Contracted verb forms are used in writing. We use them to save time and space in our writing. Learn the following contracted verb forms in English and use them in informal writing, not in formal writing.
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Contracted Verb Forms
Contractions are forms like I’ve and he’ll. There are two kinds of contractions:
1) Noun/pronoun etc + auxiliary verb
- He’s coming. (= He is coming.)
- I’m tired. (= I am tired.)
- I’ve no idea what he is going to do. (= I have no idea what he is going to do.)
- My father’s not very well. (= My father is not very well.)
- There’s a problem. (= There is a problem.)
2) Auxiliary verb + not
- They aren’t ready. (= They are not ready.)
- He won’t come. (= He will not come.)
- I haven’t seen him in years. (= I have not seen him in years.)
Forming Verb Forms
Contractions are formed with auxiliary verbs. The short form ’s (= is/has) can be written after nouns, question words, here and now.
- Here’s our bus.
- My mother’s coming with us.
- Where’s John?
The short forms (’ll, ’d and ’re) are common after pronouns and unstressed there. In other cases, we usually write the full forms.
Note that contractions are not usually written with double subjects.
- Alice and I have decided to start a business. (NOT Alice and I’ve decided to start a business.)
Remember: Contractions are common and correct in informal writing. We do not normally use them in formal writing.
List of some common contractions
I’m | I am | She’d | She would/had |
I’ve | I have | It’s | It is/has |
I’ll | I will | They’re | They are |
I’d | I would/had | There’ve | There have |
You’re | You are | We’ve | We have |
You’ve | You have | We’re | We are |
You’ll | You will | Aren’t | Are not |
You’d | You would/had | Isn’t | Is not |
He’s | He is/has | Doesn’t | Does not |
He’ll | He will | Didn’t | Did not |
He’d | He would/had | Won’t | Will not |
She’s | She is/has | Can’t | Cannot |
She’ll | She will | Hasn’t & Haven’t | Has not & Have not |
Exercise 1:
Put the verbs in parentheses into the blanks and form affirmative sentences. Use the short/contracted forms of the auxiliaries only
Example:
- She__________ a newspaper. (to read)
- Answer: She’s reading a newspaper.
1) He…………………………………………….. a film. (to watch)
2) We……………………………………………. a computer game. (to play)
3) Look at that dog. It…………………………………… at the cat. (to bark)
4) He……………………………………………… his rabbits. (to feed)
5) They…………………………………………… a song. (to sing)
6) She……………………………………………… her hair. (to wash)
7) I………………………………………………….. to Doris. (to talk)
8) She……………………………………………… a picture. (to draw)
9) They……………………………………………. their mother. (to help)
10) You…………………………………………….. the poem by heart. (to learn)
Exercise 2:
Use the full forms of verbs in the following sentences where necessary.
1. I am very glad because of Mary’s…………………………………………French is better.
2. It’s…………………………………………. because she practices a lot.
3. I think she’s ………………………………….. often been to France.
4. Who’s………………………………………….. the girl near Jenny?
5. Don’t you recognize Mrs. Palmer’s ………………………………….. daughter?
6. How amazing! She’s…………………………………… never come to the school, has she?
7. She’s……………………………………………………… a very shy girl, you see.
8. Is she Jenny’s ……………………………………………..friend?
9. She’s ……………………………………………… been Jenny’s friend since September.
10. What’s …………………………………….. she doing?
11. I suppose she’s ………………………………………. helping Jenny with her English.
12. That’s ……………………………………………. very nice of her!
13. She`s …………………………………………….. come to Learn ESL for enrollment.
14. He`s………………………………………………been to Pakistan many times.