Appendix 5 : Short forms (I’m / you’ve / didn’t etc.)

   5.1   

In spoken English we usually say I'm / you've / didn't etc. (short forms or contractions) rather than I am / you have / did not etc. We also use these short forms in informal writing (for example, a letter or message to a friend).

 

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:

 

'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)

 

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)

 

 

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

• Katherine's going out tonight. (= Katherine is)
• My best friend's just got married. (= My best 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)	don't (= do not) doesn't (= does not) didn't (= did not)
haven't (= have not) hasn't (= has not) hadn't (= had not)	can't (= cannot) won't (= will not) shan't (= shall not)
couldn't (= could not) wouldn't (= would not) shouldn't (= should 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