Content code
e2070
Slug (identifier)
contractions
Grades
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Topic
English Language Arts
Content
Contenu
Links
Type
Anchor
Title
What Are Contractions?
Anchor
what-are-contractions
Type
Anchor
Title
When to Use Contractions
Anchor
when-to-use-contractions
Type
Anchor
Title
Forming Contractions
Anchor
forming-contractions
Type
Anchor
Title
Common Contractions
Anchor
common-contractions
Title (level 2)
What Are Contractions?
Title slug (identifier)
what-are-contractions
Contenu
Content
Corps

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
Title (level 2)
When to Use Contractions
Title slug (identifier)
when-to-use-contractions
Contenu
Content
Title (level 3)
Contractions in Writing
Title slug (identifier)
contractions-in-writing
Corps

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
Title (level 3)
Contractions in Speaking
Title slug (identifier)
contractions-in-speaking
Corps

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
Contenu
Title
Contractions Used Mostly in Speaking
Content
Content
Corps

Many contractions are almost always used in speaking. 

Contractions like: gonna, wanna or ain’t.

These contractions are informal. They are only used in situations when the speakers are very familiar. Like when talking to friends and family, or classmates and co-workers. 

Corps

Use informal contractions for casual situations like:

Do not use informal contractions for formal occasions like:

Do not use contractions for official occasions like:

✔ chats with friends/family

X speeches

X events with protocols

✔ dinner parties

X job interviews

X academic lectures

✔ game nights

X hosting a show

X hosting the Nobel Prize

✔ talking to coworkers

X 1st time meeting someone

X official ceremonies

As you have probably noticed, informal contractions do exist in written form. They are acceptable only in a few very informal situations.

Columns number
2 columns
Format
50% / 50%
First column
Corps

Use informal contractions for informal texts like:

✔ character dialogues

✔ song lyrics

✔ emails/text messages to friends or family

✔ cards for close friends or family

✔ notes for yourself or friends
Second column
Corps

Do not use informal contractions for formal texts like:

X school assignments

X research papers

X emails/text messages to anyone else

X cards for anyone else

X notes for anyone else

X scientific articles

X cover letters 

X textbooks

X magazine or web articles
Title (level 3)
Common Informal Contractions
Corps

Informal contraction

Full form

Example

gonna

going to

I’m gonna be done tomorrow.

gotta

have got to

You gotta work faster.

have got a

I gotta lot to do, you’re right.

wanna

want to

What do you wanna work on first?

gimme

give me

Gimme a minute to think.

shoulda

should

You shoulda told me you needed help.

coulda

could have

I don’t think I coulda done it without you.

woulda

would have

It woulda taken you longer, for sure.

betcha

bet you

I betcha we’ll finish all the work before tomorrow.

ain’t

am not

That ain’t gonna happen.

is not

are not

c’mon

come on

C’mon, you have to believe me.

y’know

you know

You’re always doing things last minute, y’know.

‘cause/’coz

because

But, I will help you ‘cause you’re my friend.

‘round

around

If we work ‘round the clock, we’ll be okay.

‘bout

about

That sounds ‘bout right.

‘n

and

Then we could go for some fish ‘n chips.

ol’

old

We could stop by the ol’ seafood place.

kinda

kind of

Good idea: I’m getting kinda hungry.

sorta

sort of

It is getting sorta late.

lotta

a lot of

We still have a lotta work to do though.

-in’

verbs ending in -ing

I guess we’ll be workin’ and not eatin’ then.
Title (level 2)
Forming Contractions
Title slug (identifier)
forming-contractions
Contenu
Corps

To form contractions:

  1. join words together

  2. remove letter(s)

  3. add apostrophe

Image
Forming contractions: “do not” becomes “don’t”.
Title
Contractions exercise
Title slug (identifier)
contractions-exercise
Exercice
Contractions Exercise
Largeur de l'exercice
720
Hauteur de l'exercice
720
Title (level 2)
Common Contractions
Title slug (identifier)
common-contractions
Contenu
Title (level 3)
Contractions with to Be
Title slug (identifier)
contractions-with-to-be
Corps

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.

Content
Columns number
3 columns
Format
33% / 33% / 33%
First column
Image
Examples of the use of the contraction “you’re”.
Second column
Image
Examples of the use of the contractions “aren’t” and “I’m”.
Third column
Image
Examples of the use of the contractions “weren’t” and “wasn’t”.
Title (level 3)
Contractions with to Have
Title slug (identifier)
contractions-with-to-have
Columns number
2 columns
Format
50% / 50%
First column
Corps

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
Second column
Corps

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

 

Content
Columns number
3 columns
Format
33% / 33% / 33%
First column
Image
Examples of the use of the contractions “haven’t” and “I’ve”.
Second column
Image
Examples of the use of the contractions “haven’t” and “I’d”.
Third column
Image
Examples of the use of the contractions “you’d” and “it’s”.
Title (level 3)
Contractions with Auxiliary Verbs
Title slug (identifier)
contractions-with-auxiliary-verbs
Columns number
2 columns
Format
50% / 50%
First column
Corps

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

    

Second column
Corps

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

  

Content
Columns number
3 columns
Format
33% / 33% / 33%
First column
Image
Examples for the use of the contractions “doesn’t” and “can’t”.
Second column
Image
Examples for the use of the contractions “shouldn’t”, “don’t” and “I’d”.
Third column
Image
Examples for the use of the contractions “I’ll” and “couldn’t”.
Title (level 3)
Contractions with the Same Forms
Title slug (identifier)
contractions-with-the-same-forms
Columns number
3 columns
Format
33% / 33% / 33%
First column
Corps

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
Second column
Corps

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
Third column
Corps

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
Content
Columns number
3 columns
Format
33% / 33% / 33%
First column
Image
Examples of contractions with the word “not” always ending with “n’t”.
Second column
Image
Examples of contractions always using the form “‘s”.
Third column
Image
Examples of contractions always using the form “‘d”.
Content
Title (level 3)
Contraction & Homophones
Title slug (identifier)
contraction-homophones
Corps

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:

Columns number
3 columns
Format
33% / 33% / 33%
First column
Title (level 3)
Your vs. You're
Corps

your

Possessive adjective

2nd peron singular/plural

you're

you + are
Second column
Title (level 3)
Its vs. It's
Corps

its

Possessive adjective

3rd person singular

it's

it + is

it + has
Third column
Title (level 3)
Whose vs. Who's
Corps

whose

question word asking about ownership

who's

who + is

who + has
Columns number
3 columns
Format
33% / 33% / 33%
First column
Image
Example for the difference between the contraction of “you” & “are” and the possessive adjective “your”.
Description

your coffee → the coffee is yours

you’re coffee → you are coffee

Second column
Image
Example for the difference between the contraction of “it” & “is” and the possessive adjective “its”.
Description

its eyes → the dog’s eyes

it’s an eye → it is an eye

Third column
Image
Example for the difference between the contraction of “who” & “is” and the question word “whose”
Description

Whose painting is this? → Who owns the painting.

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

Columns number
2 columns
Format
50% / 50%
First column
Title (level 3)
Their vs. There vs. They're
Corps

their

Possessive adjective

3rd person plural

there

Adverb of place

they're

they + are
Second column
Title (level 3)
Their vs. There's
Corps

theirs

Possessive pronoun

3rd person plural

there's

there + is

there + has
Columns number
2 columns
Format
50% / 50%
First column
Image
Example for the difference between the contraction of “they” & “are”, the adverb of placement “there” and the possessive adjective “their”.
Description

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.

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

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

Contenu
Title (level 3)
Contractions - Self Evaluation Exercise
Title slug (identifier)
contractions-self-evaluation-exercise
Exercice
Contractions - Self Evaluation
Largeur de l'exercice
720
Hauteur de l'exercice
720
Title (level 2)
See Also
Title slug (identifier)
see-also
Contenu
Links
Type
Internal
Title
Verb Tenses
Internal link
/en/students/vl/english/verb-tenses-e2310
Type
External
Title
Simple Present
External link
https://www.alloprof.qc.ca/en/students/vl/english/simple-present-e2315
Type
Internal
Title
Simple Past
Internal link
/en/students/vl/english/simple-past-1-e2320
Type
Internal
Title
Simple Future
Internal link
/en/students/vl/english/simple-future-e2325
Type
Internal
Title
Modals
Internal link
/en/students/vl/english/modals-e2065
Contenu
Contenu
Title
The Real-Life Keith
Content
Corps

The character used in the examples, Keith, was inspired by the artist Keith Haring. To learn more about his amazing art, visit the Keith Haring Foundation website.

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