Contraction word for you had

What is the contraction word for they had?

they’d

Is ‘i’d I would or I had?

The contraction I’d can mean either ‘I would’ or ‘I had’. If you’re unable to understand the meaning of I’d (or he’d, she’d, we’d, etc.) from the context of a sentence, try looking at the verb form that follows it: would is followed by the bare infinitive (infinitive without to)

What is the contraction for had not?

List o’ Common Contractions:

WORDS (negating a verb)	CONTRACTION
were not	weren’t
have not	haven’t
has not	hasn’t
had not	hadn’t

What is the contraction for it has?

It’s

How many contractions are there?

Contraction words are made out of common words, and there are a little over 90 standard contractions.

Is its ever correct?

Its’ is never correct. Your grammar and spellchecker should flag it for you. Always change it to one of the forms below. It’s is the contraction (abbreviated form) of “it is” and “it has.” It’s has no other meanings–only “it is” and “it has.”

When to use were or was?

Generally, “was is used for singular objects and “were” is used for plural objects. So, you will use “was” with I, he, she and it while you will use “were” with you, we and they. There is a tip you might want to consider. Even though you are singular, you must use “were”.

When to use its or their?

BizWritingTip response: As ABC Enterprises is considered a singular noun, you would have to use the personal pronoun “its.” ABC Enterprises offered all its employees a bonus. (Its is replacing the company’s name.) You would only use “their” when the noun it is replacing is plural.

What is the correct possessive form of it?

Its is the possessive form of “it.” It’s (with an apostrophe) is always short for “it is” (it’s so fun) or “it has” (it’s been nice knowing you).

Can its be possessive?

Its is a possessive pronoun meaning, “belonging to it,” or a “quality of it” (Example: The carrier lost its license) or (Example: Its color is red.) And there’s absolutely, positively no such word as its’.

What is a possessive in grammar?

A possessive noun is a noun that possesses something—i.e., it has something. In most cases, a possessive noun is formed by adding an apostrophe +s to the noun, or if the noun is plural and already ends in s, only an apostrophe needs to be added. When a noun ends in the letter s or an s sound, the same format applies.

What is the difference between your and you re?

Your is a possessive adjective. It is always followed by a noun in a sentence. You’re is a contraction of two words, “you” and “are.” Contractions can be easily recognized by the apostrophe. If not the correct word to use is your.

Is it your pretty or you’re pretty?

“You’re” is the compound of “you are”. So it’s “you are cute”. “Your” is possessive.

What your is correct?

Understanding how to use YOUR and YOU’RE: Your is the second person possessive adjective, used to describe something as belonging to you. Your is always followed by a noun or gerund. You’re is the contraction of “you are” and is often followed by the present participle (verb form ending in -ing).

Is it crazy or your crazy?

Replace YOUR with MY. If it sounds correct then YOUR is correct. If it doesn’t sound correct, then you need to use YOU’RE. YOUR house is big. YOUR crazy.

Is more crazy correct?

The comparative form of crazy; more crazy.

Is it your dad or youre dad?

“You’re” is short for “you are.” “Your” shows that something belongs to “you” or is related to “you” (e.g., your car, your father).

Which is or that is?

In a defining clause, use that. In non-defining clauses, use which. Remember, which is as disposable as a sandwich bag. If you can remove the clause without destroying the meaning of the sentence, the clause is nonessential and you can use which.

Which is correct sentence?

In order for a sentence to be grammatically correct, the subject and verb must both be singular or plural. In other words, the subject and verb must agree with one another in their tense.

Who is VS that is?

When you are determining whether you should use who or that, keep these simple guidelines in mind: Who is always used to refer to people. That is always used when you are talking about an object. That can also be used when you are talking about a class or type of person, such as a team.

What’s the difference between which and that?

“That” is used to indicate a specific object, item, person, condition, etc., while “which” is used to add information to objects, items, people, situations, etc. Because “which” indicates a non-restrictive (optional) clause, it is usually set off by commas before “which” and at the end of the clause.

Which vs what questions?

“Which” is more formal when asking a question that requires a choice between a number of items. You can use “What” if you want, though. Generally speaking, you can replace the usage of “which” with “what” and be OK grammatically. It doesn’t always work the other way around, however.

What is the difference between who Which And that?

Both which and that can function as relative pronouns. That is only used in defining relative clauses while which can be used in both defining and non-defining clauses. That can be used to refer to both objects and persons. Which is not used for persons.

Can which and that be used interchangeably?

Although “which” and “that” are both pronouns, they are not interchangeable. “Which” is used for non-restrictive phrases, and “that” is used for restrictive phrases.

What is the difference between which and that in relative clauses?

The grammatical explanation is that “which” introduces a non-essential clause, meaning that it doesn’t define the noun it’s describing, while “that” introduces an essential clause, meaning that it clarifies exactly which noun the sentence is about.

Who that which relative clauses?

Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses. The most common relative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which, that. The relative pronoun we use depends on what we are referring to and the type of relative clause.

What is defining and non defining clause?

A defining relative clause identifies who or what we are speaking about, whereas a non-defining relative clause just gives us more information about who or what we are speaking about. A non-defining relative clause is separated from the main part of the sentence by commas.

What is a defining clause?

A defining clause looks to the noun modified and singles it out among others that could exist in the context. A defining clause points a finger at the noun modified and says, “that noun, not any others named by that noun.” A defining clause begins with the relative pronoun that and is not set off by commas.

What is mean by defining?

Something defining is essential to what something is. In the dictionary, definitions tell you what words mean, and the similar word defining has to do with what things are too. The defining characteristic of a chair is that you sit on it. The defining feature of food is you can eat it.

How do you identify a defining clause?

We use defining relative clauses to give essential information about someone or something – information that we need in order to understand what or who is being referred to. A defining relative clause usually comes immediately after the noun it describes.

they’d

What is the contraction word for it is?

For example: The contraction for “it is” is: its, it’s, i’ts. Words: you’re, we’ll, I’d, won’t, how’ll, haven’t, who’d, I’ve, why’s, when’d.

Is ‘i’d I had or I would?

The contraction I’d can mean either ‘I would’ or ‘I had’. If you’re unable to understand the meaning of I’d (or he’d, she’d, we’d, etc.) from the context of a sentence, try looking at the verb form that follows it: would is followed by the bare infinitive (infinitive without to)

Is I have had correct?

“Have had” is using the verb have in the present perfect tense. Consider the present tense sentence: I have a lot of homework. This means that I have a lot of homework now.

What is the meaning of I had?

I possessed

What is I have been?

“Has been” and “have been” are both in the present perfect tense. “Has been” is used in the third-person singular and “have been” is used for first- and second-person singular and all plural uses. The present perfect tense refers to an action that began at some time in the past and is still in progress.

Had a great time meaning?

To enjoy oneself; to find pleasure in a particular situation or activity. This phrase can also be used as an imperative. We had a really good time at the circus last weekend. A: “I’m going to a concert tonight.” B: “Ooh, have a good time!” See also: good, have, time.

How do you respond to had dinner?

1. Both “just had dinner” and “just have dinner” are grammatically correct, but in different contexts.
2. If I just ate dinner, that’s what I’d say, not “I just had dinner.” Someone saying that could be telegraphing, “I’m not a native speaker of American English.” I “eat” dinner, I don’t “have it.”

Do you had your breakfast?

Normally, one would say, “Have you had breakfast?” or “Did you have breakfast [yet]?” to ask if someone has eaten breakfast on a particular day or morning. When used with breakfast, do can also mean eat (besides make, etc).

What did you eat in breakfast?

Breakfast Ideas

• eggs.
• French toast, waffles, or pancakes (try wheat or whole-grain varieties)
• cold cereal and milk.
• hot cereal, such as oatmeal or cream of wheat (try some dried fruit or nuts on top)
• whole-grain toast, bagel, or English muffin with cheese.
• yogurt with fruit or nuts.

Have you had the breakfast correct the sentence?

“Have you had your breakfast?” is correct. You finished your breakfast already. You did finish your breakfast. Both sentences use past tense.

How do you use have you had?

The past perfect form of have is had had (had + past participle form of have)….Have had and had had

1. I have a sister.
2. She has a car.
3. He has a nice job.
4. I have breakfast at 8.30.
5. I have a shower before I go to bed.
6. I have a nap in the afternoon.

Have you eaten yet meaning?

The person is basically asking you whether you already had your dinner/lunch/breakfast. Sometimes, it is an indication that they want to invite you out. Sometimes, it is an indication that they worry about you. Sometimes, it is just an indication to know what you ate that time.

Did you eaten your dinner?

“Have you eaten dinner” is a perfectly understandable and grammatically correct question. However, there are other ways to say it: “Have you had dinner?” is a little more conversational. “Have” is a verb you can substitute for “eat” in American English.

Is Have you eaten correct?

In standard English, the past participle form of eat is always eaten. Ate is the simple past form. In the perfect tenses, which are indicated by has, had and have, you will always use eaten, even in questions where has, had or have has moved to the front of the sentence away from the verb: I eat, we eat, Jeff eats.

Did you eat or ate?

3 Answers. You would never say “Did you ate?”. In this specific context you would use “Did you eat?” or “Have you eaten?” You can use “Ate” as a verb to simplify other sentences, for example: “I ate today” rather than “I have eaten today”.

Did you eat or have you eaten?

I come up with some sentences as f. In London, it’s nearly always “Have you had lunch?” “Eaten” is rarely used. The best answer is, “Have you eaten lunch yet?” The present perfect form is used to show a period of time from the past until right now, and that’s what the speaker really wants to know.

Did u eat your lunch?

-Did you eat your lunch? Both are correct. Have you eaten your lunch? is more common when the intent is to have lunch together at 3 if he hasn’t eaten his lunch yet.

1. contraction of had: I was glad they’d gone.
Correct

2. contraction of did: Where’d they go?
Technically incorrect, but very much used as it coincides with spoken English so much.

3. contraction of should or would: He’d like to go. I’d like to remind you of your promise.
As far as I know, this is never a contraction of should, only a contraction of would. (If people have seen examples, please post them)

4. contraction of -ed: She OK’d the plan.
As explained before, this should be OKed, but as people get confused by the use of acronyms etc. under a very colloquial use of english (OK as a verb, etc) it is quite common to see ‘d put instead of «ed» to denote past tense.

I wonder if it is possible to get counfused by, for example:

He would like to go
and
He did like to go
This wouldn’t happen:
You should say «He liked to go» and not «He did like to go». There is the possibility to say «He did like to go» (A él sí le gustaba ir), but since you are stressing the «did», it would never be contracted.

The only case for (incorrectly) contracting «did» to ‘d is with with questions, as you quote above:

Where’d you go?
What’d he do?

But it is an incorrect contraction, but still commonly used.

Thanks a lot
Linea

This lesson explains how to make contractions with the verb HAVE and a subject pronoun or the negative adverb not. Before you continue, review these lessons: Contractions | Verb HAVE.

The simple present of the verb HAVE (have | has) is frequently contracted with a subject. Join the conjugated verb to the subject and replace the first two letters of the verb with an apostrophe.

not contracted		words joined		delete first two letters		contracted
I have	Ihave	Ihave	I’ve
They have	Theyhave	Theyhave	They’ve

In American English, has is not usually contracted with a subject when it is the main verb in a sentence.

uncontracted (common)		contracted (not common)
I have a blue car.	I’ve a blue car.
We have good news.	We’ve good news.

Instead, Americans prefer using the present perfect with got (past participle of the verb GET).

uncontracted		contracted		American English
I have a blue car.	I’ve a blue car.	I’ve got a blue car.
We have good news.	We’ve good news.	We’ve got good news.

Has can never be contracted with its subject (he, she, or it) when it is the main verb in the sentence and is in the present tense.

uncontracted	≠	incorrect
He has chocolate.	He’s chocolate.
She has a car.	She’s a car.

These false contractions look the same as contractions made with BE and change the meaning:

He+is	=	He’s
She+is	She’s
It+is	It’s

However, these contractions are possible when HAVE is the auxiliary verb in the sentence.

uncontracted	=	contracted
He has left.	He’s left.
It has rained.	It’s rained.

We know these contractions are formed with has because they are  followed by past participles (left | rained).

In negative statements, the auxiliary verb HAVE is often contracted with the negative adverb not. Join not to the conjugation and replace the o with an apostrophe.

uncontracted		words joined		delete the o		contracted
have not	havenot	havenot	haven’t
has not	hasnot	hasnot	hasn’t

Here are examples of both forms of contraction: (subject + HAVE) and (HAVE + not).

uncontracted		less common		more common
I have not finished.	I’ve not finished.	I haven’t finished.
You have not eaten.	You’ve not eaten.	You haven’t eaten.
He has not started.	He’s not started.	He hasn’t started.
It has not rained.	It’s not rained.	It hasn’t rained.
We have not seen it.	We’ve not seen it.	We haven’t seen it.
They have not met.	They’ve not met.	They haven’t met.

There is no difference in meaning between these two forms of contraction, but the contractions with not are more common.

Related lessons:

• Verb HAVE
• Contractions with BE
• Contractions with DO

In English grammar, we might use the contracted form of a verb when we are speaking or writing informally.

Let’s look at a list of contracted forms of verbs (with their expanded form) so you know how to use them:

What is the contracted form of a verb?

A contraction is a shortened form of a verb that is used when two words are combined to form one.

This involves removing one or more letters and adding an apostrophe to create a new word. For example, “I am” becomes “I’m.”

When are contracted forms used?

Contracted forms are used frequently in everyday spoken language and informal written language, such as e-mails and text messages.

They cannot be used in formal, academic writing, or professional documents where each word needs to be spelled out completely.

The following is a list of common contracted forms of verbs:

• I am – I’m
• I am not – I ain’t
• Let us – Let’s
• I will – I’ll
• We will – We’ll
• I would – I’d
• We are – We’re
• You will – You’ll
• You would – You’d
• He is – He’s
• She is – She’s
• It is – It’s
• She has – She’s
• He has – He’s
• It has – It’s
• We have – We’ve
• They have – They’ve
• Where is – Where’s
• Who is – Who’s
• There is – There’s
• They are – They’re
• They will – They’ll
• Might have – Might’ve
• Must have – must’ve

Negative Common Contractions

• Is not – Isn’t
• Are not – Aren’t
• Can not – Can’t
• Was not – Wasn’t
• Could not – Couldn’t
• Did not – Didn’t
• Have not – Haven’t
• Had not – Hadn’t
• Has not – Hasn’t
• Should not – Shouldn’t
• Would not – Wouldn’t
• Were not – Weren’t
• Will not – Won’t

While contracted forms of verbs are usually informal in nature, it is always best to use the full form in a formal context.

Contractions With The Verb HAVE

Here are some shortened forms of the verb “have.”

• I have – I’ve
• You have – You’ve
• He has – He’s
• She has – She’s
• It has – It’s
• We have – We’ve
• They have – They’ve
• I have not – I haven’t – I’ve not
• You have not – You haven’t – You’ve not
• He has not – He hasn’t – He’s not
• She has not – She hasn’t – She’s not
• It has not – It hasn’t – It’s not
• We have not got – We haven’t – We’ve not
• They have not got – They haven’t – they’ve not

The contracted form “haven’t” is more common than the contraction with not. However, this may vary depending on the region you are living.

Example sentences:

We have not met. We’ve not met (less common). We haven’t met (more common).

Contractions With The Verb HAVE (Past Form)

• I had – I’d
• You had – You’d
• He had – He’d
• She had – She’d
• It had – It’d
• We had – We’d
• They had – They’d
• I had not – I hadn’t – I’d not
• You had not – You hadn’t – You’d not
• He had not – He hadn’t – He’d Not
• She had not – She hadn’t – She’d Not
• It had not – It hadn’t – It’d Not
• We had not – We hadn’t – We’d Not
• They had not – They hadn’t – They’d Not

In American English, instead of saying:

“I have a new toy” they prefer to say, “I’ve got a new toy.” This is informal. However, “I’ve a new toy” is also correct; it’s just less common.

However, “has” can never be contracted when it’s the main verb in the sentence and in the third person present tense (he, she, it).

For example:

• She has food.

“She’s food.” This is incorrect. Instead, we can say, “She’s got food”

• He has a bicycle.

“He’s a bicycle.” This is incorrect. Instead, we can say, “He’s got a new bicycle.”

However, if “have” is the auxiliary (helping) verb, then we can contract the verb:

• He has arrived.

“He’s arrived.” This is correct, as the main verb is “arrive” and not have.

• It has snowed.

“It’s snowed.” This is correct as the main verb is “snow” and not have.

Contractions With The Verb BE

• I am – I’m
• You are – You’re
• He is – He’s
• She is – She’s
• It is – It’s
• We are – We’re
• They are – They’re
• There is – There’s
• How is – How’s
• What is – What’s
• Where is – Where’s
• Here is – Here’s
• You are not – you aren’t – you’re not
• He is not – he isn’t – he’s not
• She is not – she isn’t – she’s not
• It is not – it isn’t – it’s not
• We are not – we aren’t – we’re not
• They are not – they aren’t – they’re not

The contracted form “isn’t/aren’t” and “not” are used interchangeably and you will hear both said.

If you want to emphasize that you are not involved in something, you might be more inclined to use the “not” contracted form when speaking, although either contracted form is perfectly fine.

For example, “she’s not a liar.”

Contractions with the Verb BE (Past Form)

• I was not – I wasn’t
• You were not – You weren’t
• He was not – he wasn’t
• She was not – she wasn’t
• It was not – it wasn’t
• We were not – we weren’t
• They were not – they weren’t

You can also use the contracted form with a noun, for example, “the dog’s on the sofa” (the dog is on the sofa) and “Alice’s here” (Alice is here).

Again this is informal and is more common when speaking.

Contractions with the verb DO

• I do not – I don’t
• You do not – You don’t
• He does not – He doesn’t
• She does not – She doesn’t
• We do not – We don’t
• They do not – They don’t

Contractions with the Verb DO (Past Form)

• I did not – I didn’t
• You did not – You didn’t
• He did not – He didn’t
• She did not – She didn’t
• It did not – It didn’t
• We did not – We didn’t
• They did not – They didn’t

Contractions With The Modal Verb WILL

• I will – I’ll
• He will – He’ll
• She will – She’ll
• It will – It’ll
• We will – We’ll
• They will – They’ll
• I will not – I won’t – I’ll not
• He will not – He won’t – He’ll not
• She will not – She won’t – She’ll not
• It will not – It won’t – It’ll not
• We will not – We won’t – We’ll not
• They will not – They won’t – They’ll not

Nowadays, most people say “won’t” instead of “not.

For example,

• “I’ll not go to the dance.” (old-fashioned; not common)
• I won’t go to the dance.” (more common)

Contractions with the modal verb WOULD

• I would – I’d
• He would – He’d
• She would – She’d
• It would – It’d
• We would – We’d
• They would – They’d
• I would not – I wouldn’t – I’d not
• He would not – He wouldn’t – He’d not
• She would not- She wouldn’t- She’d not
• It would not – It wouldn’t – It’d not
• We would not – We wouldn’t – We’d not
• They would not – They’d not- They’d not

“I’d not” is grammatically correct but sounds odd to native English speakers as it is not used. It is most more common to say I wouldn’t, he wouldn’t, she wouldn’t, etc.

Contractions with the modal verb WOULD (Past Form)

• I would have – I would’ve – I’d have
• You would have – You would’ve – You’d have
• He would have – He would’ve – He’d have
• She would have – She would’ve – She’d have
• It would have – It would’ve – It’d have
• We would have – We would’ve – We’d have
• They would have- They would’ve – They’d have
• I would not have – I wouldn’t have- I’d not have
• He would not have – He wouldn’t have- He’d not have
• She would not have – She wouldn’t have- She’d not have
• It would not have – It wouldn’t have- It’d not have
• We would not have – We wouldn’t have- We’d not have
• They would not have – They would’ve – They’d not have

“I’d not have” is grammatically correct but sounds strange to native English speakers as it is not spoken. It is most more common to say I wouldn’t have, he wouldn’t have, she wouldn’t have, etc.

Short Forms of Other Modal Verbs

The modals can, may, must, should, and can also be contracted when used as auxiliaries. For example, “He can’t do it,” “She shouldn’t have come,” and “I wouldn’t have done it.”

• Cannot – Can’t
• Can Not Have – Can’t’ve
• Must not – Mustn’t
• Must not have – Mustn’t’ve
• Should not- Shouldn’t
• Should not have – Shouldn’t’ve
• Shall not – Shan’t
• Shall not have – Shalln’t’ve
• Used not – Usen’t – Usedn’t
• Could not – Couldn’t
• Could not have – Couldn’t’ve
• Might not – Mightn’t
• Might not have – Mightn’t’ve
• Ought not to – Oughtn’t to
• Ought not have – Oughtn’t’ve
• Need not – Needn’t
• Need not have – Needn’t’ve
• Will not – Won’t
• Will not have – Won’t’ve
• Dare not – Daren’t
• Dare not have – Daren’t’ve
• Had Not – Hadn’t

Some of the contractions are rare and awkward, like “oughtn’t’ve” and “usedn’t.”

In Conclusion

The contracted forms of verbs are informal and are used more commonly in speech.

It is good to know them in case you hear them in spoken English, and their usage varies depending on the region.

1. How to Make Positive Contractions

Here are the words that can make contractions in English:

• am → ‘m
• are → ‘re
• is → ‘s
• will → ‘ll
• would → ‘d
• have → ‘ve
• has → ‘s
• had → ‘d

Let’s see an example in a sentence:

• You are the nicest person I have ever met.

We can make two contractions here. Can you see where?

You can contract you are to you’re, and I have to I’ve.

• You’re the nicest person I’ve ever met.

The pronunciation of English contractions can change depending on how fast you’re speaking. The pronunciation can be quite clear and ‘textbook’:

• You’re the nicest person I’ve met.

Or, the pronunciation can be faster and weaker:

• You’re the nicest person I’ve met.

This fast, weak pronunciation is very common.

Let’s do another example:

• They will think he has gone completely mad!

Can you see where we can make contractions?

Here’s the answer:

• They’ll think he’s gone completely mad!

Many learners find English contractions with will difficult to pronounce.

Let’s practice quickly: say they’ll.

As you pronounce the vowel, /eɪ/, slide your tongue forward to add the /l/ sound.

Now, try the full sentence:

• They’ll think he’s gone completely mad!

Let’s do one more example:

• I am sure she would call if anything had happened.

Here, you can make three contractions. Can you see them?

We can make contractions with am, would and had:

• I’m sure she’d call if anything’d happened.

Try saying the sentence.

Do you notice anything here? There are two things which we need to pay attention to.

Firstly, different words (had and would), can have the same contraction: ‘d.

Secondly, the pronunciation of the ‘d contraction is different in she’d and anything’d. Do you know why?

Let’s find out!

Learn more with this Oxford Online English lesson on ‘modal verbs – would’.

2. How to Pronounce English Contractions

Most English contractions have two different pronunciations.

The only contractions which never change are will and am. Contractions of will are always pronounced ‘ll. Am is always ‘m.

Contractions of are, is, would, have, has and had can have different pronunciations.

Why does the pronunciation change? It mostly depends on the sound before the contraction. Sometimes, it depends on the sound after the contraction.

For would, have, and had, it depends whether the sound before the contraction is a vowel or a consonant.

The contraction of have is pronounced /v/ after a vowel sound:

• I’ve /aɪv/
• we’ve /wiːv/
• they’ve /ðeɪv/

After a consonant, the contraction of have is pronounced /əv/:

• could’ve /’kʊdəv/
• would’ve /wʊdəv/
• might’ve /’maɪtəv/

The same rule is true for would and had. The contraction is pronounced /d/ after a vowel, and /əd/ after a consonant:

• I’d /aɪd/
• she’d /ʃiːd/

But:

• it’d /’ɪtəd/
• Tom’d /’tɒməd/

There’s one exception to this: if someone’s name ends with a vowel sound, we usually treat it like a consonant for contractions. So, if you want to say:

• Sophie’d help you if you asked her.

Even though Sophie ends with a vowel sound, we generally pronounce the contraction as /əd/, because it’s a name.

Notice how I said ‘usually’ and ‘generally’? It’s because this isn’t exactly a rule. It’s more common, and I advise you to follow it, but not all native speakers speak this way all the time.

Next, let’s look at is and has.

The contraction of is and has is pronounced /z/ after most sounds:

• he’s /hiːz/
• there’s /ðeəz/
• Dave’s /deɪvz/

However, after /t/, /p/, /k/, /f/ or /θ/, the contraction of is or has is pronounced /s/.

• it’s /ɪts/
• Seth’s /seθs/
• top’s /tops/

We don’t contract is or has after the sounds /tʃ/, /ʃ/, /dʒ/, /ʒ/, /s/ or /z/, because the pronunciation of these contractions is too difficult.

That leaves are. Are is a bit different, because the pronunciation depends on the sound after, not before. Look at an example:

• We’re a good team.
• We’re the best team.

Before a vowel sound, the contraction of are has a /r/ sound. Before a consonant sound, the contraction is pronounced as a schwa sound: /ə/.

Now, you’ve seen common English contractions and learned about the pronunciation of contractions.

Next, let’s look at:

3. How to make Negative English Contractions

If you have an auxiliary verb plus not, you can put the words together and contract not to n’t.

For example:

• do not → don’t
• is not → isn’t
• have not → haven’t
• would not → wouldn’t

This isn’t a full list.

There’s one which is a bit strange: will not contracts to won’t.

Also, you can’t make a negative contraction with am not. You can’t say amn’t. Why not? I can’t even say ‘amn’t’. Saying ‘amn’t’ is really difficult. That’s why.

Let’s try a few examples. Look at this sentence. Where can you make contractions?

• He does not understand why they did not help him.

We can contract this to:

• He doesn’t understand why they didn’t help him.

Let’s do another:

• They are not happy that the company has not told them anything.

There are two contractions here. Can you see them?

• They aren’t happy that the company hasn’t told them anything.

We’ll do one more example:

• You should not have said yes if you could not do it.

Where are the possible contractions here?

• You shouldn’t have said yes if you couldn’t do it.

Sometimes with negative contractions, there are two possible contractions. For example:

• They are not here yet.

You could contract this to:

• They aren’t here yet.

Or:

• They’re not here yet.

In most places, the first option is more common. That means you contract not.

However, both are correct, and it doesn’t matter which one you use.

So now you know about the formation and pronunciation of common English contractions, but when should you use them?

4. How to Use Contractions in Spoken and Written English

Generally, you should use contractions when you speak. Using contractions sounds more natural in spoken English.

Look at an example from earlier:

• He does not understand why they did not help him.

If you’re speaking to someone, and you say this sentence without the contractions, it sounds a bit robotic and unnatural. Try it—say the sentence out loud with no contractions. Doesn’t it sound a bit strange?

Pronouncing the contractions makes it sound much more natural:

• He doesn’t understand why they didn’t help him.

So, are there any cases where you shouldn’t use contractions?

If you’re speaking more formally, you might use fewer contractions.

If you want to emphasise something, you shouldn’t use contractions. For example:

• That is not what I said.
• He is the best player on the team.
• I have called several times.

You need to use the full, uncontracted form if you need to emphasise the verb or negative.

There’s one more case where you can’t use contractions: don’t use positive contractions at the end of a sentence or clause.

For example, if someone asks you:

• Is he ready?

You should answer:

• Yes, he is.

And not:

• Yes, he’s.

However, negative contractions can go at the end of a sentence or clause, so it’s fine to say:

• No, he isn’t.

What about written English?

You can use contractions in informal writing; you probably shouldn’t use contractions in formal writing, like an essay.

Also, many English contractions are used in speech but not generally in writing. For example, you can say:

• These’re the chocolates that your friends’ve sent us.

Contractions like these’re, friends’ve and this’d aren’t often used in written English, even in very informal writing.

If you’re not sure if you can use a contraction or not when you’re writing, then just use the full form.

There are some more contractions like this, which are common in spoken language, but which aren’t written down.

Let’s take a look:

5. Unwritten Contractions in English

Here’s a sentence:

• They would have enjoyed it, but they would not have stayed long.

What contractions can you make here?

Well, would contracts to ‘d, and have contracts to ‘ve. What does that give us?

In the first part, you should say:

• They’d’ve enjoyed it…

What about the second part of the sentence?

Not contracts to n’t. Have contracts to ‘ve. So, you say:

• …but they wouldn’t’ve stayed long.

Try saying the whole sentence with the contractions. Focus on the pronunciation of the contractions:

• They’d’ve enjoyed it, but they wouldn’t’ve stayed long.

Do these contractions look weird? If so, it’s because we almost never write them.

What other contractions are like this?

You can contract did to ‘d in speaking, but not in writing:

• What did you tell her? → What’d you tell her?
• When did you get here? → When’d you get here?
• How did you like it? → How’d you like it?

You can contract will have to ‘ll’ve and would have to ‘d’ve:

• They will have left by now. → They’ll’ve left by now.
• We would have been late anyway. → We’d’ve been late anyway.

You can contract not have after a modal verb to n’t’ve:

• They could not have helped. → They couldn’t’ve helped.
• I would not have said anything. → I wouldn’t’ve said anything.

Remember: use these contractions when you speak, but not in writing!

Thanks for watching. See you next time!

A contraction is a word or phrase that has been shortened by dropping one or more letters. In writing, an apostrophe is used to indicate the place of the missing letters. Contractions are commonly used in speech (or written dialogue), informal forms of writing, and where space is at a premium, such as in advertising.

In very formal writing, such as academic papers, grant proposals, or other works that need to appear professional, you may not want to use contractions at all.

Why Do We Use Contractions?

We rely on contractions all the time in normal conversation. When people speak to each other, there is typically an expectation that they will use contractions (can’t, won’t, shouldn’t) whenever they can, as doing so saves time.

Some people are under the impression that contractions should never appear in writing, but this belief is mistaken. The use of contractions is directly related to tone.

In informal writing (from text messages and blogs to memos and personal essays), we often rely on contractions to maintain a colloquial tone. In more formal writing assignments (such as academic reports or term papers), avoiding contractions is a way of establishing a more serious tone.

Before deciding whether to use contractions in a writing assignment, consider your audience and your purpose for writing.

The Contractive Apostrophe

In telescoped words and phrases (e.g., doesn’t, there’s, sou’wester), an apostrophe marks the spot where one or more letters have been omitted. It is not necessarily where the words have been joined together. This apostrophe is also known as the contractive apostrophe.

Some people, including the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, have been in favor of eliminating apostrophes entirely. Shaw called them «uncouth bacilli,» though it’s unlikely that Shaw’s analogy to bacteria will help the apostrophe go away anytime soon.

Contracted Nouns and Pronouns

In casual conversation, contractions involving nouns are fairly common («My dad’ll be home soon»). In writing, however, they’re much rarer than contractions with pronouns such as I’ll, he’d, and she’s. You can contract proper nouns to mean is or has, such as in the sentence «Shelly’s coming with us,» or «Jeff’s bought a new computer.» Watch out for the homonyms who’s and whose; the contraction is «who is» or «who has,» and the whole word is possessive, as in «Whose car is that?» And of course, if you’re visiting the South, you’ll likely hear the colloquial «y’all» for «you all.»

Negative Contractions and Verb Contractions

Contractions are often made with auxiliary, or helping, verbs, such as to be, do, have, and can. We can say «it isn’t raining» or «it’s not raining.» But we cannot say «it’sn’t raining.» In negative clauses, we have a choice between using negative contractions like not (n’t) and contracting the pronoun and verb (it’s). But we can’t do both.

Contracting ‘Not’

The contracted form of not (n’t) can be attached to finite forms of the helping verbs be, do, and have. However, amn’t (mainly Scottish and Irish) is extremely rare, unlike the disparaged ain’t.

The n’t form can also be attached to most of the modal auxiliaries such as can’t, couldn’t, mustn’t, shouldn’t, won’t, and wouldn’t. Yet, you won’t hear many Americans saying mayn’t or shan’t; even those contractions are too formal.

Contractions in Tag Questions

A tag question is a short question added to the end of a declarative sentence, usually to make sure that something has been done or understood. For example, «It’s a tag question, isn’t it?»

Because of their colloquial nature, negative tags are commonly contracted: didn’t we? haven’t you? aren’t they? This is much less formal than did not we? or did we not?

Ambiguous Contractions

Most contractions ending in ‘d and ‘s are ambiguous. The ‘d can represent either had or would; ‘s can represent either has or is. All the same, the meaning of these contractions is usually clear from their context. For instance, «Sam’s finished his term paper» implies completion in the past (Sam has finished), while «Sam’s tired» is in the present tense, meaning Sam is.

Multiple Contractions

They may look odd in print, but certain multiple contractions such as I’d’ve (or I’d’a) and wouldn’t’ve are fairly common in speech. We like shortcuts, so it’s easy to say something like, «If I’d’ve told you the real reason, you probably wouldn’t’ve come back with me.» Quite often, we don’t even notice it. The words just run together as we talk.

Under the category of rarities, there are a few double and even triple contracted nautical terms. These include words like bo’s’n (short for boatswain) and fo’c’s’le (a variant of forecastle), words that landlubbers can probably live without.

Before you start recklessly sprinkling apostrophes everywhere, make sure you’re not putting an apostrophe plus s on something that should actually be plural: i.e., the greengrocer’s apostrophe.

Aphaeresis, Syncope, and Apocope

Another common type of linguistic shortening (or elision) is the omission of certain sounds or letters from an individual word.

In phonetics, elision at the beginning of a word (for instance, gator from alligator) is called aphaeresis. In the middle of a word (ma’am from madam), it is a syncope. When it appears at the end of a word (ad from advertisement), we call it an apocope.

Aphaeresis and apocope can occur together, as in flu—a clipped form of influenza.

Standard Contractions in English

In the following table, you’ll find a list of more than 70 contractions in English.