English Contractions Worksheet/Game

English Contractions Worksheet/Game
Master English contractions with this interactive phonics game! Play in Multiple Choice or Type-In mode to practice combining root words using an apostrophe.

 

 

How to Play English Contractions Game
Objective: Combine two root words into their shortened contraction form by placing the apostrophe in the correct spot and removing the clipped letters.

Choose Your Game Mode
At the top of the screen, select how you want to play:
Option 1: Multiple Choice – Great for practicing and spotting common spelling traps.
Option 2: Type-In Challenge – Advanced mode where you must type out the correct spelling completely from scratch!

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Read the Equation: Look at the formula inside the dashed box (e.g., do + not or she + would).
   
2. Listen to the Word: Click the Audio Speaker Button (🔊) to hear the contraction pronounced out loud to help you figure out the sound structure.
   
3. Submit Your Answer:
   In Multiple Choice Mode: Click on the button with the correct spelling and apostrophe placement.
   In Type-In Challenge Mode: Click inside the text field, type your answer (don’t forget the apostrophe!), and press Enter or click Submit Answer.
   
4. Read the Feedback:
   Spot on! The screen turns green, a chime plays, and a helpful rule snippet explains which letters were “sliced” away.
   Spelling Trap! The screen turns red, a low buzzer plays, and the lab notes show you the proper spelling rule so you can catch it next time.
   
5. Keep Advancing: Click Next Word ➔ to move on. See if you can get a perfect score across all 12 randomized rounds!
   

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English Contractions
In English, a contraction is a shortened form of a word or a group of words. We create them by pushing two words together, dropping one or more letters, and replacing those missing letters with an apostrophe (’).
Think of the apostrophe as a placeholder or a “bookmark” for the letters that were sliced away.

How Contractions Are Built
When you merge two words, the first word usually stays exactly the same, while the second word gets a few letters chopped off.

The Formula:
Word 1 + Word 2 → Combined Word with Apostrophe
For example, when combining do and not:
Drop the “o” in not.
Replace it with an ’.
Push them together: don’t.

The Main Categories of Contractions
Most contractions in English happen when we pair common pronouns or nouns with verbs (like is, are, am, will, have, would), or when we pair a verb with the negative word not.

1. The “Not” Contractions (Negatives)
   These are used to make a sentence negative. The “o” in not is almost always the letter that gets replaced by the apostrophe.
   

   Original Words	Contraction	What was dropped?
   is + not	isn’t	The “o”
   should + not	shouldn’t	The “o”
   can + not	can’t	An “n” and the “o”
   will + not	won’t	Irregular structure!

2. Pronoun + “To Be” Verbs (am, is, are)
   These are highly conversational and used constantly in day-to-day speaking.
   

   Original Words	Contraction	What was dropped?
   I + am	I’m	The “a”
   he + is / she + is	he’s / she’s	The “i”
   they + are / we + are	they’re / we’re	The “a”

3. Pronoun + Future/Past Verbs (will, would, have)
   

   Original Words	Contraction	What was dropped?
   I + will	I’ll	The “w” and “i”
   you + have	you’ve	The “h” and “a”
   they + would	they’d	The “w”, “o”, “u”, and “l”

Common Spelling Traps to Avoid
Contractions can sometimes look or sound exactly like other words, which leads to frequent writing mistakes (even for native speakers!).

It’s vs. Its
It’s = “It is” (e.g., It’s raining outside.)
Its = Possessive form belonging to it (e.g., The dog wagged its tail.)

They’re vs. Their vs. There
They’re = “They are” (e.g., They’re going to the park.)
Their = Belonging to them (e.g., That is their house.)
There = A location or place (e.g., Look over there!)

Who’s vs. Whose
Who’s = “Who is” (e.g., Who’s coming to dinner?)
Whose = Belonging to whom (e.g., Whose jacket is this?)

When Should You Use Them?
In Speech and Informal Writing: Contractions sound natural, smooth, and friendly. Use them freely in text messages, emails to friends, creative writing, and dialogue.
In Formal Writing: It is generally recommended to avoid contractions in academic essays, research papers, legal documents, and formal business letters. Writing out “do not” instead of “don’t” makes your writing sound more objective and professional.

Contractions | English Song for Kids

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