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-ed endings with -t or –d sounds

Words usually ending with the following sounds add a –t sound when you add –ed:

K, S, Ch, Sh, F, P, Th

Examples include click – clicked (pronounced clickt), march – marched (pronounced marcht), stop – stopped (stopt).

Most words ending with other sounds add a –d sounds:

A, B, E, G, H, I , J, L, M, N, O, Q, R, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

Examples include earn – earned (pronounced earnd), turn – turned (turnd).

It is not really necessary to learn these lists, however, as the –t or –d sound should come quite naturally – when you try to say marched – marchd, it is likely to sound like marcht.

There is also some flexibility here, as is shown by the existence of some alternative spellings of verbs, such as learned and learnt, burned and burnt and earned and earnt – all of which have been used as acceptable alternative spellings (and pronunciations) in English.

-ed endings with the –id sound

The –ed ending adds an extra syllable to words when it is pronounced –id, which is actually more generally an unpronounced sound – the schwa. This pronunciation is used when –ed is added to words ending with either a –t or –d sound:

D, T

For example, land – landed (pronounced landid) and wait – waited (waitid).

This essentially means what you need to remember is D or T ending words add a syllable with –ed, other words simply add the d or t sound.

Exceptions to the rule

A number of words that fit into the –d pattern of pronunciation are actually pronounced with the extra syllable, -id form. These need to be learned separately.

• aged
• blessed
• crooked
• dogged
• learned
• naked
• ragged
• wicked
• wretched

It’s worth noting that some of these words can be pronounced in two forms – with an added –d sound or an added syllable, -id. Sometimes, the pronunciation can change the meaning. For example, learned, pronounced learnd is used as the past, or past participle, of to learn (I learned a new word today.), while learned, pronounced learnid (an extra syllable) is used as an adjective to mean educated.

Any questions, please let me know in the comments – otherwise check back here for updated articles, as I will follow this explanation with a few exercises to practice this understanding.

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Though the present simple’s main use is for general rules, and grammatically represents timeless facts, native speakers often use it in an colloquial setting for storytelling. This can be to recount a past event, a film or book plot, or for running commentaries, as the following uses explain.

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It’s – It is or It has?

It is forms present simple or present continuous clauses.

This means it is is usually followed by a noun, an adjective (describing word) or a present participle (verb + ing).

• It’s a dog. (Present simple – It’s + Noun)
• It’s difficult. (Present simple – It’s + Adjective)
• It’s raining. (Present continuous – It’s + Present Participle)

This is true for all ‘s contractions: for it’s, he’s, she’s, or nouns and ‘s:

• He’s swimming. (He’s + Present Participle)
• She’s very sad. (She’s + Adjective)
• This dog’s a pedigree. (This dog’s + Noun)

It has forms either present simple or present perfect clauses, but we do not contract the present simple form. We say: It’s been a long day. (It has been a long day.) but He’s a nice guy. would mean He is a nice guy as it is followed by a noun, and He has a nice guy would not be contracted.

This means when it’s means it has it is usually in the present perfect (or present perfect continuous), and is therefore followed by been.

• It’s been a complicated lesson. (Present Perfect – It’s + been…)
• It’s been getting easier. (Present Perfect Continuous – It’s + been…)

This is true for all ‘s contractions: for it’s, he’s, she’s, or nouns and ‘s:

• She’s been angry at me all day. (She’s + been)
• The postman’s been late every day this week. (The postman’s + been)

In general, therefore:

It’s + been = It has ; It’s without been = It is

Exercise 1 – Practising It is VS It Has

For the following sentences, decide if the contraction means is or has.

1. It’s a giraffe. ______
2. She’s angry because of the weather. ______
3. He’s been asleep since yesterday. ______
4. That cat’s very lazy. ______
5. This man’s been following me. ______
6. It’s been a hot day. ______
7. He’s driving up to Scotland. ______
8. She’s really starting to smell. ______

It’d – it would or it had?

It would forms modal (or conditional) clauses, such as It would be nice to visit France. It is usually followed by an bare infinitive verb (without to), for example be, get, have. These are also often followed by adjectives.

• It’d be good to see you. (It’d + Infinitive + Adjective)
• It’d get cold quickly if the window was left open. (It’d + Infinitive + Adjective)

This is true for all ‘d contractions, for other nouns and pronouns:

• I’d be happy to do the job. (I’d + be…)
• The actor’d be mad not to take the part. (The actor’d + be…)

It had can form past simple or past perfect clauses, but we do not contract the simple form. We say: It’d been a long day. (It had been a long day.) but not It’d a cold nose. (It had a cold nose.). If it’d is not followed by a verb, it is usually therefore incorrect. It had in a contraction is usually followed by been. You can also recognise it through other perfect clause clues, such as expressions of time such as since, all… , for….

• It’d been raining all day. (It’d + been…)

This is true for all ‘d contractions, for other nouns and pronouns:

• We’d been waiting for hours. (We’d + been…)
• They’d been tired throughout the competition. (They’d + been…)

In general, therefore:

It’d + been = It had ; It’d without been = It would

Exercise 2: Practising It would VS It had

For the following sentences, decide if the contraction means would or had:

1. He’d be good at football. ______
2. They’d be happier in a different room. ______
3. Jim’d been working hard. ______
4. That dog’d be cute if it was clean.  ______
5. We’d have to swim in the sea if we went to Spain. ______
6. What’d you like for dinner? ______
7. I’d been eating dinner when he arrived. ______
8. She’d never listened to the radio before. ______
9. There’d been an earthquake before we visited the city. ______
10. It’d be a shame not to learn all this. ______

Answers to the exercises:

Exercise 1:

1. is 2. is 3. has 4. is 5. has 6. has 7. is 8. is

Exercise 2:

1. would 2. would 3. had 4. would 5. would 6. would 7. had 8. had 9. had 10. Would

These are just the more common contractions; and as you can see they take some practice. There are others which can be difficult, including contractions in questions, but if you start thinking about them in context it will be easier to understand the meanings, and will gradually become a matter of instinct.

The post Recognising Contractions in Spoken English – ‘s and ‘d appeared first on English Lessons Brighton.

Notes on negative contractions

Negative contractions are formed with the word not, and usually take priority over verb contractions (ie use I wouldn’t not I’d not and She won’t not She’ll not). This can be more flexible with are, is, has and have.

He is not coming can be He isn’t coming or He’s not coming.

Negative contractions cannot be formed with am: I’m not never I amn’t.

Negative contractions can change the word order in questions – while not usually comes after the subject in a negative question, it joins the verb in a contraction.

Will you not be there? becomes Won’t you be there?

Notes on contracting more than one word

When the typical contraction verbs come together, they can form more than one contraction. This is rarely written, but is very common in spoken English. For example:

He would have liked this show. becomes He’d’ve liked this show.

Contractions Exercise

To practise contractions, read these sentences out loud, and try to form the contractions naturally. Remember, contractions are designed to make pronouncing words, and sentences, easier – speaking fluently is as much about flow as clarity.

1. I would like to go to the park.
2. He did not know what to say.
3. She will be here in ten minutes.
4. The pizza will cost us 13 pounds.
5. You are not going to wear that jacket are you?
6. The trains are late again.
7. What is happening here?
8. It is the first time I have been ice skating.
9. We are watching a movie this evening.
10. If you had been there, you would have laughed.
11. The car is parked in the wrong place.
12. I had better check on the children.
13. Are you not going to the dance?
14. This will be the last time I give her any money.
15. The teacher will be watching for any mistakes.
16. You have been drinking, I can smell it.
17. Where are you going this morning, and where will you go this afternoon?
18. If it had been any more cold, we would have gone home.

Answers to the contractions exercise

Note that these answers are how the sentences should naturally be pronounced; many of these (particularly non pronouns, like trains’re, and stacked contractions, like I’d’ve) should not be written like this.

1. I’d like to go to the park.
2. He didn’t know what to say.
3. She’ll be here in ten minutes.
4. The pizza’ll cost us 13 pounds.
5. You’re not going to wear that jacket are you? (Or You aren’t)
6. The trains’re late again.
7. What’s happening here?
8. It’s the first time I’ve been ice skating.
9. We’re watching a movie this evening.
10. If you’d been there, you’d’ve laughed.
11. The car’s parked in the wrong place.
12. I’d better check on the children.
13. Aren’t you going to the dance?
14. This’ll be the last time I give her any money.
15. The teacher’ll be watching for any mistakes.
16. You’ve been drinking, I can smell it.
17. Where’re you going this morning, and where’ll you go this afternoon?
18. If it’d been any more cold, we’d have gone home.

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