A contraction is a shortened form of one or two words (one of which is usually a verb). In a contraction, an apostrophe takes the place of the missing letter or letters. Some contractions are: I’m (I am), can’t (cannot), how’s (how is), and Ma’am (Madam).
For example, “don’t” is a contraction that is short for “do not”; the apostrophe in “don’t” takes the place of the missing “o”. Another example is “o’clock,” a contraction “of the clock.” A less common example of a contraction is “jack-o’-lantern,” short for “jack-of-lantern”; in it, the apostrophe takes the place of the missing “f” in “of.”
List of Common Contractions
| BE | WILL | WOULD | HAVE | HAD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | I’m I am |
I’ll I will |
I’d I would |
I’ve I have |
I’d I had |
| you | you’re you are |
you’ll you will |
you’d you would |
you’ve you have |
you’d you had |
| he | he’s he is |
he’ll he will |
he’d he would |
he’s he has |
he’d he had |
| she | she’s she is |
she’ll she will |
she’d she would |
she’s she has |
she’d she had |
| it | it’s (or ‘tis) it is |
it’ll it will |
it’d it would |
it’s it has |
it’d it had |
| we | we’re we are |
we’ll we will |
we’d we would |
we’ve we have |
we’d we had |
| they | they’re they are |
they’ll they will |
they’d they would |
they’ve they have |
they’d they had |
| that | that’s that is |
that’ll that will |
that’d that would |
that’s that has |
that’d that had |
| who | who’s who is |
who’ll who will |
who’d who would |
who’s who has |
who’d who had |
| what | what’s/what’re what is/what are |
what’ll what will |
what’d what would |
what’s what has |
what’d what had |
| where | where’s where is |
where’ll where will |
where’d where would |
where’s where has |
where’d where had |
| when | when’s when is |
when’ll when will |
when’d when would |
when’s when has |
when’d when had |
| why | why’s why is |
why’ll why will |
why’d why would |
why’s why has |
why’d why had |
| how | how’s how is |
how’ll how will |
how’d how would |
how’s how has |
how’d how had |
Double Contractions
| WORDS | DOUBLE CONTRACTION |
|---|---|
| she would have | she’d’ve (colloquial) |
| it is not | ‘tisn’t (archaic) |
Words Negating a Verb
| WORDS (negating a verb) | CONTRACTION |
|---|---|
| is not | isn’t |
| are not | aren’t |
| was not | wasn’t |
| were not | weren’t |
| have not | haven’t |
| has not | hasn’t |
| had not | hadn’t |
| will not | won’t |
| would not | wouldn’t |
| do not | don’t |
| does not | doesn’t |
| did not | didn’t |
| cannot | can’t |
| could not | couldn’t |
| should not | shouldn’t |
| might not | mightn’t |
| must not | mustn’t |
Woulda-Shoulda-Coulda
| WORDS | CONTRACTION |
|---|---|
| would have | would’ve |
| should have | should’ve |
| could have | could’ve |
| might have | might’ve |
| must have | must’ve |
Odd Contractions
| WORDS | CONTRACTION |
|---|---|
| of | o’ |
| of the clock | o’clock |
| madam | ma’am |
| never-do-well | ne’er-do-well |
| cat-of-nine-tails | cat-o’-nine-tails |
| jack-of-the-lantern | jack-o’-lantern |
| will-of-the-wisp | will-o’-the-wisp |
| it was | ‘twas (archaic) |
Related Reference Pages, Activities and Worksheets
Think of and write eight contractions and write a sentence with each of them: A printout about contraction words for early readers.
Circle the correct contractions in this printable worksheet!
Circle the correct contractions in this printable worksheet!
Match each contraction to its equivalent word(s) in this printable worksheet.
Match each contraction to its equivalent word(s) in this printable worksheet.
Match each contraction to its equivalent word(s) in this printable worksheet.
Match each contraction to its equivalent word(s) in this printable worksheet.
A multiple choice comprehension printable quiz about Contractions for early readers. Words: I’ll, we’re, you’d, don’t, isn’t, it’s, you’re, she’d, they’re, won’t.
A multiple choice worksheet about Contractions for early readers. Words: you’re, we’ll, I’d, won’t, how’ll, haven’t, who’d, I’ve, why’s, when’d.
Its/It’s Definitions - Comprehension quiz: A printout about the commonly misused words, “its” and “it’s“.
Read the definitions of “there”, “their”, and “they’re” then answer some multiple choice questions for early readers.
A printable comprehension quiz about the words “who’s” and “whose”. Learn how to properly use these commonly misused words!
A printable comprehension quiz about the words “your” and “you’re”. Practice using these commonly misused words.