What is a contraction?
A contraction squeezes two words into one. An apostrophe ’ goes where the letters are missing.
| Two words | Contraction | Two words | Contraction |
|---|---|---|---|
| I am | I’m | do not | don’t |
| you are | you’re | does not | doesn’t |
| he is | he’s | did not | didn’t |
| it is / it has | it’s | cannot | can’t |
| we are | we’re | will not | won’t (special!) |
| they are | they’re | should not | shouldn’t |
| I have | I’ve | I would | I’d |
| I will | I’ll | should have | should’ve |
Sound-alikes to watch
| Contraction | Sounds like | Don’t mix them up |
|---|---|---|
| it’s (it is) | its | The dog wagged its tail. (belonging) |
| you’re (you are) | your | Your coat is here. (belonging) |
| they’re (they are) | their, there | Their house is over there. |
| we’re (we are) | were, where | We were late. |
Watch out! should of, could of and would of are always wrong. It’s should have (or should’ve), because that’s what it sounds like when you say it quickly.
Top tip: say the two long words in the sentence. If they make sense, use the contraction with an apostrophe.
👆 Apostrophe in the right place?
Tap every contraction with the apostrophe in the right place.
🎮 Squeeze itQuestion 1 of 5