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San Jose State University
sjsu.edu › writingcenter › docs › handouts › Contractions.pdf pdf
Contractions [pdf]
Here are some common contractions and the groups of words that they represent. aren’t  are not · there’s  there is; there has · can’t  can not · they’d  they had; they would · couldn’t  could not · they’ll  they will; they shall ·
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Elephango
elephango.com › index.cfm › pg › k12learning › lcid › 11877 › Contractions:_Had_and_Have
Contractions: Had and Have Educational Resources K12 Learning, Grammar, English / Language Arts Lesson Plans, Activities, Experiments, Homeschool Help
The contraction in the sentence you just read is we'd. If you break up the word "we'd," you will have the words "we" and "had." Contractions can also contain the word "have." When you combine one word with the word "have," you need to add an apostrophe, then a v and an e. Ask your parent or teacher to read the examples below out loud to you: ... They've been to this zoo before!
Discussions

Use of "had" contraction with a plural subject
Yes, you can make that contraction, but only when speaking. Nobody will understand what you mean if you write it down. Well, they might, but it looks funny. This goes for any noun. The written contraction only exists for pronouns. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/EnglishLearning
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November 3, 2022
Contraction of Have/Has/Had - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Can I use the contraction after a proper noun? Please look at this sentence. Anu'd been living with her parents and two elder brothers. [For Informal Context] More on english.stackexchange.com
🌐 english.stackexchange.com
July 15, 2020
What are your feelings on contractions?
Rules differ depending on the form and function of the writing. For fiction, contractions are fine and can even help with readability and reader engagement (e.g., “this character talks like me!”). For scholastic, business, or legal writing, contractions may be less appropriate. Some of this depends on the organization. A journal manuscript follows very different rules than a screenplay. I have no problem using or reading contractions. It’s all about the tone and formality appropriate to the form and function of a piece. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/writing
192
188
January 29, 2022
My friends tell me that my use of contractions is illegal.
Contractions reflect the way that we naturally reduce words in casual speech, and the vast majority of English speakers would not perceive what you are doing as natural. You can talk however you want, but your contractions violate most people's idea of grammar. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/grammar
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August 25, 2013
People also ask

What is the difference between an abbreviation and a contraction?
Abbreviations and contractions are both used to shorten a word, but in different ways. · An abbreviation is formed using the initial letters (or sometimes other parts) of a longer word or phrase to represent the whole. Common examples include “Mr.” for “Mister,” “Dr.” for “Doctor,” and “NASA” for “National Aeronautics and Space Administration.” They are used in formal writing as well as everyday conversations. · A contraction, on the other hand, is formed by combining two words and omitting one or more letters. The deleted letters are replaced with an apostrophe (e.g., “cannot” becomes “can’t”
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scribbr.com
scribbr.com › home › contractions (grammar) | definition & examples
Contractions (Grammar) | Definition & Examples
What are contractions (words)?
Contractions are short words that are made by combining two words. This is often done by deleting certain letters and replacing them with an apostrophe (e.g., “do not” becomes “don’t”). · Although contractions are common in everyday speech, they should generally be avoided in formal or academic writing. However, there are exceptions (e.g., when writing dialogue in a story or directly quoting an author who uses contractions in your paper). · A good rule of thumb is to consider your audience and the intended effect of your writing when deciding whether to use contractions.
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scribbr.com
scribbr.com › home › contractions (grammar) | definition & examples
Contractions (Grammar) | Definition & Examples
What is the difference between a contraction and a portmanteau?
Contractions and portmanteaus are similar in that they are both formed by combining two words and omitting some letters. However, there is a difference between them: · Contractions usually combine two words that are often used together (e.g., “do not” becomes “don’t”). A contraction has the same meaning as its uncontracted form. · A portmanteau is formed by blending two words together to create a new word with a different meaning. For example, “brunch” is a combination of “breakfast” and “lunch.” This is also called a neologism.
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scribbr.com
scribbr.com › home › contractions (grammar) | definition & examples
Contractions (Grammar) | Definition & Examples
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Speakspeak
speakspeak.com › resources › english-grammar-rules › various-grammar-rules › apostrophe-d-had-or-would
‘d = “had” or “would”
May 15, 2018 - The contraction I’d can mean “I would” or “I had”. ... You’d = you would or you had He’d = he would or he had She’d = she would or she had It’d = it would or it had We’d = we would or we had They’d = they would or they had
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Enchanted Learning
enchantedlearning.com › grammar › contractions › index.shtml
Contractions - Enchanted Learning
March 9, 2006 - For example, “don’t” is a contraction that is short for “do not”; the apostrophe in “don’t” takes the place of the missing “o”. Another example is “o’clock,” a contraction “of the clock.” A less common example of a contraction is “jack-o’-lantern,” short for “jack-of-lantern”; in it, the apostrophe takes the place of the missing “f” in “of.”
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University of Nevada, Reno
unr.edu › university › writing & speaking center › writing & speaking resources › contractions
Contractions | University Writing & Speaking Center | University of Nevada, Reno
Contractions that take out the first letter of the second word: I’m = I am · They’re = They are · I’d = I had · She’s = She is · How’s = How is · Contractions that take out the second letter of the second word: Note: Contractions that use the word “not” will replace the “o” with an apostrophe (‘).
Find elsewhere
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YouTube
youtube.com › english with lucy
How to pronounce the contractions in English - we'd | they'll | he'd | they're | it'd - YouTube
Learn how to pronounce and use contractions like I'M, WE'D, THEY'LL, WE'RE, THEY'RE, HE'D, IT'D. I will teach you the correct usage and pronunciation of thes...
Published   June 22, 2022
Views   603K
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Grammar Monster
grammar-monster.com › glossary › contractions.htm
Contractions: Explanation and Examples
A contraction is a type of abbreviation. Contractions are formed by replacing missing letters with an apostrophe (e.g., you're, it's, they're) or by compressing a word (e.g., Mr., Prof., Rev.).
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ThoughtCo
thoughtco.com › contractions-commonly-used-informal-english-1692651
Ain't, Won't, Should've: How to Use Contractions Properly
April 29, 2025 - Because of their colloquial nature, negative tags are commonly contracted: didn't we? haven't you? aren't they? This is much less formal than did not we? or did we not? Most contractions ending in 'd and 's are ambiguous. The 'd can represent either had or would; 's can represent either has or is.
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Scribbr
scribbr.com › home › contractions (grammar) | definition & examples
Contractions (Grammar) | Definition & Examples
May 2, 2025 - You can practice your understanding of contractions with the following questions. Fill in the correct answer: ... I (hadn’t/had’n’t) ____ seen them for a long time, and one day we ran into each other at the supermarket. I (do’t/don’t)__ know (who’s/whose) ____ idea this was, but it was a terrible one. ... They ...
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Grammarly
grammarly.com › blog › grammar › contractions
What Are Contractions in Writing? Definition and Examples | Grammarly
August 10, 2022 - Even though they represent multiple words, contractions act as a single word. Moreover, contractions all have a definite spelling, which means you can’t just combine words however you like. Be careful, though, because two different contractions can be spelled the same, such as I would and I had, which are both contracted as I’d.
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Grammarphobia
grammarphobia.com › home › english language › a contraction too far?
The Grammarphobia Blog: A contraction too far?
August 6, 2020 - IT’D, THAT’D, THERE’D, THIS’D, WHAT’D. Notice how these ’d endings seem to add a syllable that lands with a thud? And they look ridiculously clumsy in writing. Let’s use the ’d contractions (for had or would ) only with I, you, he, she, we, they, and who.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Wikipedia:List_of_English_contractions
Wikipedia:List of English contractions - Wikipedia
"Ain't That a Shame") consist of or contain contractions; these are covered at Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Trademarks and Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Titles, respectively.
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University of Sussex
sussex.ac.uk › informatics › punctuation › apostrophe › contractions
Contractions : The Apostrophe
In standard English, this generally happens only with a small number of conventional items, mostly involving verbs. Here are some of the commonest examples, with their uncontracted equivalents: it's · it is or it has · we'll · we will or we shall · they've · they have · can't · can not ...
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EnglishClub
englishclub.com › pronunciation › contractions.php
Contractions Pronunciation | Learn English
Pronunciation help and tips for common contractions, including homophones and common confusions. Pronunciation for learners of English.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/englishlearning › use of "had" contraction with a plural subject
r/EnglishLearning on Reddit: Use of "had" contraction with a plural subject
November 3, 2022 -

Hi! I have a question about the use of contractions and "had."

I know that had can be contracted when it is used as an auxiliary (I had gone = I'd gone) but not when it is used as the main verb (I had a house =/= I'd a house).

Now, what happens when there is a *plural* subject, as in, "the lies had gone too far." Can this be contracted as "The lies'd gone too far?"

Thanks!

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GCFGlobal
edu.gcfglobal.org › en › grammar › contractions › 1
Grammar: Contractions
This is an apostrophe. Knowing where to put the apostrophe can seem tricky, but there's a pretty simple rule that works with every contraction. Remember how we said contractions are made of two words that have been shortened?
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Espresso English
espressoenglish.net › home › english tips blog › 50+ contractions in english: list & examples
50+ Contractions in English: List & Examples - Espresso English
July 16, 2024 - We use contractions with had in the past perfect tense, as in these examples: By the time I arrived, he’d already left. We’d been thinking about selling our house, but we changed our minds. They said they’d gotten a dog.