Ain't I

[catoidtang]

Please help - what's the difference between:
"Ain't I" and "Aren't I" ?
Do we still use "ain't I" now?

 

[philadelphia]

*Not a teacher

Yes, it is still used. Ain't is a kind of a slang contraction of aren't/isn't as you must likely know. Ain't is rather used in spoken English by the middle and the lower classes and/or by younger people. However, it could be used in a song, eg Train - Hey soul sister: "[...] the way you move ain't fair you know [...]" OR in an idiom, eg "you ain't seen nothing yet" meaning more surprising things are likely to happen.

 

[wace]

Might I add another idiom containing AIN'T...?

IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT when you say that if something is in a satisfactory state there is no reason to try to change it.

 

[birdeen's call]

*Not a teacher

Yes, it is still used. Ain't is a kind of a slang contraction of aren't/isn't as you must likely know. Ain't is rather used in spoken English by the middle and the lower classes and/or by younger people. However, it could be used in a song, eg Train - Hey soul sister: "[...] the way you move ain't fair you know [...]" OR in an idiom, eg "you ain't seen nothing yet" meaning more surprising things are likely to happen.

I'll only point out that "ain't" is in place of "hasn't" in the bolded sentence. Not in place of "isn't" or "aren't".

 

[TheParser]

Please help - what's the difference between:
"Ain't I" and "Aren't I" ?
Do we still use "ain't I" now?

********** NOT a teacher **********

Hello, Catoidtang.

(1) In formal English, you would say:

I am your best friend, am I not?

(2) In conversational English, people say:

I am your best friend, aren't I?

(i) They say aren't because the contraction of am + not =

ain't. Many people (not all) feel that this is not a proper word to use.

(3) Most contractions are fine:

You, we, they are nice, aren't you/we/they?

He. she, it is nice, isn't he/ she/ it?

All languages have exceptions: I am correct, aren't I? An exception.

(4) Since you want to learn standard English, I very respectfully suggest

that you not use the word ain't.

(a) Of course, we must show respect to those speakers who use it on

a regular basis, but English learners should probably avoid it because some

people will consider you as uneducated or uncultured if you use it. After

you speak English well, then you may wish to use it occasionally to give

a "flavor" to your speech.

THANK YOU

 

[philadelphia]

I'll only point out that "ain't" is in place of "hasn't" in the bolded sentence. Not in place of "isn't" or "aren't".

I know that, actually.

 

[wace]

I'll only point out that "ain't" is in place of "hasn't" in the bolded sentence. Not in place of "isn't" or "aren't".

In the above sentence AIN'T replaces HAVEN'T not HASN'T... ( needless to say the double negative form is very colloquial)

 

[Tdol]

Ain't is rather used in spoken English by the middle and the lower classes and/or by younger people.

I can't say I agree with this class assessment- you will find people who speak aristocratic English who say ain't. Traditionally, the rich and powerful didn't need to bother themselves with such niceties as grammar; it was the middle classes who worried themselves into states about what was correct or not.