What Are Contractions? (with Examples)

A contraction is an abbreviated version of a word or words.

Click on Two Contractions

Getting ready...

Examples of Contractions

There are two main kinds:

1) Those formed by replacing missing letter(s) with an apostrophe. (These contractions are formed either by shortening a word or merging two words into one.) For example:

don't
can't
shouldn't
he's

Read more about apostrophes in contractions.

(2) Those formed by compressing a word (i.e. without apostrophes)/ For example:

Mr.
Dr.
Prof.
Rev.

(Note: Under UK convention, contractions only attract a full stop (period), when the last letter of the contraction is different from the last letter of the full word.)

Read more about full stops (periods) after contractions.

Only Use Apostrophes to Replace Letters in Standard Contractions

When an apostrophe replaces a letter, a new word is formed (most often, but not always, from two words originally). The new word is called a contraction.

You cannot invent your own contractions. Here is a list of common contractions in English:

Contraction	Original
aren't	are not
can't	cannot
couldn't	could not
didn't	did not
doesn't	does not
don't	do not
hadn't	had not
hasn't	has not
haven't	have not
he'd	he had, he would
he'll	he will, he shall
he's	he is, he has
I'd	I had, I would
I'll	I will, I shall
I'm	I am
I've	I have
isn't	is not
it's	it is, it has
let's	let us
mustn't	must not
shan't	shall not
she'd	she had, she would
she'll	she will, she shall
she's	she is, she has
shouldn't	should not
that's	that is, that has
there's	there is, there has
they'd	they had, they would
they'll	they will, they shall
they're	they are
they've	they have
we'd	we had, we would
we're	we are
we've	we have
weren't	were not
what'll	what will, what shall
what're	what are
what's	what is, what has
what've	what have
where's	where is, where has
who'd	who had, who would
who'll	who will, who shall
who're	who are
who's	who is, who has
who've	who have
won't	will not
wouldn't	would not
you'd	you had, you would
you'll	you will, you shall
you're	you are
you've	you have

Interactive Test

Not in Business Writing

Usually, business writing demands more formality than the use of contractions portrays. So, unless you're deliberately trying to show an informal image, don't use contractions (like can't, doesn't etc.) in business writing. Expand them to the full versions.

Expanding Contractions Can Help Avoid Grammatical Howlers

If you always expand your contraction, you are less likely to make a mistake with the following:

Related Pages

What Are Contractions? (with Examples)