Contractions A contraction is the combination of two words into one informal, shortened word with an apostrophe in place of the omitted letter(s). Most contractions involve a pronoun and verb ("be" or "have"), two verbs or a verb and a negative. Present tense: "be" I am = I'm we are = we're you are = you're he is = he's* she is = she's* it is = it's* they are = they're
Present tense: "have" I have = I've we have = we've you have = you've he has = he's* she has = she's* it has = it's* they have = they've
Negative are not = aren't cannot = can't could not = couldn't do not = don't does not = doesn't did not = didn't had not = hadn't have not = haven't here is = here's who has = who's* has not = hasn't that is = that's would have = would've is not = isn't there is = there's could have = could've might not = mightn't what is = what's should have = should've must not = mustn't who is = who's* might have = might've need not = needn't should not - shouldn't * the contractions for some of the was not = wasn't verb tenses are identical; in order were not = weren't to distinguish, examine the context. will not = won't would not = wouldn't
Future tense I will = I'll we will = we'll you will = you'll he will = he'll she will = she'll it will = it'll they will = they'll
Past tense: "have" I had = I'd* we had = we'd* you had = you'd* he had = he'd* she had = she'd* it had = it'd* they had = they'd*
that will = that'll there will = there'll who will = who'll
there had = there'd* there would = there'd* who had = who'd* who would = who'd*
Auxiliary verb: "would" I would = I'd* we would = we'd* you would = you'd* he would = he'd* she would = she'd* it would = it'd* they would = they'd*
Note: Contractions are not used in formal writing. They are, however, part of spoken English and informal writing.
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