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Common Errors Workbook |
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Punctuation and mechanics |
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28. Contractions |
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He should of known better.
Problem: Should've sounds like should ofHe should have known better.
Solution: Spell out the full words.
Did they invite ya'll to the party?
Problem: The apostrophe indicates that the missing letters are between a and ll, rather that the ou of you.Did they invite y'all to the party?
Solution: Move the apostrophe to the correct place.
Its been a long time since the narrator has met his aunt.
Problem: Its is a possessive pronoun, not a contraction.It's been a long time since the narrator has seen his aunt.
Solution: Add an apostrophe.
Don't you worry about l'il old me.
Problem: The contraction is missing letters between the i and the l, not elsewhere.Don't you worry about li'l old me.
Solution: Move the apostrophe.
I ain't your mom!
Problem: Most people think ain't sounds uneducated.I'm not your mom!
Solution: Exchange ain't for a more acceptable contraction.
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