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Table of Contents
Contraction is a process of shortening a word or a phrase by omitting some letters and using an apostrophe to combine the remaining letters. Contractions can happen between the following: subject pronoun and verb; interrogative adverbs; verb and not; and other words under informal contractions.
See the fact file below for more information on Montreal, or you can download our 27-page Montreal worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
KEY FACTS & INFORMATION
CONTRACTION AND ITS PROCESS
- Contraction is a process of combining words by using an apostrophe after dropping the letters that are not needed.
- There are two processes involved in contractions: letter omission and apostrophe placement.
- The first is omitting the letter from the words that will be contracted. For instance, you are combining the words ‘you’ and ‘are’. In this case, nothing will be omitted from the pronoun ‘you’ whereas letter ‘a’ needs to be dropped from the linking verb ‘are’. Now, you have you+re.
- After the first step, you will now move on to the next step which is placing the apostrophe in its write position which is tricky. However, you just need to remember that the apostrophe will be put where the letter or letters you omitted used to be placed.
- In the case of ‘you’ and ‘are’, letter ‘a’ is dropped, so the apostrophe will take its place.
- Therefore the phrase ‘you are’ will be you’re.
- Since the process of contraction is mainly about shortening the words by combining them, there should be no space between the letters and the apostrophe.
- Take, for example, the phrase ‘were not’ which consists of the words ‘were’ and ‘not’. In this case, letter ‘o’ is omitted from the word ‘not.
- The place where ‘o’ is dropped will now be replaced by the apostrophe.
- The phrase ‘were not’ will now be ‘weren’t’.
CONTRACTIONS AND OMITTED LETTERS
- Letters in the process of contraction are not just deducted from the word. In English words, the letters omitted are based on the standard system of contraction.
Examples:
- I am = I’m
- do not=don’t
- they would=they’d
- she will=she’ll
- I had=I’d
- she has=she’s
- they have=they’ve
- let us=let’s
TYPES OF CONTRACTION
- Contraction has also different types. These types of contraction basically determine the words that will be put together and shortened.
- The first type of contraction is the subject pronoun + verb. This is the most common type of contraction. It is the combination of the subject pronoun and the verb.
- Examples
- I am = I’m
- You are = You’re
- She is = She’s
- He has = He’s
- They have = They’ve
- This type also includes the determiners ‘here’ and ‘there’.
- Examples:
-
- Here is = Here’s
- There is = There’s
- The second type of contraction is the interrogative adverbs. This type combines interrogative adverbs and verbs for contractions.
- Examples:
- What is = What’s
- Where is = Where’s
- Who is = Who’s
- When is = When’s
- The next type of contraction is the negative contraction. This type of contraction is formed by combining a verb and the negative word ‘not’.
- Examples:
- has not = hasn’t
- are not = aren’t
- should not = shouldn’t
- have not = haven’t
-
The case of will not is different because when these words are contracted, the word ‘won’t’ will be formed, which does not adhere to the typical process of contraction. According to language theories, this is because of the older form of the word ‘will’. Even if the word has evolved, the contraction stayed the same.
-
The last type of contraction is known as the informal contractions. However, from the term ‘informal’, these words may be accepted in a certain form of communication and may not be accepted in other forms of communication.
-
Informal contractions are mostly noticed in colloquial expressions.
-
Examples:
- going to = gonna
- you all = y’all
- got to = gotta
CONTRACTIONS IN TAG QUESTIONS
- Tag questions also use contractions.
- The basic purpose of tag questions is to clarify or ensure that a statement is understood or done.
- In this case, tag questions that use the negative word ‘not’ involves contractions.
- Example: The lecture is long, isn’t it?
-
The tag question at the end ‘isn’t’ is composed of words ‘is’ and ‘Not’. If the statement ends in a negative question, the tag question uses contraction.
CONTRACTION AND ITS LIMITS
- Contractions are helpful in communication, especially in casual conversation. However, it also has its limits.
- First, negative contractions may be confusing because once these contractions are put together to form expressions, they will not follow the established rules anymore as far as the arrangement of the words is concerned. For instance, in the question ‘Didn’t we?’, it is assumed that if you break it down into full words, it will be written this way: ‘Did not we?’. But syntactically speaking, this is not accepted. The accepted version should be ‘Did we not?’.
- Second, contractions make the statement ambiguous. Going back to the list of words and the letters that are omitted, you will notice that some cases are the same. Hence, when they are put together in writing, their tenses (which is crucial to the meaning of the statement) may not be clear.
- Take note of this sentence: ‘He’s there.’ ‘He’s’ is the contracted form of ‘He’ and ‘is’ or ‘was’. Clearly, the meaning of the sentence is vague. It cannot be determined whether the action was done in the past or is still happening at present. In situations like this, contractions should be avoided.
- Contractions are perfectly okay to use. It is standard English, and even if they seem like they are not right to use especially in writing, they are acceptable.
- Contractions can be used in speaking, and they help a lot in conveying a message more conveniently and easily.
- In writing, contractions can also be used such as in newspaper, fiction, and even instructions.
- However, in formal writing, contractions are not acceptable because contracts lessen the impact of your work. In order to put the meaning across more properly and efficiently, contractions should be avoided and words should be written as they are.
- In some cases, contractions can still be included especially if you are citing a direct statement or quoting someone’s words and/or writing the word o’clock which means ‘of the clock’.
Contractions Worksheets
This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Contractions across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Contractions, which are words that have been shortened by omitting some letters and using an apostrophe.
Complete List of Included Worksheets
Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.
- Contractions Facts
- Contract the Words
- Contract the Tag Questions
- Contraction Type
- Contractions in a Sentence
- Expanding Contractions
- Forming Contractions
- Finding Contractions
- Knowing Contractions Well
- Contractions Strategies
- Contractions on Blending
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Link will appear as Contractions Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 26, 2016
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.