EGTV: Reduced Forms

John: Hi, Dr. Jill! /D’jah/ (Did you) see that scary TV show last night? Jill: (shaking head), No, John. What was it about? A weather disaster? An invasion from space? John: No, it was about how people don’t read their grammar books anymore. Jill: Oh, no! That is scary! By the way, d’ya (do you) like scary movies? John: No, I don’t. But thank you for giving me an idea. Your question has some good grammar points. Jill: Hmm. It’s a yes or no question, right? John: Correct. So, it needs the auxiliary verb “do.” Jill: And the main verb “like” is in the present tense. John: We can also ask questions with a past auxiliary. Jill: That would be your question for me: D’jah (Did you) see that scary TV show last night? John: There, the auxiliary is in the past tense. But we still have the simple form of the main verb “see.” Jill: And one more thing – the pronunciation. I said, “D’jah,” instead of “Did you.” I reduced “Did you” to “D’jah.” The sound of “y” changes to “j” because of the “d” in “did.” John: That’s because, in casual speech, Americans often say function words in a softer and shorter way. They include pronouns and auxiliary verbs. Jill: But do not use this in formal writing or speech. And that’s Everyday Grammar! Learn how to ask question auxiliary verbs and use a reduced form to sound informal. Originally published at - https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a...