Teach me some contractions!

Question

Hi,I noticed some "new" contractions I didn't know. I understand that "did" can be contracted after words like "What, how, where, etc.", and would is not contracted that way (I hope).He'd get mad = He would gat madWhere'd he go? = Where did he go?But I noticed that "was" is sometimes contracted too, and that's a little confusing, I think.How's your mother? = How is you mother?So? How's dinner? = How was dinner?Is this true, and confusing?Do you know of other common contractions? For example, Merriam-Webster says that 's is  a contraction of IS (ok), WAS (just found out), HAS (yep)... and DOES (what? never heard this, I hope it's not used...)Thanks

Yoong Liat · Accepted Answer

Hi Kooyeen

So? How's dinner? = How was dinner?

Are you sure "How's" means "How was"?

Sooris · Answer

I think all the contractions that you have mentioned happened when they spoke and not in written English.

Native speakers leave out several letters and words when they speak. This happens when you try to capture their spoken English into written form. However, this will create confusion when you start writing these contracted forms.

Kooyeen · Answer

Well, actually I think "How was" should be more like "Ha was dinner", so "How's dinner" is not ok... But Merriam-Webster online says that 's is a contraction of "was", and also "does"...

--->http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/'s
WAS: When's the last time you ate?
DOES: What's he want?

I've never heard "does" contracted that way, I don't know if it's common, let's hope not. But I heard something very similar to "How's" for "How was" though...

Anyway, I'll recheck this thread or open another one when I come back, I have to go and I'll probably not post for about ten days...

GL2 · Answer

While 'was' and 'does' may be used in contractions, it seems to me they're used mostly (maybe exclusively) with 'when' and 'what' and not very frequently at that.

Using, "How's dinner?" to mean, "How was dinner?" would sound like sloppy pronunciation if spoken that way. Written, it would be interpreted by most native speakers to mean, "How is dinner?" If you were to ask someone who had just finished eating, "How's dinner?" he would most likely think you were under the false impression dinner was still being served and respond with something like, "We've already eaten, but it was good."

CalifJim · Answer

My impression is that was never contracts. I would take When's the last time... as When is the last time ... -- I think.

Forms of do do contract after question words in very casual conversation ('s, 'd). The 'd seems to me more common and more natural sounding than the 's. I placed question marks before the sentences below that don't strike me as the best choices. (Personal opinion.)

Where'd he go on vacation? [wair dee]
??Where's he go on vacation? [wair zee]
?When'd he leave? [wen dee]
??When's he leave? [wen zee]
How'd he find out? [howdee]
???How's he find out? [howzee]
Why'd he do that? [widee]
???Why's he do that? [wizee]
Who'd he think'd do it? [hoodee]
?Who's he think'll do it? [hoozee]
???What'd he say? [wuddidee] [wuddee]
?What's he say? [wutsee]

CJ

GL2 · Answer

Jim may be right about 'was.' The example given above:

"When's the last time you ate?"

Could be written:

"What is the last time you ate?"

Since 'was' and 'is' both end in 's,' it's hard to say what the author's intentions are/were.

Kooyeen · Answer

Back!

Ok, looks like M-W needs someone to sue them again...
I found those examples (...with question marks and pronunciation) very interesting. What sounds good is probably what you've heard most often or what you usually say, as a contraction. I really didn't know "does" could sometimes become "s", I think I've never noticed this kind of contraction (but I hear "did" as "d" pretty often).

Thank you all.

CalifJim · Answer

Welcome back!

Did you enjoy your vacation? Or business trip? Or whatever?

CJ

Kooyeen · Answer

CalifJimWelcome back!

Did you enjoy your vacation? Or business trip? Or whatever?

Thanks!
Yeah, let's say... yeah. The weather could have been much better, but I didn't get caught in the rain anyway, hehe

Anonymous · Answer

I don't know if it's a regional thing, but after seeing the example "What's he want?" I can tell you for sure I've heard and used it that way many times.  I'm very used to hearing it, so it doesn't sound weird to me at all.  I don't know that it's so much a written contraction as just, as someone said before, a way people speak.  Sort of like if someone asked, "What you want on your hamburger?"  Is it appropriate grammatically?  No.  But among certain social settings it should not be looked down upon to drop words or syllables, as they are usually understood perfectly well by the people to which they are speaking.  <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

Teach me some contractions!

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