's

It's a sunny day at the park.

Definition

's is not a standard word in English but a contraction (a shortened form) used in informal writing and speech. It represents the omission of letters from certain verbs, primarily "is," "has," "us," and "does." The apostrophe indicates where letters have been removed.

1. Contraction of "is":

   • Used to combine the verb "is" with a preceding subject (noun, pronoun, or question word).
   • Example: It's raining. (It is raining.)

2. Contraction of "has":

   • Used to combine the auxiliary verb "has" with a preceding subject to form the present perfect tense.
   • Example: She's gone. (She has gone.)

3. Contraction of "us":

   • Used only in the fixed phrase "let's," which is a contraction of "let us."
   • Example: Let's go. (Let us go.)

4. Contraction of "does":

   • Used in informal questions or statements, typically after "what," "where," or "how."
   • Example: What's he say about it? (What does he say about it?) — This is highly informal and non-standard; "what does" is preferred in standard English.

Usage Examples

• As "is":

  • It's a beautiful day. (It is a beautiful day.)
  • What's the matter? (What is the matter?)

• As "has":

  • He's done it already. (He has done it already.)
  • She's left the building. (She has left the building.)

• As "us":

  • Let's eat dinner together. (Let us eat dinner together.)

• As "does" (non-standard):

  • How's he manage that? (How does he manage that?) — Rare and informal.

Advanced Usage

• Possessive 's (different from contraction): This is a separate grammatical marker, not a contraction. It indicates ownership or association.

  • The cat's toy. (The toy belonging to the cat.)
  • Mary's book. (The book associated with Mary.)

• Plural 's (rare): Used for letters, numbers, or abbreviations to form plurals, especially to avoid confusion.

  • Mind your p's and q's. (Mind your p and q letters.)
  • The 1990's were a time of change. (The 1990s were a time of change.)

• After sibilants: For possessive forms of singular nouns ending in "s," usage varies. Some add only an apostrophe, others add 's.

  • James' car or James's car (both are acceptable, though James's is more common in modern English).

Variants and Related Words

• 's (as possessive): A grammatical suffix, not a contraction.

  • The dog's bone. (The bone of the dog.)

• 's (as plural): An informal use for clarity.

  • All the CEO's attended the meeting. (All the CEOs attended the meeting.)

Synonyms

• Is: equals, represents (e.g., = )
• Has: possesses, owns (e.g., = )
• Us: we (e.g., = )
• Does: performs, executes (e.g., = )

Phrasal Verbs

• 's does not form phrasal verbs; it is a contraction attached to verbs like "is," "has," or "does" within phrasal verbs.
  • He's giving up. (He is giving up.)
  • She's taken over. (She has taken over.)

Related Idioms

• 's appears in many fixed expressions as a contraction of "is" or "has."
  • It's a small world. (It is a small world.)
  • What's done is done. (What is done is done.)
  • He's bitten off more than he can chew. (He has bitten off more than he can chew.)