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Old 02-Sep-2005, 09:20
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Default Re: Contractions - it was - it's

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cas
"It's": It is, It has. The contraction is possible because "is" has a word-initial vowel, i-, >and "has" has word-initial h-.
With contractions, the apostrophe (') replaces a missing vowel:

EX: It is => It's

The sound represented by the letter "h" is a puff of air, and so it's often dropped:

EX: It has => It _as => It's

The sound represented by the letter "w" requires a great deal of articulation: rounded lips, vibrating vocal folds, raised tongue height, so it's never dropped:

EX: It was => It was

In short, It was cannot contract to It's beacuse "w" is in the way.
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