In this Pronunciation episode I show you guys how contracting ARE onto nouns and question words is easy and helps you sound more native like!

Pronunciation: Contracting ARE onto nouns and question words

G’day guys. Welcome to this episode of Aussie English. This is the final contraction lesson of the word “Are”. And so, we’re going to be contracting “Are” onto pronouns [nouns*] and question words in this lesson. So, the word “Are” is the plural form of the verb “To be” in the present tense. And usual we’ll dive straight into the listen and repeat exercise guys. So, just listen and repeat after me, or if you want to make things a little harder try and anticipate the contractions I make, and say them in their contracted forms twice instead of just listening and repeating. Anyway, here we go.

Listen and repeat:

Nouns:

The dogs are

The dogs’re

Some cars are

Some cars’re

Those trees are

Those trees’re

These bags are

These bags’re

Question words:

What are

What’re

Who are

Who’re

When are

When’re

Where are

Where’re

Why are

Why’re

How are

How’re

That are

That’re

Which are

Which’re

So, as usual let’s dive into the substitution exercises guys. I want you to listen to the sentences that I say and try and repeat the first sentence in the contracted form. So, let’s get started.

Substitution exercise: Nouns

These clothes are great.

These clothes’re great.

These bags are the students’.

These bags’re the students’.

The dogs are outside playing.

The dogs’re outside playing.

The birds are singing today.

The birds’re singing today.

Some cars are blocking the road.

Some cars’re blacking the road.

Those laws are to be sobeyed

Those laws’re to be sobeyed.

She hopes the kids are listening.

She hopes the kids’re listening.

His arguments are unreasonable.

His arguments’re unreasonable.

Basic human rights are non-negotiable.

Basic human rights’re non-negotiable.

Those trees are probably going to fall down.

Those trees’re probably going to fall down.

I am watching the birds that are flying outside.

I’m watching the birds that’re flying outside.

And now we’ll just do a second substitution exercise guys where this time I’ll focus on question words.

Substitution exercise: Question words

Who are these people?

Who’re these people?

How are things going?

How’re things going?

Why are we waiting here?

Why’re we waiting here?

Which are you going to choose?

Which’re you going to choose?

How are they already here?

How’re they already here?

What are they trying to tell us?

What’re they trying to tell us?

What are the rules to the game again?

What’re the rules to the game again?

When are they having lunch this arvo?

When’re they having lunch this arvo?

Where are we going surfing tomorrow?

Where’re we going surfing tomorrow?

Do you know who are coming tonight?

Do you know who’re coming tonight?

These are the people who are on the list.

These’re the people who’re on the list.

I’m asking where the cameras are focused?

I’m asking where the cameras’re focused?

When are your friends going to arrive here?

When’re your friends going to arrive here?

Why are we listening to what they are saying?

Why’re we listening to what they’re saying?

Businesses which are successful make a lot of money.

Businesses which’re successful make a lot of money.

Note: “Are” isn’t typically contracted in formal writing onto nouns and question words, e.g. cameras’re and when’re. However, it’s acceptable in informal writing. If in doubt write the uncontracted forms.

So, that’s it for this episode guys. I hope it’s helping. Keep practicing these episodes until making these contractions becomes natural and you can understand them when other people use them as well, not just when you’re speaking yourself, and your English is only going to improve. So, keep practicing and I’ll see you in the next episode. Bye guys!