Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Darkness]

when do you use doesn't and when do u use does not?

can't and cannot?
I am or I'm?

[CP]

You can usually use the contracted forms in conversation without much worry, but in writing you have to be more careful.

If you're writing a postcard to a friend, don't worry about it; you can't get in much trouble even if your grammar's a little off.

If you are writing a composition for your class, do not use contractions unless you are trying to make a particular point or are quoting someone. The more scholarly, technical, or serious the piece, the more likely you will want to avoid contractions.

Even in casual conversation, though, you can't always use contractions. For example, you can't say, "He is taller than I'm." It's "He is taller than I am." You can't say, "They have more coffee than we've." It has to be "we have."

When in doubt, avoid the contraction or ask a native speaker how it sounds.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[Anuradha Chepur]