Double Contractions In English - British English Pronunciation

Oh I'd have thought that she'd've told you that she could've made it to your party but

she mustn't've thought that you'd've noticed. Wow slow down, let's look at some of those

words again. First of all there are three modal verbs you need to know which are in

the past tense and these are could have, would have, and should have, these are sometimes

called modal verbs of lost opportunity because they're all about possibilities in the past.

It's too late now. Could have means that something was possible in the past but it did not happen,

for example I could have gone to university. I could have studied harder. Would have means

you wanted to do something but for some reason you were not able to or you just didn't do

it and that reason usually forms the second part of the sentence for example I would have

driven to work but my car was broken. Ah if I had known you were coming I would have cooked

dinner but I didn't know. Should have means you wish something had happened, it was the

correct thing to do but you did not do it for example I should have told you how I felt

I should have listened to my mum's advice. Could have, should have, and would have are

often shortened by using contractions so they become could've, would've, and should've.

Could've, would've, should've, I could've gone to university. I could've studied harder.

I would've driven to work but my car was broken. If I'd known you were coming I would've cooked

dinner. I should've told you how I felt. I should've listened to my mum's advice. These

contractions are used more often than not in conversation by native English speakers.

They are easier and quicker to say and they don't change the meaning, however when we

write them down, which we rarely do, you should avoid using them in formal situations. So

when contractions are written we put an apostrophe in place of the missing letter to show that

it has been shortened. A good example of this is on the clock which is shortened to o'clock

when we talk about time. So notice how the apostrophe sits in the place of the letters

that we have removed. This is the same for the word 'not' which is often contracted into

n't,

we put the apostrophe in the place of the missing o, and have which is often contracted

to 've

with an apostrophe in place of the missing h a, and did which is contracted to just the

last letter 'd with an apostrophe in place of the missing d i.

Now to form the negative the word not goes in between the main verb and have, so they

become could not have, would not have, and should not have, and this is where the double

contraction comes in. We already know that would not can be shortened to wouldn't, and

would have can be shortened to would've so what about when we want to shorten would not

have. Let's listen very closely to the endings of wouldn't and would've. Wouldn't, would've.

Notice how the emphasis is on would and how the 'nt and the 've sort of just trail off,

they're not very strong. Now we need to pull all of those sounds together to make wouldn't've,

wouldn't've, wouldn't've, wouldn't've. So think about the word wooden, a wooden chair,

a wooden table, wooden, and then just add t've,

wouldn't've. I wouldn't've done that. And then try couldn't've, couldn't've, couldn't,

couldn't, wouldn't, couldn't've, and then try shouldn't've, shouldn't've

wouldn't've, couldn't've, shouldn't've. We can also use the modal verbs must have and

might have using the same pattern. So we have must've

and might've, as negatives they are must not have and might not have, which are contracted

to...mustn't've and mightn't've.

Have you got it? The same goes for can not have which is shortened

to can't've, can't've, can't've. Would have is the only one of these verbs which can be

contracted further in its positive form. I would becomes I'd so I would have becomes

I'd've, I'd've, I dove, I'd've. You can apply that rule to any pronoun followed by would

have so I'd've, you'd've, he'd've, she'd've, they'd've, we'd've.

Okay so with I'd've, you'd've, he'd've, she'd've, they'd've, we'd've

and couldn't've, wouldn't've, shouldn't've, mightn't've, mustn't've, and can't've, that's

12 double contractions all squeezed into one lesson but how many can you remember. Now

here's your test I'm going to use each one of these in a sentence just in a random order

Number four: They'd've laughed at me if I'd tried to sing

Number five: He can't have babysat and driven you to the airport he's not

superman.

Number six: You'd've regretted it if you had said no.

Number seven: Are you crazy they couldn't've committed that crime. Number eight: I mustn't've

turned off the oven.

Number nine: I'm certain he'd've wanted you to have this heirloom.

Number ten: Oh you shouldn't've gone to so much effort.

Number eleven: It's a shame your mother isn't here she'd've been very proud of you.

Number twelve: We wouldn't've wanted to keep you waiting.

Okay did you get them all let's look at those answers. Number one: We'd've picked you up

on our way home if we had known you needed a lift. The contraction was we'd've which

should be 'we would have'.

The contraction there is mightn't've and that represents 'might not have'.

Number four: They'd've laughed at me if I'd tried to sing. The double contraction there

is they'd've and that represents 'they would have'. Number five: He can't've babysat and

driven you to the airport he's not superman. The double contraction there is can't've and

that represents 'can not have'. Okay the next one number six was: You'd've

regretted it if you had said no. The double contraction there is you'd've which represents

'you would have'. The next one number seven: Are you crazy they

couldn't've committed that crime. The double contraction couldn't've which represents 'could

not have'. Number eight I mustn't've turned off the oven.

The double contraction mustn't've represents 'must not have'.

Number nine: I'm certain he'd've wanted you to have this heirloom. The double contraction

here is he'd've representing 'he would have'. Number ten: Ah you shouldn't've gone to so

much effort. The double contraction shouldn't've, shouldn't've representing 'should not have'.

Number eleven: It's a shame your mother isn't here she'd've been very proud of you. The

double contraction she'd've and that represents 'she would have'

And finally number twelve: We wouldn't've wanted to keep you waiting. The double contraction

here is wouldn't've representing 'would not have'. Fantastic, did you get them all right?

Let me know in the comment section below. If you're really interested in improving your

pronunciation then you might want to check out my pronunciation course on Englishlikeanative.com

alternatively you might want to check out this playlist of pronunciation videos right

here on youtube don't forget to hit that subscribe button and the bell notification and I'll