STUDY NOTES CONTRACTIONS IN INFORMAL ENGLISH Its quite common and natural in everyday English to use such forms

as its / ts/, Ive /a v/, isnt / znt/, theres / z/ and others. These are contractions and are shortened forms of a word or words. They represent the grammar or spelling of informal writing, and the pronunciation of informal speech. Though found in informal language only, they are, nonetheless, important when writing informal letters, postcards and notes to friends or even informal emails. Of equal importance is not only using but pronouncing contracted forms correctly when speaking English. Contractions help make your speech sound natural. Identifying contractions

EPISODE 9: EYE TESTING STUDY TIPS Communicating effectively and naturally in English means using contractions in everyday conversational speech. It is also beneficial to put this into practice for the IELTS Speaking test to capture the rhythm of English in your speech. Extending the use of contracted forms to informal writing is important because it is common, correct and natural for that style of writing.

Contractions are formed with auxiliary verbs be, have and do, and modal auxiliaries, including can, could, might, shall, should, will, would, ought, must and the semi-modal need. They are also formed with irregular verbs be, have and do when theyre not auxiliary verbs. There are two kinds of contractions. For example:
pronoun noun question word other

(auxiliary) verb

Theyre travelling in China. The weathers cold. Wheres the party? Heres the book. (auxiliary) verb + not

She wont be attending the meeting. John cant have the car tomorrow.

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Here is a list of contracted forms. IRREGULAR VERBS BE /bi/

Forms Contractions Pronouns present tense 1st person singular am /m/ m /m/ 3rd person singular is / z/ s /z/ or /s/ Im /a m/ hes /hiz/ shes / iz/ its / ts/ Nouns friends /fr ndz/ Jacks / ks/ other words: heres /h rz/ theres / z/ nows /na z/ friendsre /fr ndzr/ or /fr ndz/ sistersre /s stzr/ or /s stz/ other words: herere /h rr/ or /h r/ therere / rr/ or / r/ Question Words wheres /w z/ isnt / znt/ she isnt compare: shes not Negative Contractions

other are /a/ re // or /r/

youre /j (r)/ were /w (r)/, /w / or /w (r)/ theyre / (r)/ or /e (r)/

whatre /w t/ or /w tr/

arent /ant/ or /arnt/ they arent compare: theyre not

Past tense 1st and 3rd person singular was /w z/ or /wz/ other were /w / or /w /

wasnt /w znt/ I wasnt he wasnt she wasnt it wasnt werent /w nt/ or /w rnt/ you werent we werent they werent

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HAVE /HV/
Forms Contractions Pronouns present tense 3rd person singular has /hz/, /hz/ or /z/ s /z/, /s/ other singular and plural have /hv/, /hv/ or / v/ ve /v/ or / v/ Past tense singular and plural had /hd/, /hd/ or /d/ d /d/ or /d/ hes /hiz/ shes / iz/ its / ts/ Nouns friends /fr ndz/ Jacks / ks/ other words: theres / z/ Ive /a v/ youve /juv/ weve /wiv/ theyve /e v/ Id /a d/ youd /jud/ hed /hid/ shed / id/ itd / td/ wed /wid/ theyd /e d/ tablesve /te blzv/ sistersve /s stzv/ whatve /w tv/ Question Words wheres /w z/ Negative Contractions hasnt /hznt/ he hasnt compare: hes not

havent /hvnt/ they havent compare: theyve not

friendsd /fr ndzd/ sisterd /s std/ other words: thered / d/

whod /hud/

hadnt /hdnt/ he hadnt compare: hed not

DO /DU/
Forms Contractions Pronouns present tense 3rd person singular does /d z/ or /dz/ other singular and plural do /du/ or /d / Nouns Question Words doesnt /d znt/ he doesnt compare: he does not dont /do nt/ I dont you dont we dont they dont compare: they do not didnt /d dnt/ I didnt you didnt he didnt she didnt it didnt we didnt they didnt compare: he did not Negative Contractions

Past tense singular and plural did /d d/

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MODALS WILL /W L/
Forms Contractions Pronouns singular and plural will /w l/ or /w ll/ ll /l/ or / l/ Ill /a l/ youll /jul/ hell /hil/, /h l/ shell / il/ itll / tl/ well /wil/, /w l/ theyll /e l/ Nouns friendll /fr ndl/ Jimll / ml/ other words: therell / l/ Question Words wholl /hul/ Negative Contractions wont /wo nt/ he wont compare: he will not

WOULD /W D/, /WD/

Forms Contractions Pronouns singular and plural would /w d/ d /d/ or /d/ Id /a d/ youd /jud/ hed /hid/ shed / id/ itd / td/ wed /wid/ theyd /e d/ Nouns friendsd /fr ndzd/ Sallyd /slid/ other words: thered / d/ Question Words whered /w d/ Negative Contractions wouldnt /w dnt/ he wouldnt compare: he would not

OTHER MODALS
Form stressed and unstressed pronunciation can /kn/, /kn/ Negative Contraction cant /knt/ (Australian English, North American English), /kant/ (Australian English), /k nt/ (British English) couldnt /k dnt/ mightnt /ma tnt/ shant / ant/ (British English) shouldnt / dnt/ oughtnt / tnt/ mustnt /m snt/ neednt /nidnt/ Meaning cannot

could /k d/, /kd/ might /ma t/ shall / l/, / l/ should / d/, / d/ ought / t/ must /m st/, /mst/ need /nid/

could not might not shall not should not ought not must not need not

Here is a summary of question and other words, which are commonly contracted.
whats whatll heres whens whenll theres whos wholl whod thats wheres wherell hows howll

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therell

thatll

Stress in contractions In spoken English the following type of contraction is unstressed. These contractions are pronounced shorter and quicker, and, therefore, sometimes difficult to hear. It is an important aspect of casual, conversational English.
pronoun noun question word other

(auxiliary) verb

Theyll /e l/ be living in Thailand. Howve /ha v/ you been?

The weathers /w z/ been warm. Theres / z/ been a fire.

When an auxiliary verb is stressed at the end of a sentence or clause, contractions cannot be formed. For example, Is he upset? Yes, he is. Yes, hes. The other type of contraction can be stressed. These are auxiliary verbs in negative contractions, which can, in distinction, be stressed at the end of sentences or clauses. Negatives are stressed in English, and so a contraction containing a negative is usually stressed.
(auxiliary) verb + not

He wont /wo nt/ be sitting the test. You were late today? No, I wasnt /w znt/.

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Contractions confusing forms Though spelt differently some contractions have the same pronunciation as other grammatical forms. This can cause confusion and misspellings. Here is a list of such forms.
Word its = it is or it has its youre = you are your theyre = there are their there whos = who is whose Pronunciation / ts/ /j / possessive contraction possessive pronoun contraction / / possessive adverb contraction /huz/ possessive Whose tickets are these? Theyve postponed their holiday. Theyll be travelling there tomorrow. Whos going tonight? The tree lost its leaves. Youre driving too fast. Your drivers licence expires today. Theyre sightseeing today. Grammar contraction Example Its been raining all day.

Remember that is (to be) and has (to have), as well as had (to have) and would (would), when used as auxiliary verbs contract to the same form s and d, respectively. For example: Its burnt. It is burnt. Im sorry, Ill lower the setting on the toaster. Its burnt. It has burnt. Im sorry, I wasnt watching the time. Theyd travelled to China. They had travelled to China. Theyd travel to China. They would travel to China. If there is any confusion, the context and grammar would make the meaning clear.

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