Study the shortened forms of function word groups. If needed Utter examples 4-5 times aloud:

Shortened Forms:

The shortened forms of some very common word combinations are listed below. These forms occur naturally when such words appear together in connected speech. In everyday communication, you should normally use the shortened forms rather than the long forms. The long forms are reserved only for exceptional cases, when you wish to place special emphasis on the words.

In the list provided, the long form appears on the left side of the ‘=’, the shortened form on the right side of the ‘=’, and the pronunciation of the shortened form on the right side of the arrow.

Group 1:

1.      I am = I’m → ʌim, ʌəm

2.      I can → ʌikən

3.      I could → ʌikəd

4.      I had = I’d → ʌiəd, ʌid

5.      I have = I’ve → ʌihəv, ʌiəv, ʌiv

6.      I must → ʌiməs

7.      I will = I’ll → ʌil

8.      I would = I’d → ʌiəd, ʌid

Note: When ‘I’ occurs medially, it’s often reduced to ‘ə’ in fast speech.

E.g.:

§  When I was… → Whenəwas…

§  Then I said… → Thenəsaid…

Group 2:

1.      you are = you’re → yə (before consonants), yər (before vowels).

2.      you can → yukən, yəkən

3.      you could → yukəd, yəkəd

4.      you had = you’d → yud or yəd

5.      you have = you’ve → yuhəv, yəv

6.      you must → yuməs, yəməs

7.      you will = you’ll → yul or yəl

8.      you would = you’d → yud or yad.

Group 3:

1.      he can → hikən

2.      he could → hikəd

3.      he has → he’s → hiz

4.      he is = he’s → hiz

5.      he must → himəs

6.      he will = he’ll → hil

7.      he would = he’d → hid

Group 4:

1.      she can → shikən

2.      she could → shikəd

3.      she had = she’d → shihəd, shiəd, shid

4.      she has = she’s → shihəz, shiəz, shiz

5.      she is = she’s → shiz

6.      she must → shiməs

7.      she will = she’ll → shil

8.      she would = she’d → shiwəd, shiəd, shid

Group 5:

1.      it can → itkən (often, ikkən)

2.      it could → itkəd (often, ikkəd)

3.      it had = it’d → it’həd, itəd, itd

4.      it has = it’s → it’həz, itəz, its

5.      it is = it’s → its

6.      it must → itməs (often, ipməs)

7.      it will = it’ll → itl

8.      It would = it’d → itwəd, itəd, itd

Group 6:

1.      we are = we’re → wiə (before consonants), wiər (before vowels)

2.      we can → wikən

3.      we could → wikəd

4.      we had = we’d → wihəd, wiəd, wid

5.      we have = we’ve → wihəv, wiəv, wiv

6.      we must → wiməs

7.      we will = we’ll → wil

8.      we would = we’d → wiwəd, wiəd, wid

Group 7:

1.      they are = they’re → theiə (before consonants), theiər (before vowels)

2.      they can → theikən

3.      they could → theikəd

4.      they had = they’d → theihəd, theiəd, theid

5.      they have = they’ve → theihəv, theiəv, theiv

6.      they must → theiməs

7.      they will = they’ll → theil

8.      they would = they’d → theiwəd, theiəd, theid.

Group 8:

1.      who are = who’re → huə (before consonants), huər (before vowels)

2.      who can → hukən

3.      who could → hukəd

4.      who had = who’d → huhəd, huəd, hud

5.      who has = who’s → huhəz, huəz, huz

6.      who is = who’s → huz

7.      who must → huməs

8.      who will = who’ll → hul

1. 1. who would = who’d → huwəd, huəd, hud

Group 9:

1.      that are = that’re → thətə (before consonants), thətər (before vowels)

2.      that can → thətkən (often, thəkkən)

3.      that could → thətkəd (often, thəkkəd)

4.      that had = that’d → thət’həd, thətəd, thətd

5.      that has = that’s → thət’həz, thətəz, thəts

6.      that have = that’ve → thət’həv, thətəv, thətv

7.      that is = that’s → thəts

8.      that must → thətməs (often, thəpməs)

9.      that will = that’ll → thətl

10.   that would = that’d → thətwəd, thətəd, thətd

Group 10:

1.      can have = can’ve → kənəv

2.      could have = could’ve → kədəv

3.      may have = may’ve → meiv

4.      might have = might’ve → mightəv

5.      must have = must’ve → məsv

6.      ought to have → otəv

7.      shall have = shall’ve → shələv

8.      should have = should’ve → shədəv

9.      will have = will’ve → wiləv

1. 1. would have = would’ve → wədəv

Group 11:

1.      here is = here’s → hiəz

2.      there are → thərə (before consonants), thərər (before vowels)

3.      there can → thəkən

4.      there could → thəkəd

5.      there had = there’d → thahəd, thəd

6.      there has = there’s → thəz

7.      there have = there’ve → thəv

8.      there is = there’s → thəz

9.      there must → thəms

10.   there will = there’ll → thəl

1. 1. there would = there’d → thawəd, thəd

Group 12:

1.      how are = how’re → howə (before consonants), howər (before vowel)

2.      how can → howkən

3.      how could → howkəd

4.      how had = how’d → howəd, howd

5.      how has = how’s → howz

6.      how have = how’ve → howəv

7.      how is = how’s → howz

8.      how must → howməs

9.      how will = how’ll → how’l

1. 1. how would = how’d → howəd, howd

Group 13:

1.      what are = what’re → watə (before consonants), whatər (before vowels)

2.      what can → watkən (usually, wakkən)

3.      what could → watkəd (usually, wakkəd)

4.      what had = what’d → wat’həd, watəd

5.      what has = what’s → wats

6.      what have = what’ve → watəv

7.      what is = what’s = wats

8.      what must → watməs

9.      what will = what’ll → watl

1. 1. what would = what’d → watwəd, watəd

Group 14:

1.      when are = when’re → wenə (before consonants), whenər (before vowels)

2.      when can → wenkən

3.      when could → wenkəd

4.      when had = when’d → wenhəd, wenəd

5.      when has = when’s → wenz

6.      when have = when’ve → wenəv

7.      when is = when’s → wenz (‘e’ pronounced as the ‘e’ in ‘edit’)

8.      when must → wenməs (usually wemməs)

9.      when will = when’ll → wenl

1. 1. when would = when’d → wenwəd, wenəd

Note: When ‘when’ occurs medially, it’s often reduced to ‘whən’ in rapid speech

E.g.: That’s when I said… → That’s wənə said…

Group 15:

1.      where are → weərə (before consonants), weərər (before vowels)

2.      where can → weəkən

3.      where could → weəkəd

4.      where had = where’d → weəhəd, weərəd

5.      where has = where’s → weəz

6.      where have = where’ve → weərəv

7.      where is = where’s → weəz (‘e’ pronounced as the ‘e’ in ‘edit’)

8.      where must → weəməs

9.      where will = where’ll → weərl

10.   where would = where’d → weəwəd, weərəd

Note: When ‘where’ occurs medially, it’s often reduced to ‘wha(r)’ in fast speech.

E.g.: That’s where I met… → That’s wərə met…

Group 16:

1.      are not = aren’t → a:nt

2.      cannot = can’t → ka:nt

3.      could not = couldn’t → kədn

4.      did not = didn’t → didn, din

5.      did you → dyou, ju (‘j’ pronounced as the ‘j’ in ‘just’)

6.      do not = don’t → doun , /dəʊnt/

7.      do you = d’you → dyu, ju (‘j’ pronounced as the ‘j’ in ‘just’)

8.      does not = doesn’t → dəzn

9.      had not = hadn’t → hədn, ədn, dn

10.   has not = hasn’t → həzn, əzn, zn, sn

11.   have not = haven’t → həvn, əvn, vn

12.   is not = isn’t → zn

13.   might not = mightn’t → mightn

14.   must not = mustn’t → məsn

15.   need not = needn’t → needn

16.   ought not = oughtn’t → oughtn

17.   shall not = shan’t → sha:nt

18.   should not = shouldn’t → shədn

19.   was not = wasn’t → wəzn

20.   were not = weren’t → wɜːnt (ɜː can be taken as the long form of ‘ə’)

21.   will not = won’t → woun

22.   would not = wouldn’t → wədn, ədn, dn