What is a Contraction Grammar – Definition, Examples and PDF

“A contraction is an abbreviated version of a word or words. We use contractions (I’m, we’re) in everyday speech and informal writing.”

contraction is a word made by shortening and combining two words. Words like can’t (can + not), don’t (do + not), and I’ve (I + have) are all contractions.

We make contractions with auxiliary verbs, and also with be and have when they are not auxiliary verbs. When we make a contraction, we commonly put an apostrophe in place of a missing letter.

How to Use Contraction Grammar Correctly?

Video Lesson

  1. Using Apostrophe to Replace Letters

In Type of that is the result of an Apostrophe look somewhat like this:

Word1 + Word2 = Word1’Word2

i.e. Have + Not = Haven’t

Apostrophe comes in place of missing letters. Like in the above case Apostrophe comes in place of ‘o’.

  1. Compressing or squeezing Word

Professor = Prof.

Above is the simple example of compressing words to make a contraction. In this method just shorten the word and add a Period (.) in place of those missing words.

contractions grammar

Contractions with the verb ‘To Be’.

To make a contraction with a subject pronoun and the verb Be, join the two words and replace the first letter of the conjugated verb BE with an apostrophe.

Words Contraction
I am I’m
You are You’re
He is He’s
She is She’s
It is It’s
We are We ‘re
They are They’re
That is That’s
These are These’re
There are There’re
Who is Who’s
What is What’s
Where is Where’s
When is When’s
Why is Why’s
How are How’re

What is contraction in grammar

Without Contraction: They are Playing Cricket.

With Contraction: They’re Playing Cricket

Contractions with ‘Would’.

Contraction with would is very simple, just replace the letters ‘woul-‘ with an apostrophe (‘).

Words Contraction
I would I’d
You would You’d
He would He’d
She would She’d
It would It’d
We would We‘d
They would They’d
That would That’d
These would These’d
There would There’d
Who would Who’d
What would What’d
Where would Where’d
When would When’d
Why would Why’d
How would How’d

What is contraction in grammar

Without Contraction: How would you Justify this?

With Contraction: How’d you justify this?

Contractions with ‘Had’.

Contraction with had is exactly the same as with would, just replace ‘Ha-‘ of Had with Apostrophe.

Words Contraction
I had I’d
You had You’d
He had He’d
She had She’d
It had It’d
We had We ‘d
They had They’d
That had That’d
These had These’d
There had There’d
Who had Who’d
What had What’d
Where had Where’d
When had When’d
Why had Why’d
How had How’d

What is contraction in grammar

With Contraction: They’d two adopted children already.

Contraction with ‘Not.’

In most cases of Contraction with ‘Not’, we Mostly Replace ‘O’ of Not with an Apostrophe.

Note:

The contraction of ‘will not’ & ‘Shall Not’ is a little different.

Will Not —————– Won’t

Shall Not ——————-Shan’t

Words Contraction
Is not Isn’t
Are not Aren’t
Was not Wasn’t
Were not Weren’t
Must not Mustn’t
Will not Won’t
Would not Wouldn’t
Does not Doesn’t
Do not Don’t
Did not Didn’t
Can not Can’t
Could not Couldn’t
Shall not Shan’t
Should not Shouldn’t

Contractions in Grammar

Without contraction: He will not come here.

With Contraction: He won’t come here.

Contraction with Has/Have.

Have is used with I, you, we, and they, while has is used with he, she, and it. (Pronouns)

Words Contraction
I have I’ve
We have We’ve
You have You’ve
He has He’s
She has She’s
It has It’s
They have They’ve

list of contractions in English

Without contraction: It has been a Lovely Evening.

With Contraction: It’s been a Lovely Evening.

Common Contraction Example Words:

In English, there are a fairly small number of contractions, and they’re all made out of common words. You cannot invent your own contraction. Here are some of the contractions you’ll see the most:

Words Contraction
I am I’m
We are We’re
You are You’re
He is He’s
She is She’s
He will He’ll
She will She’ll
It will It’ll
They will They’ll
I have I’ve
We have We’ve
You have You’ve
He has He’s
She has She’s
It has It’s
They have They’ve
I had I’d
We had We’d
You had You’d
He had He’d
She had She’d
It had It’d
They had They’d
I would I’d
We would We’d
You would You’d
It is It’s
They are They’re
I shall I’ll
We shall We’ll
You will You’ll
He would He’d
She would She’d
It would It’d
They Would They’d
Do Not Don’t
Does not Doesn’t
Did not Didn’t
Am not Ain’t
Is not Isn’t
Are not Aren’t
Was not Wasn’t
Were not Weren’t
Shall not Shan’t
Will not Won’t
Has not Hasn’t
Have not Haven’t
Had not Hadn’t
Would not Wouldn’t
Should not Shouldn’t
Cannot Can’t
Could not Couldn’t

Contractions in Grammar Contractions in Grammar contractions list contractions list list of contractions in English

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contraction grammar