Contractions

We often "contract" or shorten words in English. For example, we may say "he's"
instead of "he is". Note that we usually insert an apostrophe (') in place of the missing
letter or letters in writing. ere are some example sentences!
" ha#en't seen him. (" ha#e not seen him.)
Who's calling$ (Who is calling$)
%hey're coming. (%hey are coming.)
We do this especially when we spea&. We do not contract words so much in writing
Positive Contractions
Notes
'e careful. (ome contractions can ha#e two or three meanings. For example, he'd can
)e he had or he would. "t depends on the rest of the sentence. *oo& at these examples!
e'd li&e to go. (e would li&e to go.)
e'd finished when " arri#ed. (e had finished when " arri#ed.)
%he contraction 's (+ is or has) is not used only with pronouns. "t can also )e used with
nouns, names, ,uestion words and words li&e "here" and "there", for example! %he
train's late. -ohn's arri#ed. Where's the phone$ ere's your change. %here's a policeman.
Negati#e .ontractions /
Short form Long form
"'m " am
"'#e " ha#e
"'ll " will0" shall
"'d " would0" should0" had
you're you are
you'#e you ha#e
you'll you will
you'd you had0you would
he's he has0he is
he'll he will
he'd he had0he would
she's she has0she is
she'll she will
she'd she had0she would
it's it has0it is
it'll it will
we're we are
we'#e we ha#e
we'll we will
we'd we had0we would
they're they are
they'#e they ha#e
they'll they will
they'd they had0they would
Negative Contractions
Notes
With the #er) "to )e", two negati#e forms are possi)le 1 we aren't or we're not etc.
"n ,uestions, am not is contracted to aren't, for example! "'m late, aren't "$
2ther .ontractions /
Short form Long form
aren't are not
can't cannot, can not
couldn't could not
didn't did not
doesn't does not
don't do not
hasn't has not
ha#en't ha#e not
hadn't had not
isn't is not
mustn't must not
needn't need not
shan't shall not
shouldn't should not
wasn't was not
weren't were not
won't will not
wouldn't would not