Merriam dictionary says " 's " can mean IS, WAS, HAS ,and DOES.

I have a question about " 's " that can mean WAS. Do native English speakers think that " 's " can mean WAS? Do native English speakers think the example sentence that the dictinary gives is correct? "When's the last time you ate?"(Cited from merriam dictionary)

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/'s This is the link of merriam dictionary. Type " 's, " and then you can find it. And below is the screen shot of the definitions about " 's " on merriam dictionary.

Moreover, may the replyer/answerer recommend a less famous city of the state or county in your country? My hobby is using google map to see the landscape there.[Image]

Question

Merriam dictionary says " 's " can mean IS, WAS, HAS ,and DOES.

I have a question about " 's " that can mean WAS. Do native English speakers think that " 's " can mean WAS? Do native English speakers think the example sentence that the dictinary gives is correct? "When's the last time you ate?"(Cited from merriam dictionary)

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/'s This is the link of merriam dictionary. Type " 's, " and then you can find it. And below is the screen shot of the definitions about " 's " on merriam dictionary.

Moreover, may the replyer/answerer recommend a less famous city of the state or county in your country? My hobby is using google map to see the landscape there.[Image]

Answer

"When's the last time ...?" is a correct sentence. I think if most natives were asked, they'd say the full version was 'when is'. As it's a past tense question, it is 'it was' I suppose but it could also be 'it is' and it wouldn't affect the question at all. Apostrophe s as a contraction for 'it was' is very limited anyway. This kind of question is the only situation I can think of in which it is possible.

Answer

Yes, the dictionary is correct. You'll also hear things like:

"When's the last time it happened."

I think it can only mean WAS if there is some other use of past tense in the sentence (ATE, HAPPENED) that makes it clear the the  'S means WAS instead of IS.

For an obscure city/town . . .  How about Minneapolis, MN. Maybe it's not that obscure, but it's not the first place people from other countries think of visiting.

Answer

no, "was" is never shortened, that dictionary is misleading you

Answer

"When's the last time you ate?" is natural. It's exactly what I would expect a medical technician to say before a glucose test.

I live in Medford, Massachusetts, USA, population 62,000. However, you will see that it is a suburb of the big city of Boston, Massachusetts. From Medford, you could go down the Mystic River, into Boston Harbor, and out into the Atlantic Ocean. You can use Google Street View. As in most of the northern states in the United States, you will see that many people live in individual two-story houses, made of wood, with a basement under the first floor and an attic over the second floor.

Answer

Personally, I wouldn’t use it for was or does in those examples. I might not fully pronounce them, but the w and d would be there. I certainly wouldn’t write them like that.