Year 1 English: Contractions: I’m, can’t and don’t
Part of the Year 1 English adding endings chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Contractions: I’m, can’t and don’t
A contraction joins two words into one short word. We leave out a letter or two, and put an apostrophe (’) in their place.
I am → I’m. It is → it’s. Do not → don’t. Cannot → can’t.
Key ideas
- A contraction joins two words into one short word.
- The apostrophe (’) shows the letters left out.
- Common ones: I’m, it’s, don’t, can’t, that’s, let’s.
- Read the whole sentence to check it makes sense.
Key words. A contraction is two words made into one short word. The apostrophe is the small mark (’).
Method. A short form joins two words into one. The apostrophe shows where letters have been left out.
- Say the two words in full. Say them slowly, one after the other.I am
- Find the letters that are left out. The apostrophe goes in the place of the missing letters.I am → I’m
- Write the short form. I’m
Check. Say the short form in full: I'm means I am. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe goes where the letters were, not at the start of the word.
Key words. A contraction is two words made into one short word. The apostrophe is the small mark (’).
Method. A short form joins two words into one. The apostrophe shows where letters have been left out.
- Say the two words in full. Say them slowly, one after the other.it is
- Find the letters that are left out. The apostrophe goes in the place of the missing letters.it is → it’s
- Write the short form. it’s
Check. Say the short form in full: it's means it is. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe goes where the letters were, not at the start of the word.
Key words. A contraction is two words made into one short word. The apostrophe is the small mark (’).
Method. A short form joins two words into one. The apostrophe shows where letters have been left out.
- Say the two words in full. Say them slowly, one after the other.cannot
- Find the letters that are left out. The apostrophe goes in the place of the missing letters.cannot → can’t
- Write the short form. can’t
Check. Say the short form in full: can't means cannot. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe goes where the letters were, not at the start of the word.
Watch out
Watch out: write the apostrophe in the right place. Write don’t, not dont. The apostrophe is not a letter, but it must be there.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Read a sentence out loud, then say it in full: “I’m happy” means “I am happy”. Ask your child which letter has gone missing.
Exercise 5E Short forms with an apostrophe
Key words. A contraction is two words made into one short word. The apostrophe is the small mark (’).
Method. A short form joins two words into one. The apostrophe shows where letters have been left out.
- Say the two words in full. Say them slowly, one after the other.do not
- Find the letters that are left out. The apostrophe goes in the place of the missing letters.do not → don’t
- Write the short form. don’t
Check. Say the short form in full: don't means do not. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe goes where the letters were, not at the start of the word.
Key words. A contraction is two words made into one short word. The apostrophe is the small mark (’).
Method. A short form joins two words into one. The apostrophe shows where letters have been left out.
- Say the two words in full. Say them slowly, one after the other.is not
- Find the letters that are left out. The apostrophe goes in the place of the missing letters.is not → isn’t
- Write the short form. isn’t
Check. Say the short form in full: isn't means is not. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe goes where the letters were, not at the start of the word.
Key words. A contraction is two words made into one short word. The apostrophe is the small mark (’).
Method. A short form joins two words into one. The apostrophe shows where letters have been left out.
- Say the two words in full. Say them slowly, one after the other.that is
- Find the letters that are left out. The apostrophe goes in the place of the missing letters.that is → that’s
- Write the short form. that’s
Check. Say the short form in full: that's means that is. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe goes where the letters were, not at the start of the word.
Key words. A contraction is two words made into one short word. The apostrophe is the small mark (’).
Method. A short form joins two words into one. The apostrophe shows where letters have been left out.
- Say the two words in full. Say them slowly, one after the other.let us
- Find the letters that are left out. The apostrophe goes in the place of the missing letters.let us → let’s
- Write the short form. let’s
Check. Say the short form in full: let's means let us. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe goes where the letters were, not at the start of the word.
Key words. A contraction is two words made into one short word. The apostrophe is the small mark (’).
Method. A short form joins two words into one. The apostrophe shows where letters have been left out.
- Say the two words in full. Say them slowly, one after the other.did not
- Find the letters that are left out. The apostrophe goes in the place of the missing letters.did not → didn’t
- Write the short form. didn’t
Check. Say the short form in full: didn't means did not. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe goes where the letters were, not at the start of the word.
Key words. A contraction is two words made into one short word. The apostrophe is the small mark (’).
Method. A short form joins two words into one. The apostrophe shows where letters have been left out.
- Say the two words in full. Say them slowly, one after the other.cannot
- Find the letters that are left out. The apostrophe goes in the place of the missing letters.cannot → can’t
- Write the short form. can’t
Check. Say the short form in full: can't means cannot. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe goes where the letters were, not at the start of the word.
Key words. A contraction is two words made into one short word. The apostrophe is the small mark (’).
Method. A short form joins two words into one. The apostrophe shows where letters have been left out.
- Say the two words in full. Say them slowly, one after the other.it is
- Find the letters that are left out. The apostrophe goes in the place of the missing letters.it is → it’s
- Write the short form. it’s
Check. Say the short form in full: it's means it is. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe goes where the letters were, not at the start of the word.
Key words. A contraction is two words made into one short word. The apostrophe is the small mark (’).
Method. A short form joins two words into one. The apostrophe shows where letters have been left out.
- Say the two words in full. Say them slowly, one after the other.I am
- Find the letters that are left out. The apostrophe goes in the place of the missing letters.I am → I’m
- Write the short form. I’m
Check. Say the short form in full: I'm means I am. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe goes where the letters were, not at the start of the word.
Key words. A contraction is two words made into one short word. The apostrophe is the small mark (’).
Method. A short form joins two words into one. The apostrophe shows where letters have been left out.
- Say the two words in full. Say them slowly, one after the other.cannot
- Find the letters that are left out. The apostrophe goes in the place of the missing letters.cannot → can’t
- Write the short form. can’t
Check. Say the short form in full: can't means cannot. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe goes where the letters were, not at the start of the word.
Method. Open up the short form. Put back the letters that were left out.
- Read the short form. Look for the apostrophe. It shows where letters are missing.isn’t
- Put the missing letters back. Say the two words in full, one after the other.isn’t → is not
- Write the two words. is not
Check. Check the meaning: isn't means is not. ✓
Watch out. Do not write the apostrophe in the full words. Write each word in full.
Method. Open up the short form. Put back the letters that were left out.
- Read the short form. Look for the apostrophe. It shows where letters are missing.didn’t
- Put the missing letters back. Say the two words in full, one after the other.didn’t → did not
- Write the two words. did not
Check. Check the meaning: didn't means did not. ✓
Watch out. Do not write the apostrophe in the full words. Write each word in full.
Method. Open up the short form. Put back the letters that were left out.
- Read the short form. Look for the apostrophe. It shows where letters are missing.let’s
- Put the missing letters back. Say the two words in full, one after the other.let’s → let us
- Write the two words. let us
Check. Check the meaning: let's means let us. ✓
Watch out. Do not write the apostrophe in the full words. Write each word in full.
Method. Choose the short form that matches the words the bus driver says.
- Read the sentence. The bus is not late, so we need is not.The bus ___ late today.
- Join the two words. is not becomes isn’t, with an apostrophe where the o is missing.is not → isn’t
- Write the answer. isn’t
Check. Read it back: The bus isn’t late today. It makes sense. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe goes where the o is missing.
Method. Ali left out a letter. Put the missing letter back.
- Read the word Ali wrote. dont has no apostrophe.dont
- Find the missing letter. do not has the letter o from not missing.do not → don’t
- Write the answer. The apostrophe goes where the o is left out.don’t
Check. Read it back: I don’t know. It makes sense. ✓
Watch out. Always check the apostrophe. It is not a spare mark.
Method. Think about the two words do not.
- Look at do not. The two words are do and not.do + not
- Find the letter that goes. The o in not is left out, so the apostrophe goes in its place.not → n’t
- Write the answer. The o in not is left out.
Check. Read don’t in full: do not. ✓
Watch out. Look at the letters of the two words, not just the new word.