Page 316 - Oxford_English_Grammar_Course_Basic_2015

appendix 4 contractions

Contractions like he's, isn't show the pronunciation of informal speech.
They are common and correct in informal writing (for example, friendly letters), but are unusual
in formal writing.

AFFIRMATIVE (Q ) CONTRACTIONS: NEGATIVE (B) CONTRACTIONS:

PRONOUN + 'M , 'RE, 'S, 'V E , 'D , 'L L BE, HAVE OR OTHER AUXILIARY + N'T
I am —► I'm are not —► aren't shall not —► shan't
we are —► we're is not —► isn't would not —► wouldn't
she is —>- she's have not —► haven't should not —► shouldn't
he has —► he's has not —► hasn't cannot —► can't
I have —► I've had not —► hadn't could not —► couldn't
you had —► you'd do not —► don't might not —► mightn't
you would —► you'd does not —>■ doesn't must not —►mustn't

they will —► they'll did not —► didn't need not —► needn't

will not —► won't

• With be, two negative forms are common: you're not /y o u aren't, she's n o t/s h e isn't, etc. With have, had, w ill
and would, the forms with n't are more common: we usually say / haven't, I h a d n 't etc, NOT I've not, I'd n o t etc.
• There is no contraction em r/t, BUT am n o t —>- aren't in questions.

I'm late, a re n 't I? (BUT I'm n o t late, NOT / aren't late.)
• The contraction's (= is or has) can be written after pronouns, nouns, question words, here and there.
It's late. Your m other's gone home. Mary's g ot a headache.
How's Joe these days? Here's your money. There's the telephone.

• We don't use affirmative (Q) contractions at the ends of sentences.
'You're early.' 'Yes, we are.' (NOT Yes, we're.)
7 think she's gone home.' 'Yes, I think she has.' (N O T... I think she's.)
• Negative (B) contractions are possible at the ends of sentences.
'It's raining.' 'No, it isn't.'
• Don't confuse it's (= it is/has) with its (possessive - see page 188).
The cat isn't hungry. It's only eaten h a lf o f its food.

• Don't confuse who's ( - who is/has) with whose.
Who's the w om an in the green coat? Whose car is that?
• In very informal speech, going to, w ant to and g o t to are often pronounced like gonna, wanna and gotta.
They are sometimes written like this, especially in American English.

APPENDICES 301