Talk:Contraction

"I aren't" and "aren't I"
These two sometimes cause some debate. However Practical English Usage by Michael Swan, one of the bibles of the English teaching world, States:

aren't I - This is the normal first-person form of be in negative questions, in British English.

I'm late, aren't I? Aren't I clever?

I must say that I would never personally use "I aren't" but I'm trying to find more on that one.--Bob M 08:04, 22 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Isn't "aren't I" used because the logical "amn't I" is so awkward to pronounce, whereas "I'm not" is easier than "I aren't"? Toast 08:11, 22 October 2009 (UTC)
 * (-) doesn't constant repetition of a word or phrase reduce its meaning: "aren't I" now reads like gibberish to me ;-) ) Toast 08:14, 22 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Yes, the more you look at a word the less meaning it has. :-)  I'm trying to find something I once read in my reference books about "I aren't" but now I can't find it.
 * It worked something like this: When making a negative of a modal or prime auxiliary the vowel changes. So  "will - won't", "shall - shan't", "can - can't" etc. We stretch the vowel sound. So "am - aan't" follows the some pronunciation "rule" as "can -can't". Unfortunately the stretched "a" vowel is indicated with an "r" and  it's spelt "aren't" and that causes people to object.  But I can't find my source.--Bob M 08:24, 22 October 2009 (UTC)
 * David Crystal has something on this as well.--Bob M 08:41, 22 October 2009 (UTC)

(outdent) And what, may I ask, is wrong with the time-honoured "Ain't I?" That's the trouble with all youse English teachers: you all want to learn yer students yer own version of English as you would like it to be spoke and not like wot she is spoke...

My grandmother had been an English teacher at a posh prep school in the 1920s and she literally freaked out when I told her I taught my students contractions. She begged me to reconsider and just shook her head at yet another example of what the country was coming to... BTW, she used "Am I not?" Sigh! --Technopat 23:37, 22 October 2009 (UTC)
 * It's certainly used TP, but if you told me you taught it then I would be convinced you was pulling me leg.--Bob M 06:35, 23 October 2009 (UTC)
 * If by "taught" you mean do I "mention it in class", I can assure you I do - even at beginner level - along with yeah, gonna, gotta, wanna and loads of other sub-standard examples of the uses of English which people who live in the real world outside of language classes will come across on a daily basis.--Technopat 08:38, 23 October 2009 (UTC)
 * It's just occurred to me we are at cross-purposes here: I was referring to the use of ain't but I reckon now that maybe you were referring to Am I not? Oh, and I forgot to mention that I always teach the use of innit? and dunno --Technopat 08:43, 23 October 2009 (UTC)
 * I assumed that you were using "ain't I" in terms of something like "I'm clever, ain't I". Indeed, I'm not sure how else you could use it, but maybe my imagination is at fault.  I would certainly talk about it if it came up, but I certainly wouldn't use it as a model - which I had understood your post to mean.
 * The other examples you mention are simply examples of contractions which occur naturally in speech and which the students pretty obviously need to recognise if they are to have any hope of understanding native speakers. Indeed, it has often occurred to me that the set of "recognised" written contractions could usefully be expanded to include such things.--Bob M 09:47, 23 October 2009 (UTC)