Question for the native English speakers

karen · Post by **karen** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 5:25 am

This is about your use of "you aren't" v. "you're not." It's basically the same three words with contractions in two different places. I find that I mostly use the second form. I thought that perhaps the first one was more of a strong negative, but now I can't think of any instance in which I would choose the first over the second. I think I'm firmly in the "you're not" camp.

How about you, which do you use most often?

Karen

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sinikettu · Post by **sinikettu** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 10:39 am

Tadpole'sMommy wrote:This is about your use of "you aren't" v. "you're not." Karen

To my ears.."you aren't" sounds much more slangy than "you're not."

I dont think I use .."you aren't" very often.. if at all..
Also it sounds too much like.."You Aunt!"...IMO very much only spoken language...
But then again.."you're not." is pronounced.. "Your Not!"...and not spelt like that in any English wriiten test..Och...!
I can feel the rap accross the nuckles from my old English teacher.

Jussi · Post by **Jussi** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 10:54 am

i think you arent is my thing, maybe thats cause im an aussie and we slang a lot of stuff... "you arent allowed to" comes to mind...

Cheers

Jussi

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 11:21 am

Yes, I think Jussi could be right with the regional theory. Where my folks live in the West Country of England I think you're more likely to hear "you aren't".... has a kind of rural ring to it.

Also depends on context though and the stress in the utterance.... eg: you're NOT allowed to do that (stress is on prohibition) versus YOU aren't allowed to do that (ie stress is on who rather than what)

sinikettu · Post by **sinikettu** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 11:40 am

penelope wrote:Where my folks live in the West Country of England I think you're more likely to hear .. ...

Defending on the quanity/quality of consumed scrumpy..(cider)...one hears..... sometimes some impossible to understand expressions..

Samples heard in The Wild West of England..

"Starp fidgtin aver garn er octipusy in ern poketen?"
= Stop fidgeting ..have you got an octupus in your pocket?
"Wer gawn ta glaawsta turdie!"
= We are going to Gloucester today!...

RA · Post by RA » Thu Dec 08, 2005 11:59 am

I'm definetly prone to saying you aren't . British English influence in Kenya, perhaps? Similar to Jussi I do say ... you aren't allowed to...
But I do say ... You're not my mother, you're not the president, you're not Angela....
Okay. Now I'm confused. I don't know which I use when

kmboll · Post by **kmboll** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 7:10 am

penelope wrote:Also depends on context though and the stress in the utterance.... eg: you're NOT allowed to do that (stress is on prohibition) versus YOU aren't allowed to do that (ie stress is on who rather than what)

I agree with penelope.

I'll also add that the unstressed, spoken form for me is definately you aren't. Usually, only when I'm getting worked up will I break out the "you're NOT"

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 1:08 pm

Tadpole'sMommy wrote:This is about your use of "you aren't" v. "you're not." It's basically the same three words with contractions in two different places. I find that I mostly use the second form. I thought that perhaps the first one was more of a strong negative, but now I can't think of any instance in which I would choose the first over the second. I think I'm firmly in the "you're not" camp.
How about you, which do you use most often?
Karen

Never thought about it. I don't think it makes too much difference, as Penelope said, the latter has more stress on the not.

I tried to think of analogies for the contraction you're (is are acting as an auxiliary verb?). So I ended up with contractions of modal verbs ... won't, shouldn't, haven't, musn't.

Youc'n not = you can not = you can't contract can so easily as are.

you'll not = you will not = you won't be surprised that will can be contracted in either direction (though you need a vowel change)

you've not = you have not = you haven't. I suppose you've not is gramatically OK, but sounds strange. You've not got a spare pen have you?

Now that I've had a think about it, the you can't, you won't contractions are easier and more common, so I guess you aren't is probably what is used more.

disturbance · Post by **disturbance** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 1:10 pm

the whole issue is totally regional.... In Australia we say you aren't... in america it is more you're not.

what is right and what is wrong?? well that is the question.

ask an aussie and I can guarantee you we all think we are correct.

ask a yank and they will say the same.

punch both into google and see where you end up... the latter will take you north-east and the former will take you south to the land of OZ.

its a bit like asking an American and an Australian to pronounce the word "tomato".... they ae both right but still so wrong

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 1:11 pm

AlliV wrote:its a bit like asking an American and an Australian to pronounce the word "tomato".... they ae both right but still so wrong

Not so bad though as asking J. Danforth Quayle how to spell tomatoe or was it potatoe?

disturbance · Post by **disturbance** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 2:14 pm

sinikala wrote:
AlliV wrote:its a bit like asking an American and an Australian to pronounce the word "tomato".... they ae both right but still so wrong
Not so bad though as asking J. Danforth Quayle how to spell tomatoe or was it potatoe?

LOL

Ravvy · Post by **Ravvy** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 7:40 am

I'll throw in a midwest USA twist on these usages. Here I think "you aren't" is softer/weaker and might frequently be used in a question like "you aren't Swedish, are you?", or "you aren't going to the party?". "You're not" I think would be used here in a harder, more directive manner as a statement, like "you're not Swedish!" "you're not going to the party!".

Andrew_S · Post by **Andrew_S** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 12:49 pm

Ye'r nae.

Scottish:

hadnae
dinnae
cannae
wouldnae
shouldnae

karen · Post by **karen** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 12:54 pm

Helmi · Post by **Helmi** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 11:41 pm

sinikettu wrote:
Tadpole'sMommy wrote:This is about your use of "you aren't" v. "you're not." Karen

To my ears.."you aren't" sounds much more slangy than "you're not."

I dont think I use .."you aren't" very often.. if at all..
Also it sounds too much like.."You Aunt!"...IMO very much only spoken language...
But then again.."you're not." is pronounced.. "Your Not!"...and not spelt like that in any English wriiten test..Och...!
I can feel the rap accross the nuckles from my old English teacher.

Depends on the regional dialect re: You Aunt - That pronounciation is usually reserved for the London and southern regions (although not exclusively).

Here up north, Aunt is pronounced 'Ant' and so Auntie or Aunty (depends on your preferred spelling) is pronounced 'Anti'

Here up in the north of England, especially here in Lancashire, the spoken word is very slangy, even bordering on lazy. We miss the ends off words, for example, anything which ends in -ing is pronounced -in...we never pronounce the g. Another good example here in Lancashire is "Are you coming in the pub?"
This actually sounds like "are you coming in pub", the 'the; is not pronounced and is just a miniscule pause before pub.

I hate my northern accent

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