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 #2 (permalink) Tue Feb 14, 2012 13:15 pm stay as you are |
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I believe that there is some kind of rule that you cannot end a sentence with a POSITIVE contraction:
Tom: Are you a student?
Mona: Yes, I am. (If you say, "Yes, I'm," people will laugh at you.)
***
Joe: Is he sick?
Sue: No, he isn't. (That is OK, because the contraction is negative.)
***
Yes, it's. (People will laugh)
No, it isn't. (Fine)
Yes, they're. (People will laugh)
No, they aren't. (Fine)
***
Therefore, if you say, "Stay as you're," people will laugh or be confused. They may think that you have said, "Stay as YOUR." |
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James M
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Posts: 573
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| #3 (permalink) Tue Feb 14, 2012 22:56 pm stay as you are |
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Thanks for the quick reply. I was just trying to find a reference for a student.
Regards. |
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Percy Vere
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Joined: 14 Feb 2012
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| #4 (permalink) Tue Feb 14, 2012 23:37 pm stay as you are |
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| You are very welcome. Hopefully, one of the language professionals here will give you a link to some reference work. I am guessing that the Web would also have some comments regarding the use of contractions. |
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James M
I'm here quite often ;-)
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| #5 (permalink) Wed Feb 15, 2012 0:06 am stay as you are |
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| James M wrote: |
| I believe that there is some kind of rule that you cannot end a sentence with a POSITIVE contraction: |
It's an interesting point. It seems to be fairly clearly true in almost all cases, but I wondered if there might be any exceptions. Ignoring trick answers utilising words such as "ma'am", "o'clock" and so on, I would offer "let's", in a sentence such as "Yes, let's", as a counterexample. More marginal are sentences like "Well, I might've", "Yes, he could've", etc. |
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Dozy
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| #6 (permalink) Wed Feb 15, 2012 0:37 am stay as you are |
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| For me, "yes, let's" sounds quite natural. I think it is because saying "let us" in any context seems overly formal to me. |
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 Luschen
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| #7 (permalink) Wed Feb 15, 2012 0:48 am stay as you are |
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T.J., would you end a sentence with "yes, let's"?
TOEIC listening, photographs: In the library |
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Torsten
Learning Coach
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| #8 (permalink) Wed Feb 15, 2012 0:55 am stay as you are |
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| Yes, in a informal conversation I would: "Hey, what do you think about going out to the lake? Yes, let's!" |
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Luschen
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Location: Nashville TN, USA
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| #9 (permalink) Wed Feb 15, 2012 15:38 pm stay as you are |
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| Dozy wrote: |
| I would offer "let's", in a sentence such as "Yes, let's", as a counterexample. More marginal are sentences like "Well, I might've", "Yes, he could've", etc. |
Excellent point, Dozy -- as usual!
So maybe we have to amend that "rule" to:
No positive contractions ending with the verb "to be."
As you said, "Yes, let's" is fine. Furthermore, the contraction does not end with a verb.
And, absolutely, people are very comfortable with "Yes, she
could've."
I guess when people say that "to be" is irregular, it really is! |
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James M
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| Usage of "take places" | faint/swooning |
