Contracted Negative Forms of the Verb to Be: What They Are and How to Use Them
The verb «to be» is one of the most important verbs in the English language. It is used to indicate the existence or presence of someone or something. In addition to that, the verb «to be» is also used to describe characteristics and to link ideas together in a sentence.
Negation is an essential part of the English language. You can negate a sentence by adding the word «not» after the verb. For instance, «I am not happy,» or «She is not going to the party.» However, when you contract the negative form of the verb «to be,» it creates a shorter and more informal way of expressing negation.
Here are the contracted negative forms of the verb «to be»:
– I am not = I`m not
– You are not = You`re not / You aren`t
– He is not = He`s not / He isn`t
– She is not = She`s not / She isn`t
– It is not = It`s not / It isn`t
– We are not = We`re not / We aren`t
– They are not = They`re not / They aren`t
How to Use Contracted Negative Forms of the Verb to Be
1. In informal writing and speech
Contracted negative forms are more commonly used in informal writing and speech. For example, when you`re talking to your friends or writing a casual email, you would often use «I`m not» instead of «I am not.»
2. In negative sentences
If you want to express negation in a sentence, the contracted negative forms of the verb «to be» are a great option. For instance, «I`m not going to the party tonight,» or «They`re not interested in buying a car.»
3. To create emphasis
When you want to emphasize negation, it`s better to use the full form of the negative verb «to be.» For example, «I am not going to eat any junk food anymore,» or «She is not going to tolerate any bad behavior.»
4. To avoid repetition
In some situations, you may want to remove a repeated word from a sentence. Using a contracted negative form can help you do this. For example, «I`m not sure if I can go to the game tonight,» instead of «I am not sure if I can go to the game tonight.»
In conclusion, the contracted negative forms of the verb «to be» are easy to use and can help you to create more concise and informal sentences. When using contracted forms, keep in mind the context, audience, and purpose of your writing or speech. Choosing between the full form and the contracted form is ultimately up to your personal preference or the guidelines of the style guide you`re following.