"ain't" still is not a word

[Masamune no Hi]

Ezra Pound

[Note: It should be y'all, not ya'll.]

Yeah, I was looking for words on Wikipedia and noticed that.  

[Momoko Wakaba]

Ain't isn't a word, it is an abomination. ((My fingers tweak at that combination of letters))  

[Xx_Murderous Doll_xX]

Actually, It's sad, because in my state, some public schools have already unofficially allowed students to use it in homework and such. I'd like to strangle whatever idiot brought it up to begin with...  

[xAvenirYuinax]

I personally think that "ain't" should not be allowed in formal writing such as senior exams, or any exam for that matter. In everyday speech -it is common slang after all- or for dialect in informal writing, there is not much of a problem. That English professors would even consider the option of allowing slang in formal writing is a little terrifying, not to mention discouraging.  

[Masamune no Hi]

I hate it when people use double negatives, especially when they use ain't in them. Example: "I ain't got no idea what I just said."  

[Andy Magnuseth]

Ain't will NEVER be a word. I don't care what you say, or what you do.
I'm convinced the word was made up by a bunch of hillbillies sitting on their porches/lawn chairs in front of their broken-down trailors.

I'm sorry, but that "word" irritates me to no end.  

[[Oh Johnny]]

While I dont mind using slang in everyday conversation, I definately dont think it's acceptable on an exam of any kind. Thank god your mother was sensible enough to protest.  

[Rutoh-Chan]

I think most people, even grammer "freaks" for lack of a better word, fall into the habit of using slang terms. My sister is the absolutley most grammerically correct person that I know. But when push comes to shove and she just wants to have a normal conversation, she uses slang like "ain't" and such. When you are in a relaxed environment, you sound weird if you use perfect grammer. People want to convey a message more than use eloquence when they are talking to people they see every day.

But in a professional setting where you are trying to prove that you know the absolute rules, you do not use informal words or writing styles (ie. short hand). I have no respect for a group of EDITORS that say you can use "ain't". Those people are editors because they know the ABSOLUTE rules. You never turn in a resume or a scientific project assessment with SLANG or shorthand. You will be laughed at and then sent away! Teachers teach us how to be professional for a reason, we need to know how.

Slang is alright in informal conversation. But no amount of schooling at any level should allow slang in formal writing. You might as well not teach it any longer. You have killed writing.  

[Seferius Slyferin]

Is using 'isn't or 'aren't' really all that hard?
I can say that I never use 'aint' other than to bug my english teacher or Mother; which I can say I quite enjoy. I really don't have much more to say about this, other than I disagree strongly with using slang in formal writing.
Also, the dictionary is wrong for taking slang terms and giving them the right of a meaning. What's next? 'Meh'?  

[Trumpet Ego]

I totally agree with you, Emmanuela, because ain't is slang! Why do people even feel the need to use slang? It sometimes makes a person seem stupid no matter how much it is used.  

[Masamune no Hi]

I never use slang. Even when I try to have a normal conversation or post on the computer, I find myself speaking as if I were in some formal event.  

[The Man who was Thursday]

"I isn't" and "I aren't" aren't valid.

And I'm the most important person in my personal existence, so why shouldn't I get the advantage of a contraction for what I am not?  

[Dragonsage56]

If you put 'aint' in exams in my school the teacher would probably fail you. It's dumb. It's like saying 'I don't care fail me please.' Yeah I agree.  

[Raellie]

I think it depends on what exactly the exam being taken asks for.
If the students have to write a formal essay, then no, they should not be allowed to use the term "ain't." However, if they are asked to write freely, perhaps to create a short story for a creative writing exam, then I think the language the students use should be up to them. Often times writers use grammar that reflects how a person speaks, to express a character.

But most likely you are discussing the use of "ain't" in standard essays, so yeah, it should not be used.




Note: My browser corrects spelling mistakes, and when I type "ain't" it does not correct it xd .  

[The Man who was Thursday]

Looked into it, and "ain't" has been around for a long while. Its precursor, an't, has been around since the late 17th century.