English Language Learners Stack Exchange
English Language Learners Stack Exchange

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.

A contraction is a shortened version of the written and spoken forms of a word, syllable, or word group, created by omission of internal letters.

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180 questions
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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 has four legs) and this correct It's got four legs (It has got four…
Tom Brown
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is "I'll" correct as a short answer?

A basic example: -Hey, will you be at the party this Friday? -I'll A guy I know does that all the time and I can't convince him that this isn't correct... or is it? For me it just sounds stupid and is hard to pronounce only one word like that
inteNsE-
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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 contractions such as y'all'd've for "you all would have"…
Zeeshan Ali
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Agreed or agree?

I often see the following exchange on Internet forums: A: (some proposition) B: Agreed. Why "agreed", not "agree"? Is it a contracted form of "have agreed" or the past simple? Is the form "agree" (I agree with you) acceptable too?
Michael Login
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Why don't we contract "it is" in "If it is, then..."

I wrote some instructions for a friend today, asking them to check something, and then act differently depending on the result: It should be spinning when it's on. If it isn't then check the batteries. If it is then replace the frobulator. I…
Adam Davis
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8
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Can I contract "Where are"?

Can I contract "Where are" to "Where're"? Even if it's not wrong, it's unusual?
talles
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can we contract "The dog across the street is big." to "The dog across the street's big."?

can we contract "The dog across the street is big." to "The dog across the street's big."? I think we can't because I felt weird when saying "The dog across the street's big."
Tom
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Have or 've? When can we not contract "have"?

When is it not possible to use the contracted form of have? Can I contract have in this sentence? My parents have just arrived
Simona T
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What are the rules for use of contractions?

I am a native English speaker. I've noticed that there seem to be very strong rules about when to use contractions, but I haven't seen these rules enumerated anywhere. For instance, I think nearly every native speaker would say this is…
Peter Flom
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Why is this usage of "I've to work" so awkward?

I'm a native speaker but I saw a sentence on an internet post that started If I've to work without (some resource) ... I had to read it a couple times before I read it as If I have to work without Why is the former so hard to parse and the…
Dean MacGregor
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4
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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"? I don't think it makes much sense to use the…
trisct
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The reason to write "o'clock"

What does mean or why we write the letter "o'" with clock? Is there any letter instead of the apostrophe?
samerr
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3
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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 English and can we non-natives use them?
SovereignSun
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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
Xyenz
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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, eventually I came to write words that are contracted twice…
Pandya
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