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Have you heard or read the word 'ain't'? This topic has been troublesome to English learners.

What is ain't?

The word ain't (informal) pronounced as /'eɪnt/, is a conjugation of 'be' (am, is, are) or has and have verbs + not. So those verbs are written as /am not/is not/are not/ has not/ have not/.

The common informal saying is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". It basically means that you don't have to do something or modify it if there's nothing wrong with it. This word originated in Britain and became widely spread while some articles claimed it was from African-American ethnic groups. Regardless where it came from, it's essential to use this term with care since many English learners find it confusing. They tend to choose a wrong verb for the subject. Unless, of course, if you're a native speaker this wouldn't be a big deal.

Here are some examples:

"I ain't (am not) gonna stop learning English".
"Life ain't (is not) easy".
"You ain't (are not) allowed to cheat".
"She ain't (has not) talked about the marriage proposal to her parents".
"They ain't (have not) printed the news articles yet".

Ain't is used in movies, songs, and everyday conversations. I heard it most of the time. However, it isn't advisable to use it in academic setting. So never attempt to include it in your reports or essays just because other people have been using it. I guess it's alright to use it with your friends.

Another thing, would you agree with me if I tell you that the more frequent you use ain't in your conversations, the more you'd sound poorly educated? Tell me what you think. I learned this information a few months ago. Ouch! I ain't gonna use this term anymore... :)

Finally, the songs "Ain't No Other Man" by Christina Aguilera and "I Ain't No Quitter" by Shania Twain used this word oftentimes. Likewise, the sentence "I ain't done nothing" is a bit complicated. Blimey! Grammarians or grammar police wouldn't be pleased with these three examples because they introduced "double negatives" - a taboo in the English language.

Check out our latest reading challenge in my group about double negatives courtesy of VOA- Learning English.

Remember, ain't shouldn't be used in formal conversations and academic writing!

Can you give other examples where you spotted this word in songs or movies?

Reference:

Oxford Dictionary