Printable Contractions Worksheets
Contraction worksheets teach 1st through 3rd grade students to combine two words into one using apostrophes to replace missing letters. These printable sheets feature word-pairing drills, sentence rewrites, and answer keys.
Contractions Practice Pack. Ready to Print.
Structured, printable skill sheets with step-by-step guidance for Contractions.
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Contractions for 'is' and 'are'
Place the apostrophe
Contractions for 'is' and 'are'
Two words or one
Contractions for 'not'
Place the apostrophe
Contractions for 'not'
Spot the wrong apostrophe
Write the two words
Write the two words for each contraction
Write the two words
Expand contractions in sentences
Write the contraction
Write the short form for word pairs
Write the contraction
Write contractions in sentences
Contractions for 'will' and 'would'
Place the apostrophe
Contractions for 'will' and 'would'
Tick the words the contraction stands for
About Contractions
What this skill is
A contraction is a shortened form of two words combined into one, where an apostrophe replaces the omitted letter or letters (such as do not becoming don't, or she will becoming she'll).
When children learn it
Common contractions with "not", "is", and "are" are introduced in 1st grade and mastered in 2nd grade (CCSS L.2.2.c). Tricky contractions like won't and would've are practiced in 3rd grade.
Teaching Tips
- Explain that the apostrophe acts like a little bandage covering the spot where the letters fell out. For example, in "do not", the letter o was removed, so the apostrophe goes right where the o used to be (don't). This prevents the common "do'nt" misspelling.
Common Mistakes
- Placing the apostrophe between the two words rather than where the missing letters were removed (writing "do'nt" instead of "don't").
- Confusing contractions with possessive pronouns that sound identical, such as their/there/they're.
- Struggling with irregular contractions like "will not" transforming into "won't".