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Cambridge Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org › us › grammar › british-grammar › contractions
Contractions - English Grammar Today - Cambridge Dictionary
Contractions, which are sometimes called ‘short forms’, commonly combine a pronoun or noun and a verb, or a verb and not, in a shorter form. Contractions are usually not appropriate in formal writing.
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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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Grammarly
grammarly.com › blog › grammar › contractions
What Are Contractions in Writing? Definition and Examples | Grammarly
August 10, 2022 - Have and has are two of the most common words in contractions, whether they’re preceded by subjects (we’ve, it’s) or phrased as negatives (haven’t, hasn’t). However, have and has can be used as contractions only when they’re modal verbs, another name for helper verbs. When have or has is used as a main verb with the meaning “to own, possess, or hold,” they cannot be used as contractions.
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Scribbr
scribbr.com › home › contractions (grammar) | definition & examples
Contractions (Grammar) | Definition & Examples
May 2, 2025 - 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.
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GCFGlobal
edu.gcfglobal.org › en › grammar › contractions › 1
Grammar: Contractions
Here are some of the contractions you'll see the most: You might have noticed that the word won't is a little different from the other contractions. It means will not, even though the word will isn't there. This is because won't is based on a much older form of the word will. Even though the word changed, the contraction stayed the same! If anyone tells you that you should never use contractions in writing, they're wrong.
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QuillBot
quillbot.com › home › contractions (grammar) | definition, list & examples
Contractions (Grammar) | Definition, List & Examples
Contractions are words in English grammar that are usually shortened versions of two-word pairs (e.g., “could’ve” for “could have”). Each contraction has an apostrophe (‘) to indicate where one or more letters have been omitted (e.g., “h” and “a” in “could’ve”). ...
Published   May 12, 2025
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Dictionary.com
dictionary.com › browse › contraction
CONTRACTION Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
CONTRACTION definition: an act or instance of contracting or the quality or state of being contracted. See examples of contraction used in a sentence.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Contraction_(grammar)
Contraction (grammar) - Wikipedia
2 weeks ago - They may be considered idiomatic though the meaning of most were transparent when coined. Many are usually written hyphenated, but that reflects a common preference to hyphenate English compounds (except verbs) containing prepositions. "Fixed" is a matter of degree, and in this case, it essentially means "standard": that the contraction ...
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LanguageTool
languagetool.org › home › contractions: what they are and how to form them
Contractions: What They Are and How To Form Them
July 29, 2025 - Contractions are shortened versions of words or phrases formed by omitting certain letters. In writing, an apostrophe indicates the omission. Examples of
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Dictionary.com
dictionary.com › e › their-vs-there-vs-theyre
“Their” vs. “There” vs. “They’re”: What’s the ...
October 24, 2024 - Their is the possessive case of the pronoun they, meaning belonging to them. As in: They left their cell phones at home. Their is generally plural, but it is increasingly accepted in place of the singular his or her after words such as someone: Someone left their book on the table. They’re is a contraction of the words they and are.
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Merriam-Webster
merriam-webster.com › dictionary › contraction
CONTRACTION Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of CONTRACTION is the action or process of contracting : the state of being contracted. How to use contraction in a sentence.
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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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Reddit
reddit.com › r/grammar › can i use “they’re” as a contraction for “they were”?
r/grammar on Reddit: Can I use “they’re” as a contraction for “they were”?
November 6, 2023 - Maybe in spoken english "they were" ... alwasy "they are" ... Thanks for the responses. I’m not a writer it’s just something my autocorrect does sometimes, it made me wonder if that’s correct. More like auto”wrong” ... I'd say no. I don't know of any dialect that would ever do that. It would make it difficult to tell simple past from simple present in many cases. Double contractions - "You would've" ...
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ThoughtCo
thoughtco.com › contractions-commonly-used-informal-english-1692651
What Are Contractions in English Grammar?
April 29, 2025 - For instance, "Sam's finished his term paper" implies completion in the past (Sam has finished), while "Sam's tired" is in the present tense, meaning Sam is. They may look odd in print, but certain multiple contractions such as I'd've (or I'd'a) and wouldn't've are fairly common in speech.
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freeCodeCamp
freecodecamp.org › news › what-is-a-contraction-grammar-and-definition
What is a Contraction? Grammar and Definition
September 20, 2021 - They are informal and casual, since they give your writing a more friendly, light, accessible, and approachable tone. Contractions can make the reader feel like you are talking directly to them and having a conversation. It helps make your writing appear uncomplicated for everyone to understand and make sense of. Because contractions are shorter, it also means that they take up less space.
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Merriam-Webster
merriam-webster.com › grammar & usage › commonly confused › how to use they're, there, and their | merriam-webster
How to Use They're, There, and Their | Merriam-Webster
March 11, 2025 - They generally indicate contraction of two words, as in can't = cannot, we’ve = we have, or he’s = he is, or omission of a letter or letters, as in singin' for singing and 'em for them in stick it to 'em. They're (=they are) funny people.
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Cozy Grammar
cozygrammar.com › home › they’re great! how to use apostrophes in contractions
They're Great! How To Use Apostrophes In Contractions – Cozy Grammar
May 3, 2021 - However, if you remember that the word they're is actually a contraction for they are, you'll never confuse it with there or their.