2022-01-28 ศัพท์ น่าสับสน - Set – C - contractions

Revision C

2022-01-28

ศัพท์ น่าสับสน - Set – C - contractions

แนะนำการใช้ ตามที่ส่วนใหญ่ใช้ แต่ละท้องถิ่น 

ความหมาย อาจผันแปร ตาม ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค

 

Dictionary.com:

ออกเสียง contractions = “kuhn-TRAK-shuhn”

 

The A-Z of Correct English Common Errors in English Dictionary:

Contractions

Take care with placing the apostrophe in contractions. 

It is placed where the letter has been omitted 

and not where the two words are joined. 

These happen to coincide in some contractions: 

I’d (I would) they aren’t (they are not) 

it isn’t (it is not) you hadn’t (you had not) 

you wouldn’t (you would not) 

she won’t (she will not) we haven’t (we have not) 

I shan’t (I shall not) 

It was common in Jane Austen’s time to use two apostrophes 

in shan’t (sha’n’t) to show that two sets of letters 

had been omitted but this is no longer correct today.

 

Dictionary.com:

NOTES FOR CONTRACTION

An apostrophe is generally used in contractions 

to show where letters or sounds have been left out.

 

Dictionary.com:

USAGE NOTE FOR CONTRACTION

Contractions such as isn't, couldn't, can't, weren't, he'll, they're 

occur chiefly, although not exclusively, in informal speech and writing.

 

They are common in personal letters, business letters, journalism, and fiction; 

they are rare in scientific and scholarly writing.

 

Contractions occur in formal writing 

mainly as representations of speech.

 

Dictionary.com:

Time To Learn About ’Tis, ’Twas, And Other Uncommon Contractions

Published December 13, 2021

Going further than 'twas

The unique contraction 

’twas has become something of a holiday treat; every year around Christmas, 

it pops back up again because of the poem 

“A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore. 

While you might not recognize the name of the poem, 

you are likely familiar with the first lines: 

“’Twas the night before Christmas 

and all through the house, 

not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.”

 

You may have picked up from this line 

that ’twas is a contraction of the words it was.

 

A contraction is a shortened form of a word 

or group of words where the missing letters 

are replaced with an apostrophe (’). 

 

There are many everyday contractions 

such as it’s, which is a contraction of it is, 

where the “i” in is has been replaced with an apostrophe.

 

Other everyday contractions 

include won’t (will not) and isn’t (is not).

 

Dictionary.com:

Why Is “Ain’t” Such A Controversial Word?

Published August 11, 2019

What’s all the fuss over ain’t about?

Is it “bad English”? Is it really a word? 

What does ain’t even stand for?

Let’s break down this controversial

—but very misunderstood—term.

 

What does ain’t mean?

Ain’t is a contraction that can mean am not, are not, and is not.

It can also mean have not, has not, do not, does not, or did not. 

We ain’t joking: 

ain’t is incredibly versatile, 

a kind of one-stop-shop for saying 

something isn’t, didn’t, or wasn’t.

 

Ain’t apparently begins as amn’t, a contraction for am not, 

which you can still hear in Ireland and Scotland today. 

Ain’t is recorded in the early 1700s, 

with amn’t found a century before. 

Ain’t is also influenced by aren’t, 

the contraction for are not recorded in the late 1600s.

 

Is ain’t a word?

Absolutely. Ain’t is a perfectly valid word, 

but today, ain’t is considered nonstandard.

At worst, it gets stigmatized for being “ignorant” or “low-class.” 

At best, it’s considered a no-no in formal writing.

 

Ain’t wasn’t always so looked down upon, though. 

We can find ain’t (and its related, historic forms like an’t) 

in the mouths of upper-class characters in literature, for instance. 

Yes, ain’t was once historically acceptable 

in the colloquial language of Victorian lords and ladies!

But, ain’t became associated with lower-class characters 

(as in the works of Charles Dickens) 

and was treated as a vulgar form to be avoided. 

This avoidance is apparently why we say 

the ungrammatical-seeming aren’t I? in questions.

 

You ain’t seen nothing yet

While many snub ain’t,

we have no problem with many other not contractions in English. 

We’ve used some in this article already. 

 

Did you catch them?

There’s isn’t, didn’t, wasn’t, and aren’t. 

There’s also can’t, won’t, and wouldn’t. 

We have haven’t, hasn’t, weren’t, shouldn’t, and don’t. 

 

And once upon time,

we had hain’t for has not and have not

—much like ain’t.

We also had bain’t, also like ain’t and based on be(en) not.

 

How do you use the word ain’t?

While a lot of people consider ain’t improper, 

it’s a very regular and legitimate part of many forms of English, 

including in Black English (AAVE). 

 

Be mindful that 

judging someone’s use of ain’t as “wrong” 

can be a very socially loaded act, to say the least.

 

Here are some examples of ain’t as a contraction of am/are/is not:

• I ain’t going to the dance tonight.
• They ain’t coming over for dinner after all.
• He ain’t the person who surprised you with flowers.

 

Some examples of ain’t as a contraction 

of have/has/do/does/did not:

• We ain’t got any milk left in the fridge.
• They ain’t get to see the movie.
• She ain’t need that ride anymore.

 

Outside of regional and dialectical forms of English, 

ain’t also appears in a great many expressions 

(not to mention in important titles, from “Ain’t I a Woman?” 

to “Ain’t That a Shame”).

 

In fact, it’s hard to imagine these sayings without ain’t. 

Try replacing them with their formal counterpoint 

and see if they still keep their charm. 

Say it ain’t so: Say it isn’t so? Um …

 

Some great ain’t expressions:

• If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
• He ain’t what he used to be.
• You ain’t heard (or seen) nothing yet.
• Say it ain’t so, Joe!

Ain’t it the truth!