to (something)
- auxiliary
- adj. available to
provide help when it is needed
- negative
- adj. expressing
denial or refusal
- practice
- v. to do something
again and again in order to become better at it
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Additional Information |
Practice
Now you try it!
1 - Write five sentences about a recent time you did
something fun or memorable. Try to use three or more
contractions.
2 - Practice listening to and saying contractions. A
good pronunciation video can be found here.
3 - Tell us about a shortened or combined word from your
language. What does the word sound like? How is it
spelled? What does it mean? Is it used in speaking and
writing?
Contractions with Pronouns
(I, you, she, he, it, we, they)
’m = am (I’m)
’re = are (you’re, we’re, they’re)
’s = is and has (she’s, he’s, it’s)
’ve = have (I’ve, you’ve, we’ve, they’ve)
’ll = will (I’ll, you’ll, she’ll, he’ll, it’ll, we’ll,
they’ll)
’d = had and would (I’d, you’d, she’d, he’d, it’d, we’d,
they’d)
Negative Contractions
(auxiliary verb + not)
aren’t=are not
can’t=cannot
couldn’t=could not
didn’t= did not
hasn’t=has not
haven’t=have not
isn’t=is not
mustn’t=must not
shouldn’t=should not
wasn’t=was not
weren’t=were not
won’t=will not
wouldn’t=would not |
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Source: Voice of America |
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Grammar Tips |
Can You Catch These Native Speaker Mistakes?
(Beginner - Listening)
An audio lesson to
help with your understanding of common mistakes. The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this
audio program. |
Commonly Confused Words: Part One
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of commonly confused
words.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page. |
Commonly Confused Words: Part One
(Beginner - Listening)
An audio lesson to
help with your understanding of commonly confused
words. The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this
audio program. |
Commonly Confused Words: Part Two
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of commonly confused
words.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page. |
Commonly Confused Words: Part Two
(Beginner - Listening)
An audio lesson to
help with your understanding of commonly confused
words. The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this
audio program. |
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