Appendix 5

Short forms (I'm/you've/didn't etc.)

1. In spoken English we usually say I'm/you've/didn't etc. (short forms) rather than I am/you have/did not etc. We also use short forms in informal written English (for example, in letters to friends).

When we write short forms, we use an apostrophe (') for the missing letter(s):

I'm = I am you've = you have didn't = did not

5.2 List of short forms of auxiliary verbs

'm = am -> I'm

's = is or has -> he's, she's, it's

're= are -> you're, we're, they're

've = have -> I've, you've, we've, they've

'll = will -> I'll, he'll, she'll, you'll, we'll, they'll

'd = would or had -> I'd, he'd, she'd, you'd, we'd, they'd

's can be is or has:

* She's ill. (= She is ill.)

* She's gone away. (= She has gone away.)

but let's = let us:

* Let's go now. (= Let us go)

'd can be would or had:

* I'd see a doctor if I were you. (= I would see)

* I'd never seen her before. (= I had never seen)

We use some of these short forms (especially 's) after question words (who/what etc.) and after that/there/here:

who's, what's, where's, how's, that's, there's, here's, who'll, there'll, who'd

* Who's that woman over there? (= who is)

* What's happened? (= what has)

* Do you think there'll be many people at the party? (= there will)

You can also use short forms (especially 's) after a noun:

* John's going out tonight. (= John is)

* My friend's just got married. (= My friend has)

You cannot use 'm/'s/'re/'ve/'ll/'d at the end of a sentence (because the verb is stressed in this position):

* 'Are you tired?' 'Yes, I am.' (not 'Yes, I'm.')

* Do you know where she is? (not 'Do you know where she's?')

5.3 Negative short forms

isn't(= is not) aren't(= are not) wasn't(= was not) weren't(= were not) doesn't(= doesn't) didn't(= did not) don't(= do not) haven't(= have not) hasn't(= has not) hadn't(= had not) can't(= cannot) couldn't(= could not) won't(= will not) wouldn't(= would not) shan't(= shall not) shouldn't(= should not) mightn't(= might not) mustn't(= must not) needn't(= need not) daren't(= dare not)

Negative short forms for is and are can be:

he isn't/she isn't/it isn't or he's not/she's not/it's not

you aren't/we aren't/they aren't or you're not/we're not/they're not