Contractions - 5 - The Verb 'to have' - Present Simple

Welcome to this fifth special edition of the 'Quiero mejorar mi inglés' podcast about contractions. (Download from iTunes)
Last week we looked at the contractions of the verb 'to do' in the present simple and the past simple, and this week we’re going to look at the contractions of the verb 'to have'.

As the verb ‘to have’ has both affirmative and negative contractions, I have decided to limit today’s podcast to the present simple, paying special attention to how they are used to make the present perfect.

OK, firstly, let’s begin with the affirmative contractions in the present simple. Here they are.

Pay attention!

• I have - I’ve
• You have - you’ve
• He has - he’s
• She has - she’s
• It has - it’s
• We have - we’ve
• They have - they’ve

Here are some simple examples:

• I’ve too much work at the moment.
• You’ve been to Australia before, haven’t you?
• He’s already met his girlfriend’s parents.
• She’s just finished the book I lent her.
• It’s been a long time since I last saw you.
• We’ve never eaten in a Japanese restaurant.
• They’ve received hundreds of responses to their advertisement.
  
  

Now, let’s look at the negative contractions of the verb ‘to have’ in the present simple. There are two options. You can either use the affirmative contraction followed by not, as in the following examples:

• I have not - I’ve not
• You have not - you’ve not
• He has not - he’s not
• She has not - she’s not
• It has not - it’s not
• We have not - we’ve not
• They have not - they’ve not

Or alternatively, you can use the following contractions:

• I have not - I haven’t
• You have not - you haven’t
• He has not - he hasn’t
• She has not - she hasn’t
• It has not - it hasn’t
• We have not - we haven’t
• They have not - they haven’t
  

Here are some simple examples:

• I haven’t heard from my brother for ages.
• You haven’t replied to my e-mail yet.
• He still hasn’t received his wages.
• She hasn’t ever read a book in English.
• It hasn’t rained much this summer.
• We haven’t been invited to the wedding.
• They haven’t explained why they aren’t coming.
  

In order to learn the correct pronunciation, you could make some simple sentences with the above contractions of the verb ‘to have’ paying special attention to making sentences in the present perfect, which uses the verb ‘to have’ as an auxiliary.

Next week, we will take a look at the contractions of the verb 'to have' in the past simple.

Until then,
Bye!