CHAP CORRECT FORMS OF THE VERB "TO BE" 25. Correct equivalents of "ain't." In conversation it is usual to contract many verbs, as in don't for do not, doesn't for does not. Vulgar usage often makes contractions of its own, and one of the worst of these is the negative form ain't, which is made to serve for am not, are not, etc. It is clear that am not cannot be contracted; for contraction consists in omitting or shortening some vowel (like o), and if you omit the vowel o from am not, the result is amn't, a word too hard to pronounce. But I am not and you are not can be contracted into I'm not, and you're not or you aren't. 26. A very large proportion of boys and girls say ain't. If the study of grammar should teach them anything, it should teach them not to do this, but to use the proper contractions. Every grammar class should be an anti-ain't club. It should be a club for the promotion of isn't and such forms. But we shall never be wholly rid of this error until boys have courage to say isn't on the play ground. Some boys who are not afraid of a hot ball or a rusty gun are afraid to say isn't, for fear of being thought pretentious. Now some forms of speech would be pretentious in a boy. A lad who always said "Cannot you go?" would sound like a little prig. But there is nothing priggish in refusing to say ain't. A boy who says isn't can play ball as well, shoot as well, and if necessary fight as well as the boy who is content with the slovenly expression ain't. 27. The correct conversational equivalents of ain't are given below. They should be mastered perfectly, and the student who has learned them should never again say ain't, except in joke. Notice that in many cases there are two correct equivalents of the incorrect expression. Give the correct con 28. ORAL EXERCISE. tracted equivalents of ain't before the word going thus: "I'm not going; you're not going or you aren't going," etc.; also the same equivalents before sorry, before hungry, and before complaining. 29. "It is " with "not" and "no." With not, the form it is contracts to it isn't, 'tisn't, or it's not. It is no contracts in like manner to it's no. 30. ORAL EXERCISE. Use It's not before each of the following expressions: too late; so bad as you think; so far after all; more than two miles; every man that can tell the truth; all that you could wish; as thy mother says, but as thy neighbors say. 31. ORAL EXERCISE. Use 'Tisn't before each of the following: John; Monday; time for dinner; over there. Each member of the class should repeat: 'Tisn't so; 'tisn't any such thing. 32. ORAL EXERCISE. Use It's no before each of the following: wonder; easy task; small undertaking; farther than we thought; sign of death when a bird flies in; fun to pound your finger; use to cry over spilt milk; more than right. 33. There's no. The form there's no, contracted from there is no, means the same as there isn't any. The student should form the habit of using one contraction as freely as the other. 34. ORAL EXERCISE. Use There's no before the following: smoke without fire; art that can make a fool wise; going to heaven in a sedan chair; sense in grumbling; reason for whining; apple like a russet; royal road to learning; such flatterer as a man's self; lack of funds; surety of success except in hard work; man but hath enemies; arguing with an east wind. 35. "Not" with "was" and "were." The forms I was not, you were not, he was not, we were not, they were not, may shorten in conversation to I wasn't, you weren't, he wasn't, we weren't, they weren't. The forms was not I? were not you? was not he? were not we? were not they? may shorten into wasn't I? weren't you? wasn't he? weren't we? weren't they? 36. ORAL EXERCISE. Use the contracted forms of section 35 before the word going and before the word angry. 37. "Were" with "if" and 64 as if." The form were is usually plural, as in we were going. It would be wrong to say "I were going." But when preceded by if or as if, the form were is either singular or plural, and can refer to past, present, or future time. yesterday" states a fact. "We were here "If I were you" 66 states a mere supposition. Of course “I” cannot possibly be "you," but we can suppose that "I" were "you." 66 With if and as if, the verb were states a mere supposition, and is either singular or plural. 39. ORAL EXERCISE. Give the forms of section 38 before the word going; "If I were |