# Correctness of using "'s" as a contraction for is? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 29, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933 "2003-11-29T18:40:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/21 "2003-11-30T17:52:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by moriah \* > \*\* > For the second part regarding _it’sn’t_, it’sn’t a word. > > Peace. \*\* 'Tisn’t? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/22 "2003-11-30T18:31:15Z")
No, 'taint. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/23 "2003-11-30T18:31:47Z")
No, 'tain’t. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/24 "2003-11-30T18:57:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fat Marrow \* > \*\*How about this one then: > > Which is the preferred choice for “It is not”… > > a) It isn’t > b) It’s not > > and although I have never seen it, this has puzzled me since I was about 8 years old, is it not possiible to use “it’sn’t”. \*\* AFAIK which one you use depends context. And I agree that it’sn’t is logical 🙂 and have used it ironically in IM/email occasionally. But ask yourself - can you pronounce it? Just about, but it doesn’t sound natural. Hence no-one says it, and no-one develops contractions in writing first, so its never happened. I don’t know why it doesn’t sound natural; probably because it comes less often, or because you mind can only handle one omission at once. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/25 "2003-11-30T19:59:43Z")
But…but… if contractions were perfectly accepted parts of speech, then we would not have had all those _Star Trek_ episodes with Data! You montsters! ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/26 "2003-12-01T00:08:34Z")
“Now, look, I’m only gonna sing this one more time… _Ohh…if you want to be possessive, it’s just I-T-S. But if you want to use the contraction, it’s I-T-apostrohe-S…scalawag._” -S. Bad ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/27 "2003-12-01T00:15:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > \*\* > > You montsters! \*\* Is that some sort of Frenchified insult? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/28 "2003-12-01T00:42:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sattua \* > **also, double cliticizations don’t happen. I think.** Well, they do in French. In English? How about this for a possible clitic sandwich (proclitic and enclitic): y’all’re Yes? No? ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/29 "2003-12-01T01:13:43Z")
I think it depends on what part of the US you’re in. Here in Texas, it’s perfectly acceptable. Probably anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line. (I think y’all is one of the most useful words around and I don’t understand the reluctance of all those pointy headed Yankee perfessors to accept it 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/30 "2003-12-01T02:55:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Speaker for the Dead \* > \*\*Dude, that is like so like true! I mean, me and my friends used to like talk about that all the time. We like used to be hard to like put up with. \*\* Gee, SftD, I guess you and your friends didn’t know that one should _never_ end a sentence with a preposition! The last sentence _ought_ to read, “We like used to be hard up with whom to like put.” (This post brought to you on behalf of Dave ‘Mr. Grammar Person’ Barry.) ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/31 "2003-12-01T03:46:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > \*\*You montsters! \*\* Take that back! I have no love for mountains! ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/32 "2003-12-01T03:55:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tremorviolet \* > \*\*I think it depends on what part of the US you’re in. Here in Texas, it’s perfectly acceptable. Probably anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line. (I think y’all is one of the most useful words around and I don’t understand the reluctance of all those pointy headed Yankee perfessors to accept it 🙂 ) \*\* Regarding this and the above post about “y’all’ve”: Don’t confuse what happens in speech with what can happen on paper. Sure, “are” sounds more like “er” in rapid speech… and “have” sounds like “uv”, but you don’t write that way–not when you’re trying to write with a modicum of formality, anyway. Heck, in my dialect “always” is pronounced “oys.” “Y’all’ve” would be pronounced as “yalluv,” not as the “'ve” of a true clitic would–“yallv”. That extra schwa means that you are not cliticizing in ANY sense, syntactically or phonetically, merely speaking quickly. And definitely don’t confuse what can happen in French with what can happen in English. They _are_ two different languages. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/33 "2003-12-01T07:06:48Z")
_Moriah_ - Hence the use of the word “generally.” These are not hard and fast rules, as I’ve mentioned. Let your ear be your guide. But if you have a crap ear, then you can err on the side of caution and not use contractions. Besides, part of the charm and power of the Gettysburg Address is that it uses common language. It was quite informal by that day’s standards, when politicians were expected to make long-winded, overly embellished speeches. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/34 "2003-12-01T07:34:49Z")
[sub]psst, pulykamell: You were right. **I** added the contractions. The originals have no contractions. I posted that as a ‘what if…’. p, -m[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/35 "2003-12-01T23:18:56Z")
While I’ven’t ever used “it’sn’t”, I’ve used other compound contractions. Unfortunately, I can’t recall any of them at the moment. And **tremorviolet** , the problem with “y’all” is that it’s usually used in place of the gramattically-correct “you’uns” (pronounced “yoons”) :D. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933/36 "2003-12-02T05:45:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by moriah \* > \*\*[sub]psst, pulykamell: You were right. **I** added the contractions. The originals have no contractions. I posted that as a ‘what if…’. p, -m[/sub] \*\* Ooo…I get it. I’m a friggin moron sometimes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correctness-of-using-s-as-a-contraction-for-is/215933.md?page=1)