Unit 1: Go beyond intermediate with our new video course
Onward and upward
Select a unit
- 1Go beyond intermediate with our new video course
- 2Reported speech in 90 seconds!
- 3If or whether?
- 45 ways to use 'would'
- 5Let and allow
- 6Passive voice
- 7Unless
- 8Mixed conditionals
- 9The zero article - in 90 seconds
- 10The indefinite article - in 90 seconds
- 11The. That's right - the! Learn all about it in 90 seconds
- 12The continuous passive
- 13Future perfect
- 14Need + verb-ing
- 15Have something done
- 16Wish
- 17Word stress
- 18Different ways of saying 'if'
- 19Passive reporting structures
- 20The subjunctive
- 21When and if
- 22Inversion
- 23Phrasal verbs
- 24The future
- 25Modals in the past
- 26Narrative tenses
- 27Phrasal verb myths
- 28Conditionals review
- 29Used to - review
- 30Linking words of contrast
Session 4
We learn how to sound more natural and fluent in English with this pronunciation tip. Join us for a new video series, Stop saying.
Activity 1
Stop saying...!
Double contractions
Welcome to Stop saying... This is our new series which helps you stop making English mistakes. Each week we hear a problem from a learner of English and our teacher helps them out.
Today we meet a Brazilian student called Mariely who's studying in London at Rose of York Language School. She's having problems with an aspect of pronunciation called double contractions.
But what are double contractions? Helen from BBC Learning English is here with tips for you!
Watch the video and then do some practice activities.
Watch the video and complete the activity
Summary
So a double contraction is when we make three words into something shorter in spoken English. I would have becomes I'd've and could not have becomes couldn't've. They're quite common in spoken English but not used very often in written English. They might be used for informal communication, but Helen recommends you don't use them for a job application!
Next
Now you've watched the video, it's time to test yourself with this a quiz!
Session Grammar
Double contractions
I would have -> I'd've
could not have -> couldn't've
might not have -> mightn't've
must not have -> mustn't've
cannot have -> can't've
you would have -> you'd've
he would have -> he'd've
she would have -> she'd've
we would have -> we'd've
they would have -> they'd've
