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What is a Contraction Word?
A contraction is a shortened form of two words, often a pronoun and a verb (I + am = I’m) or a verb and the word not (is + not = isn’t), where an apostrophe takes the place of the missing letter or letters. There are many popular contractions that can be studied by students using our contraction games for kids and practice activities for the classroom!
First grade students learn that a verb and the word “not” can be put together to make a new word called a contraction, in which an apostrophe takes the place of the letter “o” in “not”. Word study of contraction word lists for Grades 1 and 2 focuses on contractions that simply combine the two words with an apostrophe in place of the missing “o”. Irregular contractions, such as will + not = won’t and can + not = can’t, are introduced in Grade 3. When building vocabulary, contraction practice in the classroom is important to building conversational skills as well as writing skills. Use our contraction games for kids to keep learning fun and engaging!
All contractions are typically taught together after first grade. The focus in second grade is on pronoun contractions. (I + will = I’ll, you + will = you’ll, I + am = I’m, etc.) Students learn that an apostrophe takes the place of the missing letter or letters to become a contraction. In third grade, students learn to differentiate between some common contractions and their homophones (they’re/their/there, you’re/your). This progression helps with retention while students learn what a contraction word is.
Contractions Sample List
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View Common Core State Standards Related to ContractionsClose
Common Core State Standards Related to Contractions
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.2C
Use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.3.a
Compare formal and informal uses of English.
Have, Has, and Had Contractions: I’ve, you’ve, we’ve, they’ve
Am, Is and Are Contractions: I’m, you’re, he’s, she’s, it’s, we’re, they’re, that’s, who’s
Would and Will Contractions: I’ll, you’ll, he’ll, she’ll, it’ll, we’ll, they’ll, that’ll, who’ll, I’d, you’d, he’d, she’d, it’d, we’d, they’d, that’d
Words Confused with Contractions: its, it’s, their, there, they’re, who’s, whose, your, you’re, were, we’re, where’s
Forms of Nouns: aunt, aunts, aunt’s, aunts’, boy, boys, boy’s, boys’, lady, ladies, lady’s, ladies’, doctor, doctors, doctor’s, doctors’, uncle, uncles, uncle’s, uncles’, friend, friends, friend’s, friends’, bird, birds, bird’s, birds’, farmer, farmers, farmer’s, farmers’
VocabularySpellingCity.com provides contraction word lists, printables, and interactive games and activities that give students the opportunity to use an apostrophe to form contractions.
Try Aim2Spell with the Grade 2 Possessives and Contractions list.
