Standard Contractions in English Contractions are mainly used speech and informal writing

BE Neg - WILL Neg - WOULD Neg - HAVE Neg - HAD Neg -

I I'm I am

I’m not I'll I will

I won’t I'd I would

I wouldn’t I've I have

I haven’t I'd I had

I hadn’t

You You're you are

You aren’t You'll you will

You won’t You'd you would

You wouldn’t You've you have

You haven’t You'd you had

You hadn’t

He He's he is

He isn’t He'll he will

He won’t He'd he would

He wouldn’t He's he has

He hasn’t He'd he had

He hadn’t

She She's she is

She isn’t She'll she will

She won’t She'd she would

She wouldn’t She's she has

She hasn’t She'd she had

She hadn’t

It It's (or 'tis) it is

It isn’t It'll it will

It won’t It'd it would

It wouldn’t It's it has

It hasn’t It'd it had

It hadn’t

We We're we are

We aren’t We'll we will

We won’t We'd we would

We wouldn’t We've we have

We haven’t We'd we had

We hadn’t

They They're they are

They aren’t They'll they will

They won’t They'd they would

They wouldn’t They've they have

They haven’t They'd they had

They hadn’t

That That's that is

That isn’t That'll that will

That won’t That'd that would

That wouldn’t That's that has

That hasn’t That'd that had

That hadn’t

Who Who's who is

Who isn’t Who'll who will

Who won’t Who'd who would

Who wouldn’t Who's who has

Who hasn’t Who'd who had

Who hadn’t

What What's/what're what is/what are

What isn’t What'll what will

What won’t What'd what would

What wouldn’t What's what has

What hasn’t What'd what had

What hadn’t

Where Where's where is

Where isn’t Where'll where will

Where won’t Where'd where would

Where wouldn’t

Where's where has

Where hasn’t Where'd where had

Where hadn’t

When When's when is

When isn’t When'll when will

When won’t When'd when would

When wouldn’t

When's when has

When hasn’t When'd when had

When hadn’t

Why Why's why is

Why isn’t Why'll why will

Why won’t Why'd why would

Why wouldn’t Why's why has

Why hasn’t Why'd why had

Why hadn’t

How How's how is

How isn’t How'll how will

How won’t How'd how would

How wouldn’t How's how has

How hasn’t How'd how had

How hadn’t

Related Reference Pages, Activities and Worksheets:

WORDS (negating a verb) CONTRACTION WORDS CONTRACTION

is not isn't would have would've

are not aren't should have should've

was not wasn't could have could've

were not weren't might have might've

have not haven't must have must've

has not hasn't

had not hadn't WORDS (odd ones) CONTRACTION

will not won't of o'

would not wouldn't of the clock o'clock

do not don't madam ma'am

does not doesn't never-do-well ne'er-do-well

did not didn't cat-of-nine-tails cat-o'-nine-tails

cannot can't jack-of-the-lantern jack-o'-lantern

could not couldn't will-of-the-wisp will-o'-the-wisp

should not shouldn't it was 'twas (archaic)

might not mightn't

must not mustn't

Contractions are often confused with possessive pronouns, because of identical pronunciation.

Can you tell me which sentences are correct?

a. Their sleeping in a tent today. b. They're sleeping in a tent today

c. Has the boy lost its toy? d. Has the boy lost it's toy?

e. It's me! f. Its me!

The correct answers are: b, c, and e.

a and e are contracted forms of the verb to "be", c is a possessive pronoun. The remaining sentences are incorrect because a possessive pronoun has

been used instead of a contracted form, or vice versa.