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How a sentence is built · CEFR A1 · Starting
Spoken English almost always shortens am, is, are, not and will. Writing them out in full sounds stiff or emphatic.
Rebuild this lesson’s reference sentence. Other tasks can have other valid word orders.
Tap words to add or remove them. Drag words into the answer, or use the buttons. Arrow keys move a selected word.
I'm coming.
I am → I'm · do not → don't · she is → she's
Question 1 of 1
Choose an answer, then check why it fits.
This is a check of this example, not an English level assessment.
Example 1 of 4
मैं आ रहा हूँ।
I'm coming.
Spoken English almost always shortens am, is, are, not and will. Writing them out in full sounds stiff or emphatic.
I'm going.
Spoken English almost always shortens am, is, are, not and will. Writing them out in full sounds stiff or emphatic.
I'm listening.
Spoken English almost always shortens am, is, are, not and will. Writing them out in full sounds stiff or emphatic.
That's fine.
Spoken English almost always shortens am, is, are, not and will. Writing them out in full sounds stiff or emphatic.
The shape
I am → I'm · do not → don't · she is → she's
Sound normal instead of like a textbook.
In Hindi
बोलचाल की अंग्रेज़ी में am, is, are, not और will लगभग हमेशा छोटे कर दिए जाते हैं।
CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.
The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
I amnot ready. | I'm not ready. "Am not" has no short form of its own — shorten "I am" instead. |
Easiest first. Every sentence is authored, with the Hindi it comes from.
I'm coming.
मैं आ रहा हूँ।
also correct: I am coming.
I'm going.
मैं जा रहा हूँ।
also correct: I am going.
I'm listening.
मैं सुन रहा हूँ।
That's fine.
यह ठीक है।
also correct: It is fine.
That's great.
बहुत अच्छा।
also correct: Very good.
I don't know.
मुझे नहीं पता।
Not now.
अभी नहीं।
Just a minute.
एक मिनट।
I've got it.
मैं समझ गया।
also correct: I understand.
In a little while.
थोड़ी देर बाद।
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
Short forms is a CEFR A1 structure — the starting band — and it belongs to how a sentence is built. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.
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