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English Language Arts
Contractions

Contractions

Concept sheet | English Language Arts
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Forming contractions: “do not” becomes “don’t”.
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Examples of the use of the contraction “you’re”.
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Examples of the use of the contractions “aren’t” and “I’m”.
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Examples of the use of the contractions “weren’t” and “wasn’t”.
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Examples of the use of the contractions “haven’t” and “I’ve”.
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Examples of the use of the contractions “haven’t” and “I’d”.
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Examples of the use of the contractions “you’d” and “it’s”.
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Examples for the use of the contractions “doesn’t” and “can’t”.
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Examples for the use of the contractions “shouldn’t”, “don’t” and “I’d”.
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Examples for the use of the contractions “I’ll” and “couldn’t”.
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Examples of contractions with the word “not” always ending with “n’t”.
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Examples of contractions always using the form “‘s”.
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Examples of contractions always using the form “‘d”.
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Example for the difference between the contraction of “you” & “are” and the possessive adjective “your”.
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Example for the difference between the contraction of “it” & “is” and the possessive adjective “its”.
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Example for the difference between the contraction of “who” & “is” and the question word “whose”
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Example for the difference between the contraction of “they” & “are”, the adverb of placement “there” and the possessive adjective “their”.
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Example for the difference between the contraction of “there” & “is” and the possessive pronoun “theirs”.

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
he was not
she was not
it was not

I wasn’t
he wasn’t
she wasn’t
it wasn’t

he is
she is
it is

he’s
she’s
it’s

he is not
she is not
it is not

he’s not
she’s not
it’s not

he isn’t
she isn’t
it isn’t

we are
you are
they are

we’re
you’re
they’re

we are not
you are not
they are not

we’re not
you’re not
they’re not

we aren’t
you aren’t
they aren’t

we were not
you were not
they were not

we weren’t
you weren’t
they weren’t

*In the simple past, the affirmative form of the verb to be is never contracted.

Grade
1-4
Table of contents

What Are Contractions?

Definition

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

Be careful!

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
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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
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Contractions Used Mostly in Speaking

Forming Contractions

To form contractions:

  1. join words together

  2. remove letter(s)

  3. add apostrophe

Forming contractions: “do not” becomes “don’t”.
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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
he was not
she was not
it was not

I wasn’t
he wasn’t
she wasn’t
it wasn’t

he is
she is
it is

he’s
she’s
it’s

he is not
she is not
it is not

he’s not
she’s not
it’s not

he isn’t
she isn’t
it isn’t

we are
you are
they are

we’re
you’re
they’re

we are not
you are not
they are not

we’re not
you’re not
they’re not

we aren’t
you aren’t
they aren’t

we were not
you were not
they were not

we weren’t
you weren’t
they weren’t
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*In the simple past, the affirmative form of the verb to be is never contracted.

Examples
Examples of the use of the contraction “you’re”.
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Examples of the use of the contractions “aren’t” and “I’m”.
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Examples of the use of the contractions “weren’t” and “wasn’t”.
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Contractions with to Have

To have—Simple Present

Affirmative

Negative

Full form

Contraction

Full form

Contraction

he has
she has
it has

he's
she's
it's

he has not
she has not
it has not

he hasn't
she hasn't
it hasn't

I have 
we have
you have
they have

I've
we've
you've
they've

I have not
we have not
you have not
they have not

I haven't
we haven't
you haven't
they haven't

To have — Simple Past

Affirmative

Negative

Full form

Contraction

Full form

Contraction

had

I’d
he’d
they’d
Ann’d

had not

I hadn't
she hadn't
we hadn't
Ann hadn't

 

Examples
Examples of the use of the contractions “haven’t” and “I’ve”.
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Examples of the use of the contractions “haven’t” and “I’d”.
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Examples of the use of the contractions “you’d” and “it’s”.
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Contractions with Auxiliary Verbs

Will & Would—Affirmative forms

Full form

Contraction

will

I’ll
you’ll
she’ll
Keith’ll

would

I’d
he’d
who’d
Ann’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

  

Examples
Examples for the use of the contractions “doesn’t” and “can’t”.
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Examples for the use of the contractions “shouldn’t”, “don’t” and “I’d”.
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Examples for the use of the contractions “I’ll” and “couldn’t”.
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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
Examples
Examples of contractions with the word “not” always ending with “n’t”.
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Examples of contractions always using the form “‘s”.
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Examples of contractions always using the form “‘d”.
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Be careful!

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

Possessive adjective

2nd peron singular/plural

you're

you + are
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Its vs. It's

its

Possessive adjective

3rd person singular

it's

it + is

it + has
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Whose vs. Who's

whose

question word asking about ownership

who's

who + is

who + has
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Example for the difference between the contraction of “you” & “are” and the possessive adjective “your”.
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your coffee → the coffee is yours

you’re coffee → you are coffee

Example for the difference between the contraction of “it” & “is” and the possessive adjective “its”.
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its eyes → the dog’s eyes

it’s an eye → it is an eye

Example for the difference between the contraction of “who” & “is” and the question word “whose”
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Whose painting is this? → Who owns the painting.

Who’s painting this? → Who is using paint.

Their vs. There vs. They're

their

Possessive adjective

3rd person plural

there

Adverb of place

they're

they + are
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Their vs. There's

theirs

Possessive pronoun

3rd person plural

there's

there + is

there + has
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Example for the difference between the contraction of “they” & “are”, the adverb of placement “there” and the possessive adjective “their”.
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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.

Example for the difference between the contraction of “there” & “is” and the possessive pronoun “theirs”.
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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

Contractions - Self Evaluation Exercise

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See Also

The Real-Life Keith