# I'm not / I amn't



## kinai

Hi.

I am confused, because I ever thought that the right way to make the contraction of: "I am not" was "I amn't", but the other day an English native corrected me and told me that it was: "I'm not". 
So, what is the right way to contract it?

Thanks.

Kinai.


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## Chris K

"I'm not." "I amn't" isn't used.


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## flljob

kinai said:


> Hi.
> 
> I am confused, because I ever thought that the right way to make the contraction of: "I am not" was "I amn't", but the other day an English native corrected me and told me that it was: "I'm not".
> So, what is the right way to contract it?
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Kinai.


 
Lo que he visto es _I ain't_ en lugar de _I am not_.


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## ampurdan

Dicen que "I ain't" es desaconsejable en el lenguaje escrito.

"Ain't" en lenguaje coloquial y vulgar, sirve como contracción de "am/are/is/have/has not" con todos los pronombres personales.


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## elirlandes

Es cuestión de origen de la persona que habla. 

"I'm not" es lo más tipico, pero escucharás "I ain't" mucho, sobretodo  en los EEUU. "I amn't" se escucha bastante en Irlanda por ejemplo.

Estamos hablando de formas informales de hablar, con lo cual no existe correcto o incorrecto. Es como decir que hay otra forma más correcta de decir "vente p'acá"... pues no, por que no es lenguaje formal.



ampurdan said:


> Dicen que "I ain't" es desaconsejable en el lenguaje escrito.


Se sigue enseñando que no se debería usar contracciones en el lenguaje escrito,a no ser que 
1) sea una frase que forma parte de discurso indirecto y entre comillas, o 
2) su uso sea para dar efecto o un tono partícular a lo escrito.


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## kamnil

*formal  language*- I *am not* your friend, get out of here
*informal language*- I *ain`t*  your friend get out of here

note: keep in mind that informal language is not  gramatically appropriate  for written language

salam


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## Kilhoffer

Also, I might add. "ain't" is an extremely regionally used word. It is only used in the southern-ish and more rural areas of the US. In the UK or northern states you will rarely, if ever, hear that word come up. 

For example, someone here in Oklahoma might say "Freddy, I ain't going to tell you again. I done did put the spare tire right yonder." 

If that was a confusing sentence, disregard it. I am showing how bad native English speakers can be sometimes.


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## grubble

I am English and I have never heard it spoken in England. This is what Oxford Dictionaries say 


*amn't*
Pronunciation:/ˈam(ə)nt/
chiefly Scottish & Irish
contraction
am not.
http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_gb0024360#m_en_gb0024360

So in England, as opposed to Ireland or Scotland, you should use I'm not.

Is your teacher Irish or Scottish?


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## The Prof

kinai said:


> Hi.
> 
> I am confused, because I ever thought that the right way to make the contraction of: "I am not" was "I amn't", but the other day an English native corrected me and told me that it was: "I'm not".
> So, what is the right way to contract it?
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Kinai.


 
I can see how this misunderstanding could arise; the contracted form of _"he is not_" is "_he isn't",_ so logically you would expect "_I am not_" to become "_I amn't_" - but it doesn't (apart from in the limited number of regional exceptions already mentioned)! 
Just one of the many idiosyncrasies of our language, I'm afraid.


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## elirlandes

The Prof said:


> so logically you would expect "_I am not_" to become "_I amn't_" - but it doesn't


I think that the point is that it does, just not in certain regional areas.



The Prof said:


> (apart from in the limited number of regional exceptions already mentioned)!


Perhaps "I'm not" is a regional exception which applies in England... Another regional exception in England (London in particular) would be the use of "ain't".


I am only slightly tongue in cheek here, but I think that you will find that amn't-ers from Ireland and Scotland (as well as ain't-ers from London and the USA) don't see themselves as "regional exceptions"...


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## The Prof

elirlandes said:


> I think that the point is that it does, just not in certain regional areas.
> 
> 
> Perhaps "I'm not" is a regional exception which applies in England... Another regional exception in England (London in particular) would be the use of "ain't".
> 
> 
> I am only slightly tongue in cheek here, but I think that you will find that amn't-ers from Ireland and Scotland (as well as ain't-ers from London and the USA) don't see themselves as "regional exceptions"...


 
If the majority of Irish/Scottish people use "amn't", then no, I wouldn't class it as a regionalism. However, rightly or wrongly, I jumped to the conclusion that we were still talking about a limited use of the form within those countries. If I'm wrong, then I apologise! 

I'm sorry if I upset you - being from Yorkshire (which I think has a larger population than either Ireland or Scotland), I am often irritated myself to be told that what I grew up with as everyday expressions are "regional" and "non-standard"! 

But regarding "ain't", I would have thought that it was merely either slang or a colloquiallism. I have heard it used in so many different places that I wouldn't be tempted to call that a regionalism.


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## Alma de cántaro

But, what's happening? Wasn't it "Ain't" the equivalent for "I am not"? I mean: everybody here is saying that "I am not" is "*I* ain't" instead of "Ain't". Then, what happened with the song titled _*Ain't* that love _that I have interpreted by Dian Schuur? Please, help me to understand.

Thank you

Saludos,
Pedro


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## Chris K

Alma de cántaro said:


> But, what's happening? Wasn't it "Ain't" the equivalent for "I am not"? I mean: everybody here is saying that "I am not" is "*I* ain't" instead of "Ain't". Then, what happened with the song titled _*Ain't* that love _that I have interpreted by Dian Schuur? Please, help me to understand.
> 
> Thank you
> 
> Saludos,
> Pedro



"Ain't" can be "am not," but it can also be "isn't," "aren't," etc. "Ain't" doesn't include a subject pronoun.


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## Alma de cántaro

Chris K said:


> "Ain't" can be "am not," but it can also be "isn't," "aren't," etc. "Ain't" doesn't include a subject pronoun.



So, what's the meaning of _Ain't that love _as a title of song?

Thanks in advance,
Pedro


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## Chris K

Isn't that love? No es eso el amor?


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## Alma de cántaro

Chris K said:


> Isn't that love? No es eso el amor?



Ah! So it was a question! I've been "singing" (ejemm...) this song for ages every time I played my disc (yes, not cd) without knowing the actual meaning! Ha ha ha...!


Thank you very much Chris!
Pedro


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## kinai

Hi.

The other day, I used the following contraction: I amn't. Someone in the forum told me that it's wrong, and the correct one was: I'm not.

The problem is that I'm pretty sure that, when I learnt English, my teacher told me that the contraction of 'I am not' was 'I amn't'.

Has been a change in the grammar rules? Is it more usual the I'm not contraction? or did they teach me it wrong?

Thanks for your help.

Kinai.


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## levmac

Short answer: they taught you wrong.

*Standard English*

I am not = I'm not. 


Long answer: You will find "amn't" used in a few dialects, but it's very regional (I associate it with the *Midlands*, I don't know if that's correct) and, coming from a foreigner who doesn't have that regional identity, it would sound wrong. In fact, even in the areas in which it is said, my impression is that it's used in a fairly certain way, in that the speaker knows it's not "correct".


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## horsewishr

I've never heard anyone say amn't, and I've certainly never seen it written.  I'm not even sure I could pronounce it.


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## kinai

levmac said:


> Short answer: they taught you wrong.
> 
> *Standard English*
> 
> I am not = I'm not.


 
Oh! Great!  
Thanks anyway for your answer. It's going to be difficult to fix it, because the verb to be is the first one that you learn. 

Greetings.


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## inib

I agree with the above posters, but coincidence of coincidences, 5 minutes ago I read "amn't" in a tag question pronounced by an Irish character who is represented as having a strong dialect.


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## aNkeoRuM

Yo he visto algunas veces escrito "I aint" como sinonimo y contraccion de "I am not"...


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## mattb1971

aNkeoRuM said:


> Yo he visto algunas veces escrito "I aint" como sinonimo y contraccion de "I am not"...



"Ain't" is EXTREMELY colloquial and not proper English. "I'm not" is probably the only universally accepted contraction for "I am not."


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## Fontalys

"Ain't" is regional dialect used by unschooled people and is not accepted grammatical English in the United States or England.  One can read a book of English grammar regarding the unacceptability of "ain't" in modern English.   One will find the word "ain't" in novels of writers who record dialect of illiterate people in the United States and England. The American  writer Mark Twain wrote the novel "Huckleberry Finn" in which farm workers say "ain't".


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## The Newt

In some situations you can use "aren't I":

_I'm old enough to drive a car, aren't I?_ (= am I not?)

Although this contraction doesn't appear "logical," it has become quite commonly accepted.


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## JennyTW

The Newt said:


> In some situations you can use "aren't I":
> 
> _I'm old enough to drive a car, aren't I?_ (= am I not?)
> 
> Although this contraction doesn't appear "logical," it has become quite commonly accepted.


Well, I think it is fairly logical given that the question tag "amn't I?" is impossible to pronounce  and incorrect. If we want a contracted question tag for" I", the logical thing is to use the "you" verb form, just as "I,we, you and they" have the same verb form in present simple.


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## The Newt

JennyTW said:


> Well, I think it is fairly logical given that the question tag "amn't I?" is impossible to pronounce  and incorrect. If we want a contracted question tag for" I", the logical thing is to use the "you" verb form, just as "I,we, you and they" have the same verb form in present simple.



True, although we only use "aren't I" as a reversal, never "I aren't" (because we can say "I'm not" instead of "I amn't"). 

There's an excellent discussion of "aren't I" at Motivated Grammar:

*"Summary:* No, _aren’t I_ isn’t incorrect.  It’s been in use  for at least 130 years, the alternatives are all insufficient, and the  “logical” arguments against it are fallacious.  It’s no more incorrect  than using _better_ instead of _gooder_."


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## kinai

The Newt said:


> True, although we only use "aren't I" as a reversal, never "I aren't" (because we can say "I'm not" instead of "I amn't").
> 
> There's an excellent discussion of "aren't I" at Motivated Grammar:
> 
> *"Summary:* No, _aren’t I_ isn’t incorrect.  It’s been in use  for at least 130 years, the alternatives are all insufficient, and the  “logical” arguments against it are fallacious.  It’s no more incorrect  than using _better_ instead of _gooder_."


 
I suppose that this is a lil off topic, but the way that you said it, seems that it's correct *because* it has been used for 130 years. So if you repeat an error enough times, It would be correct after some time. It did me smile. 

Kinai.


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## JennyTW

Yes, of course, and it's not only question tags, but also negative questions such as "Aren't I good enough for you?" "Aren't I invited to the party?"


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## The Newt

kinai said:


> I suppose that this is a lil off topic, but the way that you said it, seems that it's correct *because* it has been used for 130 years. So if you repeat an error enough times, It would be correct after some time. It did me smile.
> 
> Kinai.



That's a valid point, of course. Some "errors" are just errors. But read the article at the link; it's quite good.


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## JennyTW

Good article. Confirmed my belief that it's neither an error nor illogical.


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## Pedro y La Torre

We've had this discussion elsewhere as I recall, in any event, _amn't_ is common in Irish and Scottish English. I use it regularly and will not be changing whatever the grammar rule books might say, however, as a learner it's probably best to stick to the standard guidelines, therefore it would be advisable to only employ I'm not, unless you happen to find yourself in Ireland.


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## Fontalys

Cultural anthropologists and linguists write that usuage of speech puts the form into use.
Grammarians hide in their ivory towers - in cork lined rooms refusing to hear.
In satire, a grammarian is subject to jest.


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## bhursttn

Fontalys said:


> "Ain't" is regional dialect used by unschooled people and is not accepted grammatical English in the United States or England.  One can read a book of English grammar regarding the unacceptability of "ain't" in modern English.   One will find the word "ain't" in novels of writers who record dialect of illiterate people in the United States and England. The American  writer Mark Twain wrote the novel "Huckleberry Finn" in which farm workers say "ain't".



Remembering, of course, that English has no academy to make the rules and that language is ever-changing.  I say "ain't," but I assure you, my education has been exceptional. "Ain't" is a regionalism, meaning that there are more dialects in which it doesn't exist than there are in which it does. There is no "Standard English." Yes, "ain't" is frowned upon by many people, but that doesn't make it wrong or illiterate.

To answer the original question, (and I believe someone posted this before me), I would suggest that someone speaking English as a second language use only "I'm not" because the accent on the letters around the word "amn't" or the word "ain't" needs to be the accent of the dialect that uses each word, otherwise it sounds odd.

Along these same lines, here's an interesting article:
http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/drgw003.html


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