Page 77 - Basic English Usage
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aren't /a:nt/ are not
cant /kKa:nt/ cannot
couldn't — /"kudnt/ could not
daren't /deant/ dare not
didn't /‘didnt/ did not
doesn't ‘daznt/ does not
don't /daunt/ do not
hasn't /heeznt/ has not
haven't /haevnt/ have not
hadn't /‘heednt/ had not
isn't /‘iznt/ is not
mightn't — /‘maitnt/ might not
mustn't /'masnt/ must not
needn't /‘ni:dnt/ need not
oughtn't — /o:tnt/ ought not
shan't a:nt/ shall not
shouldn't /‘Judnt/ should not
wasn't /woznt/ was not
weren't /w3:int/ were not
won't /waont/ will not
wouldn't —/'wudnt/ would not
Notes
Am not is contracted to aren't (/a:nt/) in questions.
im fate, aren’t |?
In non-standard English, ain'tis used as a contraction of am not, are not,
is not, have not and has not.
Do not confuse it's and its. (See 299.8.)
For the contraction /et's, see 191.
91 ‘copula’ verbs
We use some verbs to join an adjective to the subject. These can be
called ‘copulas’ or ‘copula verbs’,
Compare:
The car went fast. (Fastis an adverb. It tells you about the movement.)
The car looks fast (Fast is an adjective. It tells you about the car
itself — rather like saying The car is fast. Look is a copula verb.)
Common copula verbs are:
be look seem appear sound smell taste feel
Sheisnice. Shelooksnice. Sheseemsnice. Her perfume
smells nice. Her voice sounds nice. Her skin feels nice.