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 #2 (permalink) Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:11 am "ain't" |
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| Ain't can be used to replace all negative aux, in my opinion and to my knowledge |
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Blue_Snow
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| #3 (permalink) Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:27 am "ain't" |
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You are misleading the learners, BS.
Ain't = 1. Am not. 2. Used also as a contraction for are not, is not, has not, and have not. |
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Haihao
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| #4 (permalink) Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:02 am "ain't" |
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| But can we use it in past tense? Ex: I ain't happy during the party yesterday. |
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 Savdasam
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| #5 (permalink) Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:02 am "ain't" |
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| Could you tell me the source? I dont really use this much |
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Blue_Snow
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| #6 (permalink) Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:17 am "ain't" |
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| I don't think so, Savdasam. You can check it up with a dictionary. |
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Haihao
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| #7 (permalink) Fri Apr 23, 2010 7:40 am "ain't" |
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Hi Savdasam,
To start with, 'ain't' is considered bad grammar although it is used in a humorous way by people who know it is bad grammar. It is a contraction for all personal pronouns (singular and plural) with the verb 'be' and only in the present tense. Your example:
| Quote: |
| I ain't happy during the party yesterday |
doesn't work.
Alan
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Alan
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| #8 (permalink) Fri Apr 23, 2010 18:42 pm "ain't" |
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| Haihao wrote: |
| Ain't = 1. Am not. 2. Used also as a contraction for are not, is not, has not, and have not. |
Haihao was right about the ways ain't is used.
When ain't is used instead of 'am not', 'are not' or 'is not', then it is used as the present tense of the verb 'be' (negated).
However, ain't is also sometimes used to mean 'has not' or 'have not'. In this case, ain't is used to form the present perfect tense of another verb. For example, in the following sentence ain't is used to form the present perfect of the verb 'see':
- I ain't seen him since yesterday. = I haven't seen him since yesterday.
Although the word ain't has been in use for a long time, it is not standard, and people who use it often are frequently viewed as being poorly educated.
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Esl_Expert
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| #9 (permalink) Fri Apr 23, 2010 19:03 pm "ain't" |
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| After consulting some sources, I get to know that ain't is just used for replacing present tenses' auxiliaries. But this makes a suspicion. If it is just used by uneducated men, why does it still have such rules? |
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Blue_Snow
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| #10 (permalink) Sat Apr 24, 2010 3:24 am "ain't" |
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| Thank you for all your explanations. Actually i really want to know if " ain't " can be use in the past tense; now i understand. My statement "I ain't happy during the party yesterday." isn't correct. Right, Blue_Snow, i see " ain't " is frequently used in the song lyrics, " i ain't the same, there ain't anything that i can do....." |
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Savdasam
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| #11 (permalink) Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:37 am "ain't" |
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Hi Savdasam,
Let's make it clear, 'ain't' is only present either present simple or used as an auxiliary with the present perfect and isn't used in a past tense.
Alan
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Alan
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| #12 (permalink) Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:32 am "ain't" |
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| Savdasam wrote: |
| Right, Blue_Snow, i see " ain't " is frequently used in the song lyrics, " i ain't the same, there ain't anything that i can do....." |
Song lyrics are notorious for ignoring rules of grammar. :)
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Beeesneees
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| #13 (permalink) Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:41 am "ain't" |
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Thanks for introducing the tpoic. Very usedful. I didn't know the usage as well.
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| Beat to the punch! Why? | articles-a or the |
