Verb conjugation and contraction - in other words; "The short form".

In spoken English we use the short form a lot. Instead of "I am" we say, "I'm". "You are" becomes "you're". "Did not" - "didn't" etc.

We also use these short forms in informal written English. When we write the short form, we use an apostrophe (') for the missing letter(s).

Here are the short forms of the auxiliary verbs to be, to do and to have:-

TO BE - SIMPLE PRESENT FORM

I am

I'm

I am not

I'm not

He is

He's

He is not

He isn't or He's not

She is

She's

She is not

She isn't or She's not

It is

It's

It is not

It isn't or It's not

You are

You're

You are not

You aren't or You're not

We are

We're

We are not

We aren't or We're not

They are

They're

They are not

They're not

TO BE - SIMPLE PAST FORM

I was

I was not

I wasn't

He was

He was not

He wasn't

She was

She was not

She wasn't

It was

It was not

It wasn't

You were

You were not

You weren't

We were

We were not

We weren't

They were

They were not

They weren't

TO DO - SIMPLE PRESENT FORM

I do

---

I do not

I don't

He does

He does not

He doesn't

She does

She does not

She doesn't

It does

It does not

It doesn't

You do

You do not

You don't

We do

We do not

We don't

They do

They do not

They don't

TO DO - SIMPLE PAST FORM

Positive Statement

I / he / she / it / you / we / they did

Negative Statement

I / he / she / it / you / we / they did not

I / he / she / it / you / we / they didn't

TO HAVE - SIMPLE PRESENT FORM

I have

I've

I have not

I haven't or I've not

He has

He's

He has not

He hasn't or He's not

She has

She's

She has not

She hasn't or She's not

It has

It's

It has not

It hasn't or It's not

You have

You've

You have not

You haven't or You've not

We have

We've

We have not

We haven't or We've not

They have

They've

They have not

They haven't or They've not

TO HAVE - SIMPLE PAST FORM

Positive Statement

I / he / she / it / you / we / they had

I'd

he'd

she'd

it'd

you'd

we'd

they'd

Negative Statement

I / he / she / it / you / we / they had not

I hadn't or I'd not

he hadn't or he'd not

she hadn't or she'd not

it hadn't or it'd not

you hadn't or you'd not

we hadn't or we'd not

they hadn't or they'd not

!Note - We don't use the short form of be, will or have if it takes the final position in a sentence.

The long and short forms of the modal verbs can, could, shall, should, must, will and would

CAN

Positive Statement

I / he / she / it / you / we / they can

Negative Statement

I / he / she/ it / you / we / they cannot

I / he / she / it / you / we / they can't

COULD

Positive Statement

I / he / she / it / you / we / they could

Negative Statement--

I / he / she/ it / you / we / they could not

I / he / she / it / you / we / they couldn't

MUST

Positive Statement

I / he / she / it / you / we / they must

Negative Statement

I / he / she/ it / you / we / they must not

I / he / she / it / you / we / they mustn't

SHALL

Positive Statement

Negative Statement

Long form

Short form

Long form

Short form

I / he / she / it / you / we / they shall

---

I / he / she/ it / you / we / they shall not

I / he / she / it / you / we / they shan't

SHOULD

Positive Statement

Long form

I / he / she / it / you / we / they should

Negative Statement

I / he / she / it / you / we / they should not

Short form

I / he / she / it / you / we / they shouldn't

WILL

Positive Statement

I / he / she / it / you / we / they will

Short form

I'll

He'll

She'll

It'll

You'll

We'll

They'll

Negative Statement

I / he / she / it / you / we / they will not

Short form

I won't or I'll not

He won't or He'll not

She won't or She'll not

It won't or It'll not

You won't or You'll not

We won't or We'll not

They won't or They'll not

WOULD

Positive Statement

I / he / she / it / you / we / they would

I'd

He'd

She'd

It'd*

You'd

We'd

They'd

Negative Statement

I / he / she / it / you / we / they would not

I wouldn't or I'd not

He wouldn't or He'd not

She wouldn't or She'd not

It wouldn't or It'd not*

You wouldn't or You'd not

We wouldn't or We'd not

They wouldn't or They'd not

* Not "good" English, but you will hear occasionally.

The imperative

LET US

Let us is a funny one. The only time I've ever heard the long form of "Let us..." used is when the vicar used to say "Let us pray." It's much more likely you'll hear or see the contracted form "let's". "Let's do this," no "Let's do that instead," and the sarcastic "Oh yes, let's."

Long form - rarely used

Long form - used by pompous people

Short form

Let us Let's

Let us not Let's not