Have you heard of contractions? Contractions are shortened words that use an apostrophe to combine two words into one. You have probably seen them in many English sentences. In today's lesson you will learn the most common contractions:

 

✅  Common contractions:

 

- I’m  = I am

- I’d = I had or I would

- I’ll = I will

- Who’s = Who is

- Should’ve = should have

- Must’ve = must have

- Might’ve = might have

- Could’ve = could have

- Let’s = Let us

 

✅  Negative contractions:

These contractions include the word “not.

- Isn’t = is not

- Aren’t = are not

- Wasn’t = was not

- Weren’t = were not

- Won’t = will not

- Don’t = do not

- Doesn’t = does not

- Didn’t = did not

- Hasn’t = has not

- Hadn’t = had not

- Haven’t  = have not

- Wouldn’t = would not

 

Other Contractions:

• Ain’t = am not, is not, has not, have not

• ma’am = madam

• she’d’ve = she would have 

• ‘its = it is

• o’clock = of the clock

• y’all = you all

 

✅  In American English, has is not usually contracted with a subject when it is the main verb in a sentence.

 

- He has a new outfit. (Uncontracted - common) 

- He's a new outfit. (Contracted - not common)

 

Instead, the present perfect (have/has + past participle) with the verb “get” is used.

Ex: He's got a new outfit.

 

The verb “have” cannot be contracted with its subject when it is the main verb in the present tense.

• He has a dog = correct

• He’s a dog = incorrect

We can contract “have” when it is the auxiliary verb in a sentence.

• We’ve left = We have left

• It’s snowed = It has snowed

 

Contractions can be anywhere in a sentence; however, homophone contractions (it's and they're) sound so similar to other words (its and their) that it is best if they are always followed by other words to provide context.

Commonly confused contractions are its and it’s. To tell when to use which, try replacing the word with “it is” or “it has”, if these work then we know it is the contracted it’s, if they don’t we should use its. They’re, their and there are also commonly confused. To tell which to use, try to replace the word with “they are”, “his/her” or “here”. If “they are” works then we use they’re, if his/her works then we use their and if here works, then we use there.

 

Let’s practice! Write in the comments section sentences with contractions.

We hope this lesson has been helpful for you.

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