- Let’s watch the movie.
- I’m going to eat now.
- Here’s the document.
- You’re really funny!
- That’s because I studied.
- We’re planning to go.
- I’ll start the project.
- I’ve never been here.
- I should’ve checked.
- She’d always ask.
- I didn’t know.
- Please, don’t touch that.
- I can’t believe it.
- I won’t do that.
speaking practice
Click to Record, & Speak the sentence as shown below. * (Use the Chrome Browser)
Learn Contractions
Native speakers use them all the time. So use our listen, write, and speak methodology to learn contractions quickly.
Contractions are an essential part of the language because they make communicating more natural. This lesson will explore when contractions get used in English and why they’re necessary to learn.
A study by Treiman and Kessler found that students who use contractions have higher reading comprehension levels. They also typically have lower spelling errors and better oral expression than their counterparts who don’t. Contractions help make your English communication more intimate and personal, conveying a natural tone. Let’s begin by explaining them in detail.
WHAT ARE CONTRACTIONS?
Contractions are created by taking two words and combining them into one word. The apostrophe (‘) replaces the letter removed from the word. While some contractions can get made with just two little letters, such as “isn’t” or “won’t,” they seem to intimidate many new language learners.
Let’s take these words head-on and learn to say them once and for all. Start with the most common contractions in English like “I’m,” “I’ll,” “I’ve,” and “you’re.” Then move on to learning the others.
A MUST-KNOW LIST OF CONTRACTIONS
Contractions with the Verb To Be
I am = I’m
You are = You’re
He is = He’s
She is = She’s
They are = They’re
We are = We’re
It is = It’s
That is = That’s
Here is = Here’s
There is = There’s
Who is = Who’s
Where is = Where’s
When is = When’s
Why is = Why’s
What is = What’s
How is = How’s
Everybody is = Everybody’s
Nobody is = Nobody’s
What has = What’s
Where has = Where’s
There has = There’s
Contractions with Will
I will = I’ll
You will = You’ll
He will = He’ll
She will = She’ll
They will = They’ll
It will = It’ll
We will = We’ll
Contractions with Has/Have
I have = I’ve
You have = You’ve
He has = He’s
She has = She’s
We have = We’ve
They have = They’ve
Should have = Should’ve
Could have = Could’ve
Would have = Would’ve
Might have = Might’ve
Must have = Must’ve
Contractions with “Would”
I would = I’d
You would = You’d
He would = He’d
She would = She’d
We would = We’d
They would = They’d
English Negative Contractions
(Contractions with “Not”)
Do not = Don’t
Cannot = Can’t
Must not = Mustn’t
Are not = Aren’t
Could not = Couldn’t
Would not = Wouldn’t
Should not = Shouldn’t
Is not = Isn’t
Does not = Doesn’t
Did not = Didn’t
Has not = Hasn’t
Had not = Hadn’t
Have not = Haven’t
Was not = Wasn’t
Will not = Won’t
Were not = Weren’t
Miscellaneous Contractions
Let us = Let’s
You all = Y’all
Good day = G’day
Madam = Ma’am
Of the clock = O’clock
HOW DO I USE CONTRACTIONS?
We use contractions to make our writing sound more natural. Therefore, they usually get used in informal writing, such as emails, personal texts, and formal writing. We use contractions when we want to sound more relaxed or informal. However, it is best not to overuse them when trying to be proper because it can make your text seem less professional.
WHEN SHOULD I AVOID USING ONE?
There are many situations when you should avoid using a contraction. For example, you should not use contractions when stressing a formal tone or in academic papers. They are also not appropriate for serious speeches or presentations.
THE BEST WAY TO LEARN CONTRACTIONS – FOR BEGINNERS AND EXPERTS
Learning contractions can seem complicated at first, but it can be easier than you think with a few tricks and techniques. First, beginners should identify the contractions they know. This first step will help them learn new ones more easily. Next, start learning more of the most common contractions and work their way down to the less common ones.
Experts can use these three techniques to learn contractions:
1) Listen to them – listen to sentences or audio with contractions and tune your ear to hear them
2) Learn through writing them – Psychology research and learning experts suggest writing things down leads to better learning.
3) Speak them out loud – You are more likely to remember something if you read it out loud, a study from the University of Waterloo has found.
HOW TO SPELL CONTRACTIONS
A contraction is a shortened form of a word. It gets created by omitting one or more letters, as in “I’m” for “I am.”
The most common contractions are those of the verbs: “to be” and “have.”
CONTRACTIONS VS. POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
English has different spellings that sometimes confuse. For example, contractions use apostrophes while possessive pronouns do not.
- Your = Possessive pronoun for “you.”
- Example: Your puppy is adorable.
- You’re = Contraction for “you are”
- You’re the best student in the course.
- Its = Possessive pronoun for “it”
- The spider ate the insect that was in its web.
- It’s = Contraction for “it is”
- It’s fine that you cannot come into the office tomorrow.
- They’re = Contraction for “they are”
- They’re coming to our house tomorrow.
- Their = Possessive pronoun for “they”
- Their cat ran away, but thankfully they found it.
- There= Shows location of an idem
- The phone is over there.
HOW TO PRACTICE YOUR SPEAKING SKILLS WHILE LISTENING TO AUDIO LESSONS
In order to improve your speaking skills, it is also important to practice listening. You can do this by listening to audio lessons and by following along with written materials. When you are practicing, be sure to focus on the following:
1. Use active listening skills by reflecting on what you’re learning.
2. Be sure to use the words and vocabulary you’re learning in writing, speaking, or both.
3. Practice in a quiet environment where you can focus on the task at hand.
CONCLUSION: LEARNING ENGLISH CONTRACTIONS IS A GREAT WAY TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE SKILLS
Some people might think learning English contractions is unimportant because they don’t get used as often as other parts of speech. But there are many good reasons why we should be learning them. Here are just two:
– They can help us sound more like a native speaker
– They can make it easier for us to express ourselves in writing or verbally
Learning English contractions is a great way to improve your language skills. They make it easier to express yourself in writing or during a conversation.
