Practice with Contractions: is
- The Verb to be
I’m happy. She’s American.
- Auxiliary Verbs
These include be, would, will, and have. He’s working. He’d like to go. I’ll call you. I’ve been there.
- The Word not
Not is contracted when it follows have, be, can, could, should, would, and must. I haven’t been there. I can’t do that.
Practice with Contractions: will
- I will do it. I’ll do it.
- You will like it. You’ll like it.
- He will call you. He’ll call you.
- We will take it. We’ll take it.
- They will see. They’ll see.
- It will rain. It’ll rain.
- It will be good. It’ll be good.
- That will be all. That’ll be all.
- There will be snow. There’ll be snow.
Practice with Contractions: would
- I would go. I’d go.
- I would like some more. I’d like some more.
- He would go if he could. He’d go if he could.
- She would understand. She’d understand.
- We would like to see it. We’d like to see it.
Practice with Contractions: had
Note that this contraction sounds the same as the contraction of would.
- I had never seen it before. I’d never seen it before.
- She had known about it. She’d known about it.
- You had better fix it. You’d better fix it.
Practice with Contractions: have*
- I have been there. I’ve been there.
- I have already eaten. I’ve already eaten.
- We have heard. We’ve heard.
- They have done it. They’ve done it.
- I would have done it. I would’ve done it.
- You should have told me. You should’ve told me.
- You must have seen it. You must’ve seen it.
*Note: Americans generally contract the verb have only if it functions as an auxiliary verb. For example we say: “I’ve been” and “I’ve heard.” But if have is the main verb, we don’t say, “I’ve a car.” We say, “I have a car.”
Practice with Contractions: has
- She has left. She’s left.
- It has been fun. It’s been fun.
- He has already eaten. He’s already eaten.
- Who has seen the film? Who’s seen the film?
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