Here are the short forms of the auxiliary verbs to be, to do and to have:-

To be - Simple Present Form

Positive Statement Negative StatementLong form Short form Long form Short formI am I'm I am not I'm notHe is He's He is not He isn't or He's notShe is She's She is not She isn't or She's notIt is It's It is not It isn't or It's notYou are You're You are not You aren't or You're notWe are We're We are not We aren't or We're notThey are They're They are not They're notTo be - Simple Past Form

Positive Statement Negative StatementLong form Short form Long form Short formI was

---

I was not I wasn'tHe was He was not He wasn'tShe was She was not She wasn'tIt was It was not It wasn'tYou were You were not You weren'tWe were We were not We weren'tThey were They were not They weren'tTo do - Simple Present Form

Positive Statement Negative StatementLong form Short form Long form Short formI do

---

I do not I don'tHe does He does not He doesn'tShe does She does not She doesn'tIt does It does not It doesn'tYou do You do not You don'tWe do We do not We don'tThey do They do not They don'tTo do - Simple Past Form

Positive StatementNegativeStatement

Long form Short formLongform

Shortform

I / he / she / it / you / we / they did ---

I / he/ she/ it /you /we /theydidnot

I / he/ she /it /you /we /theydidn't

To have - Simple Present Form

Positive Statement Negative StatementLong form Short form Long form Short formI have I've I have not I haven't or I've notHe has He's He has not He hasn't or He's notShe has She's She has not She hasn't or She's notIt has It's It has not It hasn't or It's notYou have You've You have not You haven't or You've notWe have We've We have not We haven't or We've notThey have They've They have not They haven't or They've notTo have - Simple Past Form

Positive Statement Negative StatementLong form Short form Long form Short form

I / he / she / it / you / we / they had

I'd he'd she'd it'd you'dwe'd they'd

I / he / she / it / you / we / they had not

I hadn't or I'd not he hadn't or he'd not she hadn't or she'd not it hadn't or it'd not you hadn't or you'd not we hadn't or we'd not they hadn't or they'd not

!Note - We don't use the short form of be, will or have if it takes

the final position in a sentence.

The long and short forms of the modal verbs can, could, shall, should, must, will and would

Can

Positive Statement Negative StatementLong form Short form Long form Short formI / he / she / it / you / we / they can --- I / he / she/ it / you / we / they cannot I / he / she / it / you / we / they can'tCould

Positive Statement Negative StatementLong form Short form Long form Short formI / he / she / it / you / we / they could --- I / he / she/ it / you / we / they could not I / he / she / it / you / we / they couldn'tMust

Positive Statement Negative StatementLong form Short form Long form Short formI / he / she / it / you / we / they must --- I / he / she/ it / you / we / they must not I / he / she / it / you / we / they mustn'tShall

Positive Statement Negative StatementLong form Short form Long form Short formI / he / she / it / you / we / they shall --- I / he / she/ it / you / we / they shall not I / he / she / it / you / we / they shan'tShould

Positive Statement Negative StatementLong form Short form Long form Short form

I / he / she / it / you / we / they should ---I / he / she / it / you / we / they should not

I / he / she / it / you / we / they shouldn't

Will

Positive Statement Negative StatementLong form Short form Long form Short form

I / he / she / it / you / we / they will

I'llHe'llShe'llIt'llYou'llWe'llThey'll

I / he / she / it / you / we / they will not

I won't or I'll not He won't or He'll notShe won't or She'll notIt won't or It'll notYou won't or You'll notWe won't or We'll notThey won't or They'll not

Would

Positive Statement Negative StatementLong form Short form Long form Short form

I / he / she / it / you / we / they would

I'dHe'dShe'dIt'd*You'dWe'dThey'd

I / he / she / it / you / we / they would not

I wouldn't or I'd notHe wouldn't or He'd notShe wouldn't or She'd notIt wouldn't or It'd not*You wouldn't or You'd notWe wouldn't or We'd notThey wouldn't or They'd not

* Not "good" English, but you will hear occasionally.

The imperative

Let Us

Let us is a funny one. The only time I've ever heard the long form of "Let us..." used is when the vicar used to say "Let us pray." It's much more likely you'll hear or see the

contracted form "let's". "Let's do this," no "Let's do that instead," and the sarcastic "Oh yes, let's."

Positive Statement Negative StatementLong form - rarely used Short form Long form - used by pompous people Short formLet us Let's Let us not Let's not

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