ain’t
2020.04.30
Meaning:
‘Ain’t’ means ‘am not’, ‘aren’t’ and ‘isn’t’. Grammar textbooks say it is *not* correct, standard English; and if you use it, some people will think you sound ‘uneducated’. But actually, ‘ain’t’ has been used even in some English novels since the 1700s. And today it *is* commonly-used in spoken English and *very* commonly-used in songs. So, you probably don’t want to use ‘ain’t’ (especially in formal situations), but if you want to understand music, movies and a wider range of native speakers’ English, you should understand this word.
Example:
• ‘Ain’t that a kick in the head?’ Dean Martin(1960)
• ‘This ain’t a love song.’ Bon Jovi(1995)
• ‘Ain’t no crybaby.’ Superfly(2008)
• ‘Sorry, I ain’t sorry.’ Beyonce(2016)
Talking Point(s):
Can you re-write the song-lines in the Examples section, so they are in ‘Standard English’? Check the answers with me!
大人からの英会話getgo 西船橋・荻窪・津田沼・本八幡