“Practice your English” Forum

Gonna – Gotta – Wanna – Outta – Kinda - Gimme

Gonna – Gotta – Wanna – Outta – Kinda - Gimme

by Iya OLS Community Manager -
Number of replies: 10

Hi everyone!

Do you know when (and when NOT) to use informal contractions like Gonna – Gotta – Wanna – Outta – Kinda – Gimme?

Here are some sentence examples:

Let's get outta here.
Gimme your phone for a second!
Are you gonna go to the cinema?

The formal way to say the above three statements:

Let's get out of here.
Give me your phone for a second!
Are you going to go to the cinema?

NOW, IT'S YOUR TURN:

Can you think of any other informal contractions that you hear or use in your daily lives? Or maybe you've heard them in movies or TV series? If so,

- Tell us where and how you've used or heard them.
- Show us example sentences with the informal and formal versions.

- When should you NEVER use these English words and why?

Cheerfully yours,
Iya, OLS Community Manager - English

In reply to Iya OLS Community Manager

Re: Gonna – Gotta – Wanna – Outta – Kinda - Gimme

by dufn -
Idk i don’t know
Idc i don’t care
In reply to dufn

Re: Gonna – Gotta – Wanna – Outta – Kinda - Gimme

by Iya OLS Community Manager -
Yes! Those are excellent examples of what should never be used in formal communication.
In reply to Iya OLS Community Manager

Re: Gonna – Gotta – Wanna – Outta – Kinda - Gimme

by dufn -
Hey there!

I have something interesting for you all!

"Whatcha gonna do ?" - From the Movie Bad Boys

It is used for the sentence "What are you going to do ?" in an informal contraction.

I can't wait to see what others "gonna" teach us about this topic ? :D
In reply to dufn

Re: Gonna – Gotta – Wanna – Outta – Kinda - Gimme

by Iya OLS Community Manager -
Hahahaa!! Great example, Abdi!

I can’t wait to see too. :D
In reply to Iya OLS Community Manager

Re: Gonna – Gotta – Wanna – Outta – Kinda - Gimme

by Enigma Po -

On this score, I propose three interesting contractions: oughta, i.e and e.g. 

Oughta is an informal contraction of an infrequent modal verb, i.e. "ought to". An example may be: "Man, watch out, you oughta break up with her 'cause she's crazy!" ('cause/coz is contraction of because). 

i.e. and e.g. are acronyms (a type of contraction) of latin expressions. In this case, they are used in formal contexts. i.e. stands for "id est"="that is" and is used to explain of specify something. An example may be: "Some poems are mnemonics, i.e. they are designed to help you remember something". e.g. stands for "exempli gratia"="for exemple". An example may be: "The website has a variety of interactive exercises (e.g. matching games, crosswords and quizzes)".

In reply to Enigma Po

Re: Gonna – Gotta – Wanna – Outta – Kinda - Gimme

by Iya OLS Community Manager -
These are splendid examples, Enigma! 

You oughta check out our blogs and share your opinions and reflections with us. :D
In reply to Iya OLS Community Manager

Re: Gonna – Gotta – Wanna – Outta – Kinda - Gimme

by Enigma Po -
Thank your for your suggestion! By the way, today I bumped into a song that has the contraction "oughta", i.e. "You oughta know" by Alanis Morissette. I must say that it is a cool song so that I do recommend it!
In reply to Enigma Po

Re: Gonna – Gotta – Wanna – Outta – Kinda - Gimme

by Iya OLS Community Manager -
Oh yes! I know this song. It's very catchy and it is one of those songs that get 'stuck' in your head, you know? :D

And you're welcome! I look forward to reading more of your thoughts!