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We use short forms for verb + not like isn't, aren't, hasn't, won't, wasn't etc. But I haven't seen any short form used for am+not. So, I want to know if any short form exists for am not.

Note: In one book I had seen that aren't can be used for am+not. Is this right?

Pandya
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1 Answers1

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If you're using very informal language you can use ain't.

I ain't happy about this.

But even native speakers wouldn't necessarily say that, as it's a colloquialism that not everyone uses. I would say:

I'm not happy about this.

ssav
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    To add, I've seen the form "aren't" following a statement, like "I am trying to be useful today, aren't* I?*" – Victor Bazarov Aug 20 '15 at 13:04
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    "Ain't" is grammatical, but it carries more cultural associations than most contractions: it can suggest the speaker is uneducated, rural, or low-class (or a combination of those). People sometimes avoid it for this reason alone, and either avoid a contraction entirely, or use a not-quite-correct substitution like "aren't" (as Victor Bazarov notes). If a novelist writes dialog with the word "ain't" they are almost certainly trying to convey something about the speaker's demeanor or background. I have seen the contraction "amn't" used instead of "ain't" but I don't think it is widely accepted. – Wim Lewis Aug 20 '15 at 18:36