As in "I know he'd have done it [he'd've done it] had he been paid for it." Is this an acceptable contraction?
That many apostrophes makes it look like you're trying to type in Klingon. I thought it was a legitimate contraction, but my spell checker doesn't like it.
Yeah. That's the thing. More formal writing makes for more stilted construction. I didn't think it was wrong, necessarily, just not something you'd use in every circumstance.
Yeah, fuk the zars of fashun! Seriously, there's nothing wrong with "...he'd have done it..." but "...he'd've...?"
It doesn't really work, but unlike the "he'd of" construction you don't deserve to be drawn and quartered for using it.
It works best if what you're about to describe is something particularly rednecky. "He'd've fucked the possum before eating it, he'd've, ayeppers!".
In actually just had a small fight with someone at TBBS over "would of." He threw one of those adolescent fits over being corrected, called me names, and declared that the language was always evolving, and who's to say "would of" was wrong? Several other people told him who, too.
Reminds me another TBBS bruhaha, when someone wrote a very nice discourse on "prejudism." Sad thing was, it was a fairly literate and thoughtful little post. But when I pointed out that the word was "prejudice," and "prejudism" isn't a real word, he said "IN YOUR OPINION!!!" and went on a vitriolic rant at me. No, no, not just in MY opinion, turkey.
Yes, perfectly acceptable in any situation where contractions would be acceptable. Now, try "you all would have": y'all'd've.
Maybe even take it farther: y'all's'd've As in, my car wouldn't have burst into flames the way y'all's'd've.
No not acceptable. Now, how about "that'll", as "that will" Neither WF or Open Office like it, but I could've sworn that an acceptable contraction.
I think it works in conversation, I say it. It could also work if you were writing dialogue for prose, although it doesn't look pretty. I wouldn't use it in any other kind of writing though.
These contractions are perfectly good spoken English, but I'd never write them outside of a text message.
