STUDY NOTES

EPISODE 9: EYE TESTING

CONTRACTIONS IN INFORMAL ENGLISH

Its quite common and natural in everyday
English to use such forms as its /ts/, Ive
/av/, 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.

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.

Identifying contractions
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

Im /am/

am /m/
m /m/
3rd person singular

Negative
Contractions
Nouns

Question
Words

hes /hiz/

friends

wheres

is /z/

shes /iz/

/frndz/

/wz/

s /z/ or /s/

its /ts/

Jacks /ks/
other words:

isnt /znt/
she isnt
compare: shes
not

heres /hrz/
theres /z/
other
are /a/

youre /j(r)/
were

re // or /r/

/w(r)/, /w/
or /w(r)/
theyre
/(r)/ or
/e(r)/

nows /naz/
friendsre

whatre

arent /ant/ or

/frndzr/ or

/wt/ or

/frndz/
sistersre

/wtr/

/arnt/
they arent
compare:
theyre not

/sstzr/ or
/sstz/
other words:
herere /hrr/
or
/hr/
therere
/rr/ or
/r/

Past tense
1st and 3rd person
singular

was /wz/ or /wz/

other
were /w/ or /w/

wasnt /wznt/
I wasnt
he wasnt
she wasnt
it wasnt
werent
/wnt/ or
/wrnt/
you werent
we werent
they werent

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HAVE /HV/
Forms

present tense 3rd person singular

has /hz/, /hz/ or
/z/

Contractions
Pronouns

Nouns

hes /hiz/

friends

Question
Words
wheres

shes /iz/

/frndz/

/wz/

its /ts/

Jacks /ks/
other words:

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/

Negative
Contractions

hasnt /hznt/
he hasnt
compare:
hes not

theres /z/
Ive /av/

tablesve

whatve

youve /juv/

/teblzv/
sistersve

/wtv/

weve /wiv/
theyve /ev/

/sstzv/

Id /ad/

friendsd

youd /jud/

/frndzd/

hed /hid/

sisterd /sstd/

shed /id/

other words:

itd /td/

thered /d/

whod /hud/

havent /hvnt/
they havent
compare:
theyve not

hadnt /hdnt/
he hadnt
compare:
hed not

wed /wid/
theyd /ed/

DO /DU/
Forms

Contractions
Pronouns

present tense 3rd person singular

does /dz/ or /dz/
other singular and
plural
do /du/ or /d/

Past tense
singular and plural
did /d d/

Negative
Contractions
Nouns

Question
Words

doesnt /dznt/
he doesnt
compare:
he does not
dont /dont/
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

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MODALS
WILL /WL/
Forms

Contractions

Negative
Contractions

Pronouns

Nouns

Question
Words

Ill /al/

friendll

wholl /hul/

will /wl/ or /wll/ ll

youll /jul/

/frndl/

/l/ or /l/

hell /hil/,

Jimll /ml/

singular and plural

/hl/
shell /il/
itll /tl/

wont /wont/
he wont
compare:
he will not

other words:
therell /l/

well /wil/,
/wl/
theyll /el/

WOULD /WD/, /WD/

Forms

Contractions

Negative
Contractions

Id /ad/

friendsd

Question
Words
whered

would /wd/

youd /jud/

/frndzd/

/wd/

d /d/ or /d/

hed /hid/

Sallyd /slid/

singular and plural

Pronouns

Nouns

shed /id/
itd /td/
wed /wid/
theyd

wouldnt
/wdnt/
he wouldnt
compare:
he would not

other words:
thered /d/

/ed/

OTHER MODALS
Form
stressed and unstressed
pronunciation

Negative Contraction

Meaning

can /kn/, /kn/

cant /knt/ (Australian English,

cannot

North American English), /kant/

(Australian English), /knt/
(British English)
could /kd/, /kd/

couldnt /kdnt/

could not

might /mat/

mightnt /matnt/

might not

shall /l/, /l/

shant /ant/ (British English)

shall not

should /d/, /d/

shouldnt /dnt/

should not

ought /t/

oughtnt /tnt/

ought not

must /mst/, /mst/

mustnt /msnt/

must not

need /nid/

neednt /nidnt/

need not

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Here is a summary of question and other words, which are commonly contracted.
whats
whatll

whens
whenll

heres
therell

theres
thatll

whos
wholl
whod
thats

wheres
wherell

hows
howll

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 /el/ be living in Thailand.

The weathers /wz/ been warm.
Howve /hav/ you been?
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 /wont/ be sitting the test.

You were late today?
No, I wasnt /wznt/.

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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

Grammar

Example

contraction

Its been raining all day.

possessive
contraction

The tree lost its leaves.

Youre driving too fast.

possessive
pronoun
contraction

Your drivers licence expires today.

possessive
adverb
contraction

Theyve postponed their holiday.

Theyll be travelling there tomorrow.
Whos going tonight?

possessive

Whose tickets are these?

/ts/
/j/

//

/huz/

Theyre sightseeing today.

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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