What are Contractions in Grammar? Definition and Examples

A contraction is a shortened form of one or two words created by omitting certain letters and inserting an apostrophe in their place. Contractions help create more natural, fluid, and casual speech and writing. They are particularly common in spoken English, informal writing (such as emails, texts, and social media), and dialogue in literature.

While contractions are widely accepted in informal contexts, they are generally avoided in very formal writing (such as academic papers or official reports) unless they appear in direct quotations.

Table of contents

What Are Contractions?

A contraction is formed by combining two words into one shorter word, with one or more letters omitted and replaced by an apostrophe (’).

Examples:

• “I am” → “I’m”
• “You are” → “You’re”
• “They have” → “They’ve”
• “Could not” → “Couldn’t”

The apostrophe stands for the missing letter(s).

Here are 10 examples of contraction in sentences:

Common Features of Contractions

1. Apostrophe Placement:
   The apostrophe takes the place of the omitted letter(s). Typically, it appears where the letters have been removed.
   • “do not” → “don’t” (o is removed)
   • “will not” → “won’t” (o is removed, spelling changes)
   • “she is” → “she’s” (i is removed)
2. Verb + Not Contractions:
   One of the most common patterns is combining “not” with auxiliary verbs.
   • is not → isn’t
   • are not → aren’t
   • do not → don’t
   • does not → doesn’t
   • cannot → can’t (special case: “cannot” becomes “can’t”)
   • will not → won’t (irregular because the “o” is removed and spelling changes from “will” to “wo”)
3. Pronoun + Auxiliary Verb Contractions: Pronouns frequently contract with auxiliary verbs like “is,” “are,” “will,” “would,” “have,” “has,” “had,” and “am.”
   • I am → I’m
   • You are → You’re
   • He is → He’s
   • They will → They’ll
   • I have → I’ve
   • She has → She’s
   • We had → We’d
   • I would → I’d
4. Informal or Colloquial Contractions: These are often used in casual speech but are less common in formal writing. They typically omit letters in an even more relaxed manner.
   • Going to → Gonna
   • Want to → Wanna
   • Got to → Gotta
   • Let me → Lemme
   • Give me → Gimme
   • I would have → I’d’ve (double contraction)
5. It’s vs. Its: Be careful: “it’s” is a contraction meaning “it is” or “it has,” while “its” (no apostrophe) is a possessive pronoun indicating something belongs to “it.”
   • “It’s raining.” (It is raining.)
   • “The dog wagged its tail.” (The tail belongs to the dog.)

List of Common Contractions

Below are some of the most frequently used contractions, along with their full forms:

Note: “I’d’ve,” “shan’t” are less common in modern informal speech. “I’d’ve” (I would have) might appear in very informal text or dialogue.

Special Notes and Irregularities

1. “Will not” → “Won’t”:
   “Won’t” is an irregular contraction because it is formed from “will not” but changes the letters. It does not become “willn’t” but “won’t.”
2. “Shall not” → “Shan’t”:
   This contraction is more common in British English and less frequently used in American English.
3. Contractions with “Am” Only With “I”: “I am” → “I’m.” You generally do not contract “am” with other subjects:
   • Incorrect: “You’m,” “He’m”
   • Correct: “You are → You’re,” “He is → He’s”
4. Multiple Contractions: Stacking contractions (like “I’d’ve” for “I would have”) is possible in very informal speech, but it’s not always recommended in formal writing.

Using Contractions Correctly

• Informal Contexts: Contractions are typical in speech, informal writing, personal emails, text messages, and fictional dialogue.
• Formal Writing: Contractions are often discouraged in formal academic or professional writing. Check guidelines or style requirements to decide whether to use them.
• Clarity Over Style: If a contraction makes a sentence unclear, rewrite it in full form.
  Example: “He’d eat if he were hungry.”
  If it’s unclear whether “He’d” means “he had” or “he would,” consider rewriting for clarity: “He would eat if he were hungry.”

Examples in Sentences

1. “I’m going to the store.” (I am)
2. “She’s been there before.” (She has)
3. “They’re not ready yet.” (They are)
4. “We’d like to help.” (We would)
5. “I shouldn’t have eaten so much.” (Should not have)
6. “You can’t blame him for trying.” (Cannot)
7. “He won’t join us today.” (Will not)

Practice Exercises

A. Expand the Contractions:

1. “They’re coming tomorrow.”
2. “He isn’t going to join us.”
3. “I’ve never seen that before.”
4. “We’ll call you later.”
5. “She’d like to meet you.”

B. Contract the Following Phrases:

1. “I am going to leave now.”
2. “She will not attend the meeting.”
3. “We have finished the project.”
4. “You are my best friend.”
5. “He does not understand.”

C. Identify Whether the Following Sentences Should Avoid Contractions in Formal Writing:

1. “I’m excited to present my findings.”
2. “We can’t verify these sources.”
3. “It’s important that we’re on time.”
4. “Shouldn’t we consider more evidence?”

Answers

A. Expand the Contractions:

1. They are coming tomorrow.
2. He is not going to join us.
3. I have never seen that before.
4. We will call you later.
5. She would like to meet you.

B. Contract the Following Phrases:

1. I’m going to leave now.
2. She won’t attend the meeting.
3. We’ve finished the project.
4. You’re my best friend.
5. He doesn’t understand.

C. Formal Writing Considerations:

1. Formal context: Consider using “I am excited” instead of “I’m excited.”
2. Formal context: Consider “We cannot verify these sources.”
3. Formal context: “It is important that we are on time.”
4. Formal context: “Should we not consider more evidence?” or “Should we consider more evidence?”