Language Arts Contractions are created by combining two or more words. This article defines what a contraction is, gives examples of how contractions are formed, and has a table of common contractions. Keep reading for more on contractions. What Are Contractions?

Contractions are words which are combined from two or more other words. The use of the term contraction rather than, say, compound word, indicates that some letters have been omitted in the process of combining, and these missing letters are indicated by the use of an apostrophe.

The sets of words that can follow the apostrophe is smaller than the set that can precede it. It includes:

Forms of To Be

am --- 'm

is --- 's

are --- 're

were --- 're

Here are examples sentences:

I am exuberant! ---> I'm exuberant!

He is exhausted. ---> He's exhausted.

They are inspired. ---> They're inspired.

We are famished. ---> We're famished.

Forms of To Have

has ---'s

have ---'ve

had ---'d

Here are example sentences:

Can you believe he has never had pizza?---> Can you believe he's never had pizza?

I have been on vacation in Oregon ---> I've been on vacation in Oregon.

She had finished making her prom dress. --->She'd finished making her prom dress.

Forms of To Do

does --- 's

did --- 'd

Here are example sentences:

How does Jeremy do that magic trick? ---> How's Jeremy do that magic trick?

How did Stacy get to borrow Ron's iPod? ---> How'd Stacy get to borrow Ron's iPod?

Forms of  Will

will --- 'll

would --- 'd

Here are example sentences:

They will show you the garden. ---> They'll show you the garden.

I would like to go to the circus. ---> I'd like to go to the circus.

Forms of Shall

shall --- 'll

Here is an example sentence:

I shall be in my room. ---> I'll be in my room.

Negative Adverb

not --- n't

Here is an example sentence:

Carl has not fed the ferret yet. ---> Carl hasn't fed the ferret yet.

Others less usual or less formal include o'clock (of the clock), and clipping, which is more common in colloquial use than in written prose (unless dialogue) or formal speech or writing. It is also colloquial to combine verb forms with proper names, but it is widely used in informal speech and writing dialogue. Examples are:

•  ain't, a nonstandard contraction of the phrase “am not”
•  'cause, short for because
•  'fraidy cat, short for “cat who is afraid,” with cat used figuratively

Here are example sentences:

Are you ready, because I am not waiting? --->Are you ready, 'cause I ain't waiting?

Suzanne will be here for dinner. --->Suzanne'll be here for dinner.

Note that there are a set of poetic contractions that are considered archaic:

e'en

e'er

'tis

'twas

Here are some of the most commonly used pronoun---verb contractions:

Personal  Subject Pronouns	Phrase	Contracted Form
1st person singular	I am	I'm
	I will/I shall	I'll
	I would/had	I'd
	I have	I've
1st person plural	we are	we're
	we will/shall	we'll
	we would/had	we'd
	we have	we've
2nd person singular and plural	you are	you're
	you will/shall	you'll
	you would/had	you'd
	you have	you've
3rd person singular	he, she, it is	he's, she's, it's
	he, she, it will/shall	he'll, she'll, it'll
	he, she it would/had	he'd, she'd, it'd
	he, she, it has	he's, she's, it's
3rd person plural	they are	they're
	they will/shall	they'll
	they would/had	they'd
	they have	they've
Other Pronouns
there	there is	there's
	there will/shall	there'll
	there would/had	there'd
	there have	there've
that	that is	that's
	that will/shall	that'll
	that would/had	that'd
what	what is	what's
who	who is	who's
	who will/shall	who'll
	who would/had	who'd
Other Parts of Speech
here	here is	here's
how	how is	how's
when	when is	when's
where	where is	where's

And here are some of the most commonly used verb---negative adverb contractions:

Phrase	Contracted Form
is not	isn't
are not	aren't
was not	wasn't
were not	weren't
has not	hasn't
have not	haven't
had not	hadn't
cannot	can't
could not	couldn't
do not	don't
does not	doesn't
did not	didn't
may not	mayn't
might not	mightn't
shall not	shan't
should not	shouldn't
will not	won't
would not	wouldn't
must not	mustn't
ought not	oughtn't
dare not	daren't
need not	needn't