Skip to main content

Ain't: An Old Usage That Still Sustains

By VJ
I ain't going to no school today.
She supposed that she ain't his lover anymore.
Though Jack insisted, Jill ain't moved the garbage.

As evident from these three non-standard sentences, including the double-negative one, 'ain't' is a tried-and-tested short form for pretty much all of the auxiliary verbs, except the modal auxiliaries.

'Ain't' was originally conceived in the 1700s, as a better usage of 'an't', which was the shorter use for 'are not' and 'am not'. These usages underwent their share of criticism over the centuries, for being non-standard and inelegant. But it found profuse usage even among the people of the upper class. The user needn't worry much about grammar rules since 'ain't' can be used for both plural and singular forms.

There is nothing wrong in using 'ain't' in fiction dialogs and informal conversation, but stick to the standard auxiliaries in all formal occasions. Here are a few sentences from great writers:

'I suppose yer the new boy, ain't yer?' said the voice through the keyhole. –Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist

It's easy to criticize," I says, "but you ain't got the same problems as what I got."' –George Orwell, 1984

'I made this journey after the '93 bombing, and I can tell you, lady, you ain't seen nothin' yet.' –Jeffrey Archer, False Impression

"I hope it ain't your mother's middle name. Lot of people don't remember." –John Steinbeck, East of Eden

Messenger, do please lend a careful ear. Your monophilia, your one one one, ain't for Jahilia. Return to sender. –Salman Rushdie, Satanic Verses.

Recommended Grammar Books From Amazon:


Labels:

Comments

  1. Rabid FoxApril 22, 2009 at 8:50 AM

    "Ain't" is part of my permanent vernacular. In my neck of the woods, it's just how folks talk. And, I gotta say, I catch myself using it in my writing on occasion--not just the dialogue. Someone smack me on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jim @ CoolStuffForDads.comApril 24, 2009 at 4:54 PM

    Writing in school growing up I saw this as a big no, no; but I do like its place in our vocabulary. Never knew that about its origin, interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  3. custom term paperJune 3, 2009 at 8:24 PM

    I never thought that the word "ain't" comes a long way. I thought that this word is just a jargon well I think I need to go back to my English 101.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJuly 7, 2009 at 5:38 PM

    I recently watched a BBC production of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Our hero, an upper class Englishman, circa 1750+/-, used "ain't" frequently. This started me on a search to learn if the upper class English actually used the word. Ain't it interesting that what was once upper class british became low class American slang!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Comments are moderated very strictly

Popular posts from this blog

Power of Short Sentences

By VJ
Post dedicated to Thomas Hardy (see History Today below). There are monster sentences like the one you encounter as the first paragraph of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens . One of my friends, whom I am getting equipped for his IELTS ( what is this? ), told me that the examination recommends long sentences. In writing classes also, I guess it’s longer sentences most tutors promote. But indubitably shorter sentences are more powerful . We will see why. Take a long sentence for instance: Tom Cruise, one of the finest actors in the whole world, is perhaps the most powerful celebrity to exist ever according to Time Magazine, but many people still dispute this fact and point out that there are more powerful and popular actors than Cruise, though they were unsuccessful in providing the total number of fans, who liked the films of those actors. This is a long sentence and it is very confusing . Though it has a logical construction and conveys a meaning, it falters in many occasions and seems
1 comment
Read more

Creative Writing: Crafting Characters With Emotional Appeal in Mind

By VJ
When you read the greatest fiction works ever, have you ever asked what was so compelling about them that you not only kept reading it, but you ended up reading all other major works of the writer? It may well be because the writer touched your emotional quotient quite a bit. Every reader has a unique taste . Some like to read suspense thrillers , some tender love stories, and some others dark horror and bloodshed stories . That’s why there are all sorts of genres out there. When a writer gives you what exactly you want, you will keep reading. Here we come to the emotional appeal. Character Imperfection Perfect characters may not always be the upshot of a writer’s deliberation. It may well be due to ignorance . Usually the upcoming writers take it for granted that if they create perfect characters, they will be able to garner a bigger audience . It is not true. You have to ask yourself what a character would do in a particular situation. Perfect characters—perfect gunmen, perfect
1 comment
Read more

Another Tiny List of Confusables

By VJ
Earlier, you may remember we published a list of confusable words . Here we are again, with such a list of words. Abjure/Adjure: Abjure means "to formally renounce (give up) something" such as a position. Adjure on the other hand means 'to appeal to' or 'solemnly order'. The governor decided to abjure his position due to political pressure. Normally, adjuring to the subordinates doesn't give many results. Amount/Number: Use amount when you have uncountable subject. Use number when it is countable. The amount of love one gets depends on the number of friends one has. Appraise/Apprise: Appraise is the word applied to quantitative evaluation of something. Apprise means 'communicate' or 'inform'. Appraising diamonds is the work of an expert. Joe apprised me of the schedule of events. Attorney/Lawyer/Solicitor: These terms are highly misinterpreted and confused by many people. Let me clarify. In the US, an attorney is any member
Post a Comment
Read more