OBS. 5.—­In grave discourse, or in oratory, the adverb not is spoken as distinctly as other words; but, ordinarily, when placed before the nominative, it is rapidly slurred over in utterance and the o is not heard.  In fact, it is generally (though inelegantly) contracted in familiar conversation, and joined to the auxiliary:  as, IND.  Don’t they do it?  Didn’t they do it?  Haven’t they done it?  Hadn’t they done it?  Shan’t, or won’t they do it?  Won’t they have done it?  POT.  Mayn’t, can’t, or mustn’t they do it?  Mightn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t, or shouldn’t they do it?  Mayn’t, can’t, or mustn’t they have done it?  Mightn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t, or shouldn’t they have done it?

OBS. 6.—­Well-educated people commonly utter their words with more distinctness and fullness than the vulgar, yet without adopting ordinarily the long-drawn syllables of poets and orators, or the solemn phraseology of preachers and prophets.  Whatever may be thought of the grammatical propriety of such contractions as the foregoing, no one who has ever observed how the English language is usually spoken, will doubt their commonness, or their antiquity.  And it may be observed, that, in the use of these forms, the distinction of persons and numbers in the verb, is almost, if not entirely, dropped.  Thus don’t is used for dost not or does not, as properly as for do not; and, “Thou can’t do it, or shan’t do it,” is as good English as, “He can’t do it, or shan’t do it.” Will, according to Webster, was anciently written woll:  hence won’t acquired the o, which is long in Walker’s orthoepy. Haven’t, which cannot be used for has not or hast not, is still further contracted by the vulgar, and spoken ha’nt, which serves for all three.  These forms are sometimes found in books; as, “WONT, a contraction of woll not, that is, will not.”—­Webster’s Dict. “HA’NT, a contraction of have not or has not.”—­Id. “WONT, (w=ont or w~unt,) A contraction of would not:—­ used for will not.”—­Worcester’s Dict. “HAN’T, (haent or h=ant,) A vulgar contraction for has not, or have not.”—­Id. In the writing of such contractions, the apostrophe is not always used; though some think it necessary for distinction’s sake:  as, “Which is equivalent, because what can’t be done won’t be done.”—­Johnson’s Gram.  Com., p. 312.

IRREGULAR VERBS.

An irregular verb is a verb that does not form the preterit and the perfect participle by assuming d or ed; as, see, saw, seeing, seen.  Of this class of verbs there are about one hundred and ten, beside their several derivatives and compounds.

OBSERVATIONS.