Contractions for "are" with WH question words and nouns.

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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > Contractions for "are" with WH question words and nouns.

Contractions for "are" with WH question words and nouns.

Thalia Gralik

Contractions for "are" with WH question words and nouns.

Please, I ďż˝d like to know the correct usage of the contractions with WH words and nouns. Is it correct to use: What ďż˝re...? / Who ďż˝re...? / How ďż˝re...? / etc...

And if my name ďż˝s Thalia (is correct)... Is it correct to use: My favorite subjects ďż˝re English and Portuguese.

What are the grammar rules for this issue?

Thanks a lot for your help.

16 Jul 2011

bomberito

dear thalia, well i think it isnt correct to use contractions with are and wh - questions. what are....) who are..? etc, but u can use what ďż˝s ... (what is...?) who ďż˝s ...(who is)?. and you are right when u say " my name ďż˝s thalia. (it is correct). but my favorite subjects are English and ..... is much better than my favorite subjects ďż˝re. i think it isnt correct.

16 Jul 2011

ldthemagicman

Dear Thalia,

If you send me a Private Message with your e-mail, I ďż˝ll send you a Worksheet explaining Contractions.

Les

17 Jul 2011

yanogator

Thalia,

Contractions with " ďż˝re " are used in spoken English, but are not commonly used in written English, except when recording dialogue. This true in US usage, at least. I don ďż˝t know about British practices in this area.

Bruce

17 Jul 2011

spinney

I ďż˝m with Bruce on this (spoken rather than written) although according to the Macmillan book on Email English it ďż˝s standard (neutral?) in emails. I shouldn ďż˝t think they ďż˝d be a difference in Brit and American English in this instance. No doubt someone will pop up to say that isn ďż˝t so.

17 Jul 2011

ldthemagicman

Dear Thalia,

In answer to your question about Contractions in English.

"Who ďż˝re", "What ďż˝re"; "Why ďż˝re"; Where ďż˝re"; "When ďż˝re"; Which ďż˝re"; "How ďż˝re"; are all used in conversation in the UK. They are also used in informal writing.

"My favourite subjects ďż˝re English and Portuguese", is pefectly acceptable to me, in spoken English, and in informal writing.

"My name ďż˝s Thalia/Maria/Les/etc". is used daily in speech and is frequently seen in informal writing.

I quote "A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language" page 26, by Professor Quirk and 4 other English Professors.

"Contractions such as "didn ďż˝t" are appropriate in both informal and *neutral English; they are excluded from formal English".

*"Neutral English", is "normal English", midway between "informal" and "formal".

I quote "An A - Z of English Grammar and Usage", page 101, by Geoffrey Leech, Benita Cruikshank and Roz Ivanič

"Contractions are used in speech and informal writing. Do not use them in formal writing, for example, business letters".

I quote "Practical English Usage", page 132, by Michael Swann of Oxford University Press.

"Contractions are common and correct in informal writing: they represent the pronunciation of informal speech. They are not generally used in formal style".

A Private Note; Personal Letter; Scribbled Instructions; Diary; Shopping List; Novel; Book of Fiction; Written Conversation; Comic Writing; Personal E-Mail; Light-Hearted Essay; Popular Newspaper; Popular Magazine; are all examples of Informal Writing.

A Business Letter; Thesis; College/University Assignment; Essay on a Serious Subject; Serious Newspaper; Technical Magazine; Scientific Paper; Formal Written Debate; Non-Fiction Book; Official Proclamation; Notice; Written Record of Court Proceedings; Minutes of a Meeting; Business E-Mail; Job Application; Curriculum Vitae; are all examples of Formal Writing.

If you are in doubt, treat the subject as Formal, then you wonďż˝t cause offence.

I hope that this helps you.

Les

17 Jul 2011