That'll and this'll

[Dharminder Singh]

Can we contract "that will" to "that'll", and "this will" to "this'll"?
Is it grammatically correct?

 

[tedmc]

Yes and yes.

 

[probus]

Just remember @Dharminder Singh that such contractions are colloquial and shouldn't be used in contexts where formality is called for.

 

[jutfrank]

You can make contractions in some contexts but not all.

This'll work but I doubt that'll.
This'll work but I doubt that will.

 

[Piscean]

You can make contractions in some contexts but not all.

It is, strictly speaking, not correct in:

Shake, oh shake the ketchup bottle,
First none'll come, and then a lot'll.

R W Armour (after Ogden Nash)

 

[Dharminder Singh]

You can make contractions in some contexts but not all.

This'll work but I doubt that'll.
This'll work but I doubt that will.

Can I say that it doesn't work at the end of a sentence?

 

[probus]

You could say that USUALLY it doesn't work at the end of a sentence. But as @Piscean conclusively proved in post 5 that is not always true.

 

[jutfrank]

Can I say that it doesn't work at the end of a sentence?

It doesn't work when the main verb (the verb that normally comes after will) is ellipted.

You could say that USUALLY it doesn't work at the end of a sentence. But as @Piscean conclusively proved in post 5 that is not always true.

I think Piscean's point was that in the Ogden Nash poem, it doesn't work, strictly speaking. That's why it's amusing.

 

[Piscean]

You could say that USUALLY it doesn't work at the end of a sentence. But as @Piscean conclusively proved in post 5 that is not always true.

Hmmm. That rhyme is humorous only because it uses an unnatural contraction. It's a similar case with;

My dog won't fight in bitter battle,
But I'm afraid my savage cat'll.