"Aren't I?" - pipTalk Forums

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Essorant
Member Elite

since 2002-08-10

Posts 4769
Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada

0 posted 2007-04-13 08:07 PM

"Aren't I?"

This is very very bad grammar.

It is correct to say "Am I not?"  Or to avoid repeating "am" in a saying such as "I am cunning, am I not?" one may say:

"Am I not cunning?"

"I am cunning?"

"do you know I am cunning?"

And for you that appreciate English of all ages:

Nam I cunning?

(Nam = ne "not" + am, as in never = ne + ever)

etc.

Much better than the bad grammar of "aren't I?"

rrrstop
Junior Member

since 2007-04-21

Posts 27
Florida

1 posted 2007-04-21 01:32 PM

Oh, gosh!

I just looked up "ain't" in the 1963 edition Webster's NCD and it's all "prob. contr. of are not" and "used orally in most parts of the U.S. by educated speakers esp. in the phrase ain't I", with the substandard usages confined to "have not" and "has not."

That's interesting. Of course, it's from over forty years ago now.

shirtless
Member

since 2006-04-29

Posts 359

2 posted 2007-07-09 10:48 AM

"amn't" used to be a contraction for "am not"

rwood
Member Elite

since 2000-02-29

Posts 3793
Tennessee

3 posted 2007-07-16 10:07 AM

I think you could avoid passive presentation, altogether, by saying, "I am cunning." No question about it.

You are.

ilsm
Member

since 2008-04-13

Posts 61
UK

4 posted 2008-04-25 08:43 PM

Never heard of "nam I". We live and learn.

I understood "aren't I" was a Victorian usage to avoid "ain't I" which was regarded as unspeakably common and lower-class.

They supposedly found the obvious alternative, "amn't I" as intolerably hard on the ears and decided it was better to put up with an incorrect conjugation than an inelegant contraction like that.

Interestingly, you will find "amn't I" in use in parts of Scotland (and elsewhwere for all I know).

Bob K
Member Elite

since 2007-11-03

Posts 4208

5 posted 2008-04-26 04:15 AM

Fowler supports ilsm about amn't and the Scottish usage. "ain't" is also correct, though not for this use and in another context. I did so want it to be correct for this. Eventually, I'm sure it will wear its way into the grammar simply through persistence alone. People seem so determined to find a place for it, there must be something useful and intuitively right about it someplace.

Essorant
Member Elite

since 2002-08-10

Posts 4769
Regina, Saskatchewan; Canada

6 posted 2008-04-26 02:09 PM

That is interesting. I think I read that before, but forgot that "ain't" comes from am not. I would recommend that as a grammatically correct way of avoiding "aren't I" as well.

prize
Member

since 2008-11-21

Posts 116

7 posted 2008-12-19 05:37 PM

I'm from Boston and "Aren't I", as well as the phrase, "So Don't I" are used a lot.

I'm not saying they are correct, but definitely on the list of Boston-isms.

I think either Matt Damon or Ben Affleck (sp?) may have used both of those phrases in one of their SNL skits about Bahstan (ha!) ~p

critical mass
Member

since 2009-03-25

Posts 275
Michigan

8 posted 2009-03-26 09:06 PM

Aren't I bumping this thread up? Or am I not allowed to?

Aren't I suppose to be here.
Aren't I?

If you can't say (are not) in place of aren't, then it is wrong.

If you can, then it's right.

You aren't suppose to be here, unless you can speak correctly.

Ain't this confusing!

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