Short/contracted forms and long forms in the Simple Present
How to use short/contracted forms with the Simple Present?
We often use short/contracted forms of auxiliaries in spoken English. The Simple Present is formed with a main verb, so short/contracted forms are only used with negative forms.
1. Affirmative forms
| Pronouns | Long forms | Contracted forms |
|---|---|---|
| I | I read | not possible |
| you | you read | |
| he, she, it | he reads | |
| we, you, they | they read |
2. Negative forms
| Pronouns | Long forms | Contracted forms |
|---|---|---|
| I | I do not read | I don't read |
| you | you do not read | you don't read |
| he, she, it | he does not read | he doesn't read |
| we, you, they | they do not read | they don't read |