Ivan Masterov
Ivan Masterov
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Contractions, or shall we cut it short?

Hey, folks, there's been time between my latest article and this whatever, hasn't there?
Aye, before you can even say Jack Robinson though, I'd love to explain myself - I've been bloody busy with my life, u know, so don't sue me, I'm feeling awful without it.

Legend has it, we cannot use any weird forms like "ain't, gimme, lemme, wanna/gonna, it's and let's", besides, we've got to be straightforward and intact, have we?

Well, I guess it's time we dissolve the myth in the acid of our literacy, eh? Today we're about to talk of some most common and difficult-in-one-way-or-another contractions in English and decide whether they have the right to exist or the opposite.

But before we get started, I'd like to mention that all of them are mainly colloquial, I mean informal, and if you're on the verge of taking some exam, you'd better not use 'em at all.

  • won't = will not (what's the gist, you ask? - well, it's the way you pronounce it) - [wount];
  • it's - it is (MacVan, seriously?) - hold your horses, we usually confuse it with "its", so don't;
  • can't (international)/cannot (more likely to be British) - mind the way of saying it out loud, mates, as it can be the rudest word in English! [ka:nt] - open your mouth wide and say the [a:], will you?
    NB: the other word is pronounced with the [ʌ], so your mouth's in its neutral position and you lazily say the sound of "cut", got it?
  • 'd better/'d rather - "had better" - "would rather";
  • let's = let us;
  • ain't = "am/is/are not" - have/has not - did not;
  • dunno = don't know;
  • lemme = let me;
  • gimme = give me;
  • gonna = going to, so will you please not forget about adding the verb "to be", like "am gonna, etc."?
  • Imma = I'm about to/I'm going to;
  • Wanna = want to;
  • Innit = any tag question!!!
    e.g. You're good at it, innit?
    e.g. You've got a big family, innit?

Argh, mates, I'm sure you've had enough for today, have you, and I wanna call it a day if you'll let me. So, have a fantastic last month of the winter and be happy!

Cheers!

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