Contractions: 4 Types of Contractions in English Grammar

A contraction is a combination of two or more words that creates a shorter new word by omitting some letters and sounds. Contractions typically appear in colloquial speech and informal writing. You can form contractions by combining subject pronouns and verbs, and interrogative adverbs and verbs, verbs and the word “not,” as well as by omitting letters for informal, spoken contractions.

Contractions, abbreviations, and acronyms are all shortened forms of words, but there are differences in length. A contraction is a combination of two or more words that create a new, shorter word. An abbreviation is a shortened form of one word or phrase, and an acronym is an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of a group of words.

Contractions are an important part of English speech and English grammar. Contractions make words smaller, which makes them easier and faster to say. Contractions contribute to a conversational tone, so it’s best to avoid using contractions in formal speeches, formal writing, and academic papers. Some contractions, such as “o’clock,” are fine to use in formal writing since the contracted form is more known than the phrase “of the clock.”

Four common types of contractions are:

1. 1. Subject pronoun + verb: The most common type of contraction is a combination of a subject pronoun and a verb. For example, the subject pronoun “I” and the verb “have” combine to form the contraction “I’ve.” Other examples include “she’s,” “you’ll,” “and we’d.” Contractions can also use nouns and words like “here” and “there,” as in the sentence “Here’s your coffee.”
2. 2. Interrogative adverbs: When writing interrogative sentences, you can combine interrogative adverbs and verbs to create contractions. For example, the interrogative “what” and the verb “is” pair to create “what’s.”
3. 3. Verb + “not”: You can create a negative contraction by combining a verb and the word “not.” For example, the verb “can” and the word “not” join to create the contraction “can’t.” Other examples include “won’t,” “shouldn’t,” and “wouldn’t.”
4. 4. Informal contractions: Informal contractions are contractions of speech that represent how a contracted word sounds. The contraction “gonna” is a colloquial contraction of the words “going” and “to.” Another example is “y’all,” which combines “you” and “all.” Informal contractions can also end with an apostrophe, such as “movin’,” which omits the “g” in “moving” to make the word shorter.

Remember these grammatical rules when creating contractions:

• Place contractions after pronouns and question words. Contractions usually occur after "I," "you," "he," "she," "it," "we," and "they." Contractions can also begin with question words, such as “who,” “what,” or “where.”
• Choose an auxiliary verb. Contractions often involve an auxiliary verb, also known as a helping verb. These verbs include the auxiliary forms of the verbs “have” and “to be”—including “am,” “are,” and “is.”
  
• Add an apostrophe. Replace the excised vowel in a contraction with an apostrophe. It is usually the vowel of the verb following the first word. Contractions can also occur between an auxiliary verb and the word “not,” in which case you replace the “o” with an apostrophe.
• Use contractions in casual writing. Multiple contractions in one sentence can make your writing sound informal, so limit your use of contractions in formal writing.

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