Contractions

A contraction is a shortened form of one or two words (one of which is usually a verb). In a contraction, an apostrophe takes the place of the missing letter or letters. Some contractions are: I'm (I am), can't (cannot), how's (how is), and Ma'am (Madam).

For example, "don't" is a contraction that is short for "do not"; the apostrophe in "don't" takes the place of the missing "o". Another example is "o'clock," a contraction "of the clock." A less common example of a contraction is "jack-o'-lantern," short for "jack-of-lantern"; in it, the apostrophe takes the place of the missing "f" in "of."

 

List o' Common Contractions

 

  BE WILL WOULD HAVE HAD
I I'm
I am		 I'll
I will		 I'd
I would		 I've
I have		 I'd
I had
you you're
you are		 you'll
you will		 you'd
you would		 you've
you have		 you'd
you had
he he's
he is		 he'll
he will		 he'd
he would		 he's
he has		 he'd
he had
she she's
she is		 she'll
she will		 she'd
she would		 she's
she has		 she'd
she had
it it's (or 'tis)
it is		 it'll
it will		 it'd
it would		 it's
it has		 it'd
it had
we we're
we are		 we'll
we will		 we'd
we would		 we've
we have		 we'd
we had
they they're
they are		 they'll
they will		 they'd
they would		 they've
they have		 they'd
they had
that that's
that is		 that'll
that will		 that'd
that would		 that's
that has		 that'd
that had
who who's
who is		 who'll
who will		 who'd
who would		 who's
who has		 who'd
who had
what what's/what're
what is/what are		 what'll
what will		 what'd
what would		 what's
what has		 what'd
what had
where where's
where is		 where'll
where will		 where'd
where would		 where's
where has		 where'd
where had
when when's
when is		 when'll
when will		 when'd
when would		 when's
when has		 when'd
when had
why why's
why is		 why'll
why will		 why'd
why would		 why's
why has		 why'd
why had
how how's
how is		 how'll
how will		 how'd
how would		 how's
how has		 how'd
how had


WORDS DOUBLE CONTRACTION
she would have she'd've (colloquial)
it is not 'tisn't (archaic)
WORDS (negating a verb) CONTRACTION
is not isn't
are not aren't
was not wasn't
were not weren't
have not haven't
has not hasn't
had not hadn't
will not won't
would not wouldn't
do not don't
does not doesn't
did not didn't
cannot can't
could not couldn't
should not shouldn't
might not mightn't
must not mustn't


WORDS (woulda-shoulda-coulda) CONTRACTION
would have would've
should have should've
could have could've
might have might've
must have must've


WORDS (odd ones) CONTRACTION
of o'
of the clock o'clock
madam ma'am
never-do-well ne'er-do-well
cat-of-nine-tails cat-o'-nine-tails
jack-of-the-lantern jack-o'-lantern
will-of-the-wisp will-o'-the-wisp
it was 'twas (archaic)