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. Here are some example sentences:

 I haven't seen him. (I have not seen him.)

 Who's calling? (Who is calling?)
 They're coming. (They are coming.)

We do this especially when we speak. We do not contract words so much in writing

These pages show the most common contracted forms.

 Positive Contractions
 Negative Contractions
 Other Contractions
 Informal Contractions

Contractions are very common in spoken English.

They are not so common in written English. We may
use contractions in a friendly letter, for example, but
they are not usually correct in more formal texts such
as business letters or essays. If you have to write an
essay in an exam, do not use contractions. The only
exception to this would be when you quote somebody
within your essay, for example spoken dialogue.
Positive Contractions
Notes

Be careful. Some contractions can have two or three meanings. For example, he'd can be he had
or he would. It depends on the rest of the sentence. Look at these examples:

 He'd like to go. (He would like to go.)

 He'd finished when I arrived. (He had finished when I arrived.)

The contraction 's (= is or has) is not used only with pronouns. It can also be used with nouns,
names, question words and words like "here" and "there", for example: The train's late. John's
arrived. Where's the phone? Here's your change. There's a policeman.

Negative Contractions >

Short form Long form

I'm I am

I've I have

I'll I will/I shall

I'd I would/I should/I had

you're you are

you've you have

you'll you will

you'd you had/you would

he's he has/he is

he'll he will

he'd he had/he would

she's she has/she is

she'll she will

she'd she had/she would

it's it has/it is
it'll it will

we're we are

we've we have

we'll we will

we'd we had/we would

they're they are

they've they have

they'll they will

they'd they had/they would

Negative Contractions
Notes

With the verb "to be", two negative forms are possible - we aren't or we're not etc.

In questions, am not is contracted to aren't, for example: I'm late, aren't I?

Other Contractions >

Short form Long form

aren't are not

can't cannot, can not

couldn't could not

daren't dare not

didn't did not

doesn't does not

don't do not
hasn't has not

haven't have not

hadn't had not

isn't is not

mayn't may not

mightn't might not

mustn't must not

needn't need not

oughtn't ought 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

Other Contractions
Here are some more examples showing some very common contractions.

It is possible, and common, to contract three words,

for example: I'd've thought so = I would have thought
so.

Informal Contractions >

Short form Long form Example

here's here is Here's your meal.

there'll there will There'll be nobody here tomorrow.

there's there is There's a taxi!

that's that is That's my car!

that'll that will That'll be $10, please.

how's how is? How's your wife?

what'll what will? What'll people think?

what's what is? What's the matter?

when's when is? When's the wedding?

where's where is? Where's the cinema?

who's who is? Who's your teacher?

who'd who would? Who'd like ice-cream?

who'll who will? Who'll be there?

Informal Contractions
Informal contractions are short forms of other words that people use when speaking casually.
They are not exactly slang, but they are a little like slang.

For example, "gonna" is a short form of "going to". If you say "going to" very fast, without
carefully pronouncing each word, it can sound like "gonna".

Please remember that these are informal contractions. That means that we do not use them in
"correct" speech, and we almost never use them in writing. (If you see them in writing, for
example in a comic strip, that is because the written words represent the spoken words or
dialogue.) We normally use them only when speaking fast and casually, for example with
friends. Some people never use them, even in informal speech.

It is probably true to say that informal contractions are more common in American English.

Also note that, unlike normal contractions, we do not usually use apostrophes (') with informal
contractions when written.
On the right are some common informal contractions, with example sentences. Note that the
example sentences may be a little artificial because when we use a contraction we may also use
other contractions in the same sentence, or even drop some words completely. For example:

 What are you going to do? >>

 Whatcha going to do? >>
 Whatcha gonna do?

or

 Do you want a beer?

 Do you wanna beer?
 D'you wanna beer?
 D'ya wanna beer?
 Ya wanna beer?
 Wanna beer?

These informal contractions are not "correct" English.

Do not use them in a written exam, for example,
except in appropriate situations.
 ain't = am not/are not/is not
I ain't sure.
You ain't my boss.
 ain't = has not/have not
I ain't done it.
She ain't finished yet.
 gimme = give me
Gimme your money.
Don't gimme that rubbish.
Can you gimme a hand?
 gonna = going to
Nothing's gonna change my love for you.
I'm not gonna tell you.
What are you gonna do?
 gotta = (have) got a
I've gotta gun.
I gotta gun.
She hasn't gotta penny.
Have you gotta car?
 gotta = (have) got to
I've gotta go now.
I gotta go now.
We haven't gotta do that.
Have they gotta work?
 kinda = kind of
She's kinda cute.
 lemme = let me
Lemme go!
 wanna = want to
I wanna go home.
 wanna = want a
I wanna coffee.
 whatcha = what are you
Whatcha going to do?
 whatcha = what have you
Whatcha got there?
 ya = you
Who saw ya?