English Language Arts
Grade 3
15 min
Use contractions in a sentence
Use contractions in a sentence
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1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define a contraction and identify the two words it represents.
Correctly place an apostrophe to form a common contraction.
Replace two words with the correct contraction in a given sentence.
Write original sentences using at least five different contractions.
Identify and correct sentences with misused contractions.
Differentiate between common homophones like it's/its and they're/their.
Do you want to make your writing sound more like how you talk? Let's learn a cool shortcut that writers use! ✍️
We are going to learn about contractions, which are a shorter way to write two words. Using contractions can make your stories and paragraphs sound more friendly and natural, just like a real conversation.
Real-World Applications
Making dialo...
2
Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
ContractionA shorter word made by combining two words. We use a special mark to show where letters are missing.The word 'don't' is a contraction for 'do not'.
ApostropheThe punctuation mark (') that looks like a floating comma. In a contraction, it takes the place of the missing letter or letters.In 'can't', the apostrophe takes the place of the letters 'n' and 'o' in 'cannot'.
Omitted LetterA letter that is left out when two words are combined to make a contraction.In 'he's' (he is), the letter 'i' is the omitted letter.
'not' ContractionsContractions that are formed by joining a verb with the word 'not'.'is not' becomes 'isn't&...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Apostrophe Rule
Apostrophe (') = Missing Letter(s)
When you combine two words to make a contraction, always put an apostrophe exactly where the letter or letters were taken out.
The 'not' Contraction Formula
Verb + not -> Verb + n't
To make a contraction with 'not', you usually remove the 'o' from 'not' and replace it with an apostrophe. For example, 'did not' becomes 'didn't'.
The Pronoun + Verb Formula
Pronoun + Verb -> Pronoun'VerbEnding
To make a contraction with a pronoun and a verb like 'is', 'are', or 'will', you usually remove the first letter or two of the verb and replace them with an apostrophe. For example, 'you are' becomes...
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Challenging
Read the short paragraph: '(1) My dog is named Max. (2) He is always happy to see me. (3) We play fetch every day. (4) It is his favorite game.' Which numbered sentence CANNOT be rewritten with a contraction?
A.Sentence 3
B.Sentence 1
C.Sentence 2
D.Sentence 4
Challenging
A teacher says to a student, 'You did not fail the test. You are a very smart student.' Why might the teacher choose NOT to use the contractions 'didn't' and 'you're'?
A.Because contractions are only for questions.
B.To make the words 'not' and 'are' sound stronger and more important.
C.Because the teacher does not know how to use contractions.
D.To make the sentence shorter and faster to say.
Challenging
Most contractions follow a simple pattern, like 'you are' becomes 'you're'. Which of these contractions is the most unusual because it changes the letters of the first word?
A.I have -> I've
B.does not -> doesn't
C.she is -> she's
D.will not -> won't
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