James Baquet

    Becky is chatting with her classmate Lily in the common room of their dorm.

    Lily: Hey, Becky, can you help me?

    Becky: Sure! What’s up?

    Lily: My teacher gave us a paper about reduced forms.

    Becky: Oh, you mean one of the ways we speak informally?

    Lily: That’s right.

    Becky: For example?

    Lily: Well, like “gonna” instead of “going to.”

    Becky: Good example. In fact, there are several reduced expressions using the infinitive.

    Lily: “Infinitive?” What’s that?

    Becky: That’s the original form of the verb: to see, to speak, and so on.

    Lily: Oh. So if I say “I’m gonna eat,” I’m using the infinitive “to eat?”

    Becky: Yes. Other ones are gotta, wanna, and hafta.

    Lily: Meaning... got to, want to, and have to.

    Becky: Right. But there are a couple of things to remember. First, you shouldn’t use these in formal situations.

    Lily: Like a class presentation, or in a business meeting?

    Becky: Exactly. Also, if you speak a sort of formal English, then using these forms may seem a little odd.

    Lily: You mean, if I speak very exactly then throw in a “gonna?”

    Becky: Right. In fact, for many second language learners, the real benefit of learning reduced forms is not for speaking, but for listening.

    Lily: Got it. I used to think that native speakers were speaking quickly, but now I realize that you’re just leaving out some sounds.

    Becky: Yes, we do it all the time. Tell me some more reduced forms on your paper.

    Lily: Here’s one: couldya and wouldya.

    Becky: Right. “Could you” and “would you.” Sometimes when we say them, the final sound has a “j” in it.

    Lily: Like couldja and wouldja?

    Becky: Uh-huh. There are other “you” expressions too. “What are you” is sometimes “Whatcha”—

    Lily: Like “Whatcha doin’?”

    Becky: Right. Also, we say “Whaddaya” for “What do you.”

    Lily: As in, “Whaddaya wanna do?”

    Becky: Very good! Even “How are ya?” can end up shortened.

    Lily: Got it. And “See ya!” too.

    Becky: Right. What else?

    Lily: Well, “have” and “of” come up a lot, and seem pretty confusing.

    Becky: I understand. “Shoulda, coulda, and woulda” are a famous trio.

    Lily: They mean “should have, could have, and would have,” right?

    Becky: That’s right. We can also say “mighta.” And all of them could end with ’ve.

    Lily: Should’ve, could’ve, and so on.

    Becky: Yup. As for “of,” that often happens with “kinda” and “sorta.” Also “lotsa.” Then there are words we simply shorten, like ’cuz for “because.”