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as in “I’m not,” “You’re not,” “They’re not,” we also reduce the three vocal impulses to two, thus securing as short a contraction in sound and one that is as fully adapted to colloquial speech, and that is, at the same time, in much better taste.

The old form for ain’t was an’t, but this has now become obsolete.  It will be a blessing to the English-speaking people when the descendant shall sleep with his father.

Are not is sometimes contracted into aren’t, but this form has not found much favor.

Can’t and Couldn’t

As cannot and could not may be used with pronouns of the first, second, or third person, in either number, and with nouns in both numbers, no error is likely to follow the use of their contracted forms.

Why cannot is properly written as one word, and could not requires two, is not founded upon any principle of philosophy.  The concurrent sanction of all classes in all parts of the English-speaking world establishes it as law.

Observe that the a in the verb can’t is broader in sound than the short a in the noun cant.

Don’t and Didn’t

Don’t is a contraction of do not.  It is in very general use and in good repute.  It may be employed
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wherever the expanded expression do not could be applied, and only there.

“One swallow don’t make a spring” is equivalent to saying, “One swallow do not make a spring.”  We may say “I don’t,” “You don’t,” “We don’t,” “They don’t,” “The men (or birds, or trees) don’t,” but we must use doesn’t with he, or she, or it, or the man, the grove, the cloud, etc.

Unlike the verb do, its past tense form did undergoes no change in conjugation, hence the contraction didn’t is also uniform.

Haven’t, Hasn’t, and Hadn’t

The verb have, like the verb do, has a distinct form for the third person singular.  The same change affects the contraction.  I haven’t, you haven’t, he hasn’t.  The construction hadn’t undergoes no change.

Haint, Taint

Haint is used indiscriminately for haven’t and hasn’t.  Taint is used for tisn’t.  Their use is indicative of an entire lack of culture.

Isn’t

No one need hesitate to use this word.  It is smooth in utterance and contributes much to the freedom and ease of social intercourse.  Its equivalent is too stately for colloquial forms of speech, and is often
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suggestive of pedantry.  Compare “Isn’t he an eloquent speaker?” “Isn’t this a beautiful flower?” with “Is not he an eloquent speaker?” “Is this not a beautiful flower?”

Wasn’t

Although not so elegant as the present tense form isn’t, yet the contraction wasn’t is in excellent repute.  It is properly used only in the first and third persons singular.  No one who makes any pretension to culture would be guilty of saying” You was my neighbor, but you wasn’t my friend,” “We was engaged in trade, and they wasn’t of any use to us.”  Say we were or were not, but never wasn’t or wa’nt.