Contractions

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Contractions can be quite confusing to young writers. Even though we use contractions in everyday speech, it can be hard to correctly remember all of the rules to correctly write them. If your child is struggling with the use of contractions in their writing, we’re happy to help!

What are contractions?

A contraction is a word that combines two words to make the word shorter. They are often used in speech, but when used in writing, contractions can make a story feel more conversational and less formal. Contractions help a piece of writing sound more natural, like speech would sound. You can recognize a contraction if a sound has been removed and replaced with an apostrophe.

Rules for contractions

As mentioned above, contractions are recognized based on the apostrophe replacing a sound that would be there if the two words were not combined. For example, the contraction “doesn’t” comes from the words “does not”. The apostrophe replaces the letter “o” in this case.

Common contractions

There are many different types of contractions. Below, we have provided a list of common examples:

1. Aren’t (are & not)
2. We’ll (we & will)
3. They’re (they & are)
4. Didn’t (did & not)
5. He’ll (he & will)
6. Can’t (can & not)
7. There’s (there & is)
8. Couldn’t (could & not)
9. I’m (I & am)
10. It’s (it & is)

This is not an exhaustive list of all contractions, but hopefully, these examples can give your child a good idea of how to recognize contractions.

Activity & Resource

Now your child is ready to get started with the activity we’ve prepared on contractions! This matching activity will help them solidify their understanding of contractions. Good luck!