Contractions

A contraction is a short way of writing two words. You put the words together and leave out some letters. An apostrophe takes the place of the missing letters. For example, 'do not' becomes 'don't'. Contractions are used a lot when people talk.

How Contractions Work

Contractions are easy once you know the pattern. 'I am' becomes 'I'm', and 'you are' becomes 'you're'. The apostrophe shows where letters were taken out. 'Will not' is a tricky one because it becomes 'won't'. Most contractions follow a simple rule, but a few are special.

When to Use Them

People use contractions every day when they talk to each other. They make speech sound friendly and fast. Contractions are also fine in stories and letters. But in very serious writing like school reports, teachers may ask you not to use them. It is good to know when to use them and when not to.

Fun Facts

• The word 'o'clock' is a contraction of 'of the clock'.
• Some contractions are older than you might think, like 'shan't' for 'shall not'.
• English has about 100 common contractions.

Did You Know?

The apostrophe was first used as a contraction mark more than 400 years ago. It comes from a Greek word that means 'turning away'.