A chart illustrating the correct way of using contractions in English.
(however not in Lexigrams)
| Auxiliary Form | Contractions With Pronouns | Contractions With Nouns | Contractions With Question Words |
| am | I'm working this morning. | - | What'm I supposed to say? (common only in spoken English) |
| is | He's going to come. - She's a teacher. - It's easy! | John's at work. - Mary's playing the piano at the moment. | Who's on the telephone? - What's he doing? |
| are | You're a great friend! - They're playing golf this afternoon. | The books're on their way. (common only in spoken English) | What're you going to do? |
| has | He's been to Paris twice. - It's been such a long time! - She's lived there all her life. | Mary's gone to the store. | What's she been doing? - Who's been invited? |
| have | I've finished my homework. - They've got two cars. | The students've finished their homework. (common only in spoken English) | Where've you been all day? (common only in spoken English) |
| had | He'd been waiting for three hours. - We'd better be going. | Jack'd worked there before he left. (common only in spoken English) | What'd you done before that? (common only in spoken English) |
| will | I'll get you something to eat. - We'll be there soon. | Peter'll catch the bus to work. | What'll we do? Where'll you take us? |
| would | I'd like some fish. They'd love to ask you some questions. | Jane'd love to come. | Where'd you like to go? (common only in spoken English) |
As one person asked:
Are you allowed to use words such as, "don't" or "won't"? Adding an apostrophe to make a conjunction?Like if there is no letter "o" in your name and you wanted to use, "didn't" for "did not" ?
ANSWER:
The use of contractions in a Lexigram or an Anagram should be avoided, as it can add and or change a meaning in the Lexigram, a meaning or statement which is not actually found within the name being Lexigrammed.
For example:
The contraction for cannot and or can not, is can't.
(for more about cannot, can not, and can't; see information at the end of this post)
If one does not have the letter "o" to write out can not or cannot, then the word, concept and meaning of the negative "not" is simply not actually to be found within the letters of that name.
Using the contraction "can't" is akin to sneaking in that letter "o" which cannot be found within your name.
If simply having fun, and not taking the resulting meanings seriously, then go ahead, use contractions, have fun!
However, if doing Lexigrams and or Anagrams in a professional capacity or to divine one's name for hidden codes, messages, meanings; one should never use contractions....
unless....
they actually have the full form within the letters of their name, such as can not or cannot in this example.
Then they may use can't freely.
The same rule applies to any contraction.
Another issue is the correct use of poetic spellings and or alternate poetic or slang spellings.
For example:
One has the word "love", but wants to be poetic and use "luv" in lieu of the word "love".
That is perfectly acceptable only if they actually have the word "love"
The same goes for any alternate spelling or slang, as long as the full correct form can actually be found withing the name one is Lexigramming and or Anagramming.
More about such poetic spellings, and allowed homophones in the next post on this blog.
Now for some interesting facts about:
cannot, can not, and can't
According to the entry in the OED, cannot is
the ordinary modern way of writing can not
The historical illustrations given for the negative in the OED shows cannot, can not, and even canot, as well as the contraction can’t:
?a1400 Cursor M. (add. to Cott.) p. 959. 105 And ou at he deed fore cannot sorus be. 1451 Paston Lett. 140 I. 186 Other tydyngs as yett can I non tell you. Ibid. 172 I. 229 Whethir it be thus or non I can not say. 15.. Plumpton Corr. 72, I canot get my money. 1706 Col. Records Penn. II. 256 The House cant agree to this. 1741 RICHARDSON Pamela I. 56 If he..as you say can’t help it. 1742 YOUNG Nt. Th. I. 89 An angel’s arm can’t snatch me from the grave; Legions of angels can’t confine me there. 1827 KEBLE Chr. Y. 4 Without Thee I cannot live. Mod. Can’t you go?
The experts at AskOxford seem to prefer cannot:
Both cannot and can not are acceptable spellings, but the first is much more usual. You would use can not when the ‘not’ forms part of another construction such as ‘not only.’
The Washington State University language site says:
Bottom lineThese two spellings [cannot/can not] are largely interchangeable, but by far the most common is “cannot” and you should probably use it except when you want to be emphatic: “No, you can not wash the dog in the Maytag.”
There’s no difference in meaning between cannot and can not.
