Contraction for "You would have?"

Sohia Rose · May 20, 2007

I was just writing a sentence. In my head, I said, '... creates a heightened experience, something that you'd've missed ...'

But when I tried to write it to paper, that you'd've (which should be "you would have") seemed funky. I don't think I've ever seen this written, which doesn't mean that it's not valid, so I like to check. However, saying the words out right, in full, seems a little too formal for my piece.

How can I rectify this? "You'd have?" "You would've?" Perhaps in my head, I meant, "you'd have" but I said it so fast. You think this has somethin' to do with my midwestern drawl? :Shrug:

SpookyWriter · May 20, 2007

You'd have.

Sohia Rose · May 20, 2007

I guess in my head, I'm chopping off the "h-a" in "have." Weird.

SpookyWriter · May 20, 2007

The contraction is "You would" like instead of "You would think" it becomes "You'd think".

SpookyWriter · May 20, 2007

For "You have or I have" it is "You've and I've".

Sohia Rose · May 20, 2007

In my head, what I've tried to do was combine all three.

I've said it out loud a couple of times and the "h-a" is silent even in the "You'd have."

I wanted to make sure because where I live, sometimes people make fun of my accent and how I pronounce words. :tongue

Duncan J Macdonald · May 20, 2007

How about "you would've"? That would make your original sentence read:
'... creates a heightened experience, something that you would've missed ...'

Of course, if it's dialogue, then you'd've works.

Jamesaritchie · May 20, 2007

Contraction

It's either you'd have, or you would've. There's no reason at all to try turning three words into a single contraction. People may sometimes slur words and make such a sound, but on paper, stick to two word contractions.

veinglory · May 20, 2007

I can see "you'd have" and "you would've"

you'd've is phoetically okay but we rarely transcribe dialogue phonetically. It's like writing everything in strict accent--harder to read.

Prawn · May 21, 2007

woulda?

Silver-tongued Devil · Jun 7, 2007

Contractions are for painting a picture of speech but serve no real purpose otherwise. We represent them in writing dialog and for that purpose, your choice of "you'd've" is as good as Mark Twain's "Dog my cats ef I didn' hear sumf'n".

Ziljon · Jun 7, 2007

What about "gonna"? Has that become an acceptible contraction for "going to"?

Silver-tongued Devil · Jun 7, 2007

Acceptance of contractions, as in acceptance of beauty, is in the eye of the beholder as it only represents what you hear. From Rogers and Hammerstein:

"I'm gonna wash that man right outta my hair"

Bartholomew · Jun 8, 2007

Sohia Rose said:
'... creates a heightened experience, something that you'd've missed ...'

But when I tried to write it to paper, that you'd've (which should be "you would have") seemed funky.

This is colloquial, and I use it too--in speech. So in dialog, I think you could get away with it, but anywhere else, use something a bit more accessible.

kristie911 · Jun 8, 2007

Must be a midwestern thing...I say you'd've all the time and even though I would like to use it in dialogue, you're right it looks funky. I just use the two words instead. I don't want my reader to see you'd've and think, "What the hell is that?!"

They have plenty of other opportunities to say that when they're reading my work.

Jamesaritchie · Jun 8, 2007

Gonna

Ziljon said:
What about "gonna"? Has that become an acceptible contraction for "going to"?

"Gonna" isn't a contraction at all. It's a new, colloquial, word that means the same thing as "going to."

Gigi Sahi · Jun 8, 2007

Here in NY when I hear people contract "you would have" it comes out "you'da," as in: You'da thought he knew better by now.

Must be a Brooklyn-thang.

talkwrite · Jun 8, 2007

Nope. Dawn heyah ian tha sauth, "youd'a" alrehdee done seen youd'a wreetehn lahk thayat ian oer newspapers.
( Hey it's been a long and hot week folks...-and it is the weekend
so.."havagoodun"

stormie · Jun 8, 2007

Gigi Sahi said:
Here in NY when I hear people contract "you would have" it comes out "you'da," as in: You'da thought he knew better by now.

Must be a Brooklyn-thang.

Or You'da taught he knew betta by now.

Gigi Sahi · Jun 8, 2007

Ah yes, talkwrite, I figured "you'da" musta originated in da South. After all, many Brooklynites (and other New Yorkers) got kinfolk down dere.

Contraction for "You would have?"

Sohia Rose

Will write for coffee

SpookyWriter

Sohia Rose

Will write for coffee

SpookyWriter

SpookyWriter

Sohia Rose

Will write for coffee

Duncan J Macdonald

Plotting! Not Plodding!

Jamesaritchie

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Prawn

Writing is finite,revising infinite

Silver-tongued Devil

Ziljon

Tortilla di Patate

Silver-tongued Devil

Bartholomew

Comic guy

kristie911

Happy to be here

Jamesaritchie

Gigi Sahi

talkwrite

Passion in full bloom

stormie

storm central

Gigi Sahi