Re: USAGE: Aren't/Amn't

On Mon, 15 Nov 1999, Padraic Brown wrote:

> On Mon, 15 Nov 1999, Patrick Dunn wrote:
>
> >*nods*  I even use ain't in front of my class.  Of course, I don't accept
> >it in papers. . . but there are plenty of perfectly real words I don't
> >accept in papers.  Like the phrase "today's society."
>
> Of course not: but ain't is a contraction, which I was taught never to
> use in a paper, direct quotation excepted.  Do you accept other
> contactions (weren't, haven't, etc.) or do you only have something
> against ain't in writing?
Depends on the paper.  If it's a relatively informal personal paper than I
accept contractions.  Usually not.