Reading Contractions
Read and understand contractions with apostrophes, knowing the apostrophe represents omitted letters
What a learner can do afterwards
- Read common contractions in text (e.g. 'I'm', 'we'll', 'don't')
- Match contractions to their expanded forms (e.g. 'I'm' = 'I am')
- Explain that the apostrophe shows where letters are missing
1 · Read
You already say contractions every day, like 'I'm hungry' or 'let's go'. A contraction joins two words into one shorter word. An apostrophe shows where letters are missing.
Look at 'do not'. Together they become 'don't'. The apostrophe stands for the missing o.
To read a contraction, say the sounds before and after the apostrophe. Blend them into one smooth word.
A contraction joins two words. The apostrophe shows missing letters.
More to read
Introduction to contractions
Words can get shorter! When we put two words together, some letters drop out. An apostrophe (') jumps in to hold their place. It is like a little hook that says, "Some letters are missing here."
Look at "do not". Take out the o in "not". Put an apostrophe where the o was. Now you have "don't". It means the same thing, but it is quicker to say.
Here are more. "I am" turns into "I'm". The a drops out, and the apostrophe takes its spot. "We will" turns into "we'll". "She is" turns into "she's".
When you read a word with an apostrophe, try this. Think about which two words hid inside it. Then you will know just what it means. Contractions help us talk and write the way we really speak.
2 · Watch
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