Subjects
Grades
Contractions
Concept sheet | English Language Arts
Grade
1-4
What Are Contractions?
Contractions are shortened word forms.
They are used more often when speaking than writing.
|
Full Form |
Contraction |
|
do not |
don’t |
|
you will |
you’ll |
When to Use Contractions
Contractions in Writing
|
Use contractions for informal texts like: |
Do not use contractions for formal texts like: |
|
✔ emails & text messages |
X school assignments |
|
✔ cards |
X research papers |
|
✔ notes |
X scientific articles |
|
✔ character dialogues |
X cover letters |
|
✔ magazine or web articles |
X textbooks |
Contractions in Speaking
|
Use contractions for casual situations like: |
Use some contractions for formal occasions like: |
Do not use contractions for official occasions like: |
|
✔ chats with friends/family |
± speeches |
X events with protocols |
|
✔ dinner parties |
± job interviews |
X academic lectures |
|
✔ game nights |
± hosting a show |
X hosting the Nobel Prize |
|
✔ talking to coworkers |
± 1st time meeting someone |
X official ceremonies |
Forming Contractions
To form contractions:
-
join words together
-
remove letter(s)
-
add apostrophe
Common Contractions
Contractions with to Be
|
To be — Simple Present Affirmative form |
To be + not — Simple Present Negative form |
To be + not — Simple Past* |
||||
|
I am |
I’m |
I am not |
I’m not |
I was not |
I wasn’t |
|
|
he is |
he’s |
he is not |
he’s not |
he isn’t |
||
|
we are |
we’re |
we are not |
we’re not |
we aren’t |
we were not |
we weren’t |
*In the simple past, the affirmative form of the verb to be is never contracted.
Contractions with to Have
To have—Simple Present
|
Affirmative |
Negative |
||
|
Full form |
Contraction |
Full form |
Contraction |
|
he has |
he's |
he has not |
he hasn't |
|
I have |
I've |
I have not |
I haven't |
To have — Simple Past
|
Affirmative |
Negative |
||
|
Full form |
Contraction |
Full form |
Contraction |
|
had |
I’d |
had not |
I hadn't |
Contractions with Auxiliary Verbs
Will & Would—Affirmative forms
|
Full form |
Contraction |
|
will |
I’ll |
|
would |
I’d |
Auxiliaries + not—Negative forms
|
Full form |
Contraction |
|
do not |
don’t |
|
does not |
doesn’t |
|
did not |
didn’t |
|
will not |
won’t |
|
cannot |
can’t |
|
could not |
couldn’t |
|
would not |
wouldn’t |
|
should not |
shouldn’t |
|
must not |
mustn’t |
Contractions with the Same Forms
Not always contracts to n’t
|
Full form |
Contraction |
|
do not |
don’t |
|
are not |
aren’t |
|
could not |
couldn’t |
|
would not |
wouldn’t |
Is, has & us all contract to ’s
|
Full form |
Contraction |
|
Keith is |
Keith's |
|
she is |
she's |
|
Ann has |
Ann's |
|
let us |
let's |
Had, would & did all contract to ’d
|
Full form |
Contraction |
|
she had |
she'd |
|
he had |
he'd |
|
I would |
I'd |
|
How did… |
How'd |
Contraction & Homophones
Some contractions are commonly misspelled because they have homophones. They sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings.
It is the case for:
Your vs. You're
|
your |
|
|
2nd peron singular/plural |
|
|
you're |
you + are |
Its vs. It's
|
its |
|
|
3rd person singular |
|
|
it's |
it + is |
|
it + has |
Whose vs. Who's
|
whose |
question word asking about ownership |
|
who's |
who + is |
|
who + has |
your coffee → the coffee is yours
you’re coffee → you are coffee
its eyes → the dog’s eyes
it’s an eye → it is an eye
Whose painting is this? → Who owns the painting.
Who’s painting this? → Who is using paint.
Their vs. There vs. They're
|
their |
|
|
3rd person plural |
|
|
there |
|
|
they're |
they + are |
Their vs. There's
|
theirs |
|
|
3rd person plural |
|
|
there's |
there + is |
|
there + has |
their cake → it’s Ann and Keith’s cake.
a cake there → the cake is at that place.
they’re cake → They are made of cake.
the paint is theirs → the paint belongs to Ann and Keith.
there’s paint on my t-shirt → the paint is on Keith’s T-shirt