Contractions — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. In Grade 3 writing, the contraction for 'have not' is spelled haven't with the apostrophe between n and t.
Grade 3 students place the apostrophe between the n and t in 'haven't' because the 'o' from 'not' is missing.
2. The correct Grade 3 contraction for 'should not' is shouldn't with the apostrophe between the n and the t.
In Grade 3, 'shouldn't' has the apostrophe between 'n' and 't' to mark the dropped 'o' from 'not'.
3. For 'we will' the Grade 3 contraction is we'll with the apostrophe between the e and the first l.
The Grade 3 contraction 'we'll' drops 'wi' from 'will' and puts the apostrophe between 'we' and 'll'.
4. The contraction for 'is not' in Grade 3 is spelled isn't with the apostrophe between n and t.
In Grade 3, 'isn't' places the apostrophe between 'n' and 't' because the 'o' in 'not' is removed.
5. The Grade 3 contraction for 'do not' is written don't with the apostrophe right before the t.
In Grade 3 writing, 'don't' has its apostrophe between 'n' and 't' to show the missing 'o' from 'not'.
6. The contraction for 'you are' in Grade 3 is you're with the apostrophe between the u and the r.
Grade 3 contraction 'you're' places the apostrophe between 'you' and 're' because the 'a' in 'are' is dropped.
7. The Grade 3 contraction for 'could not' is written couldn't with the apostrophe between the n and the t.
In Grade 3, 'couldn't' places the apostrophe between 'n' and 't' because the 'o' from 'not' is missing.
8. The contraction for 'it is' in Grade 3 is spelled it's with the apostrophe right before the s.
Grade 3 students write 'it's' with an apostrophe between 't' and 's' because the 'i' from 'is' is removed.
9. The Grade 3 contraction for 'they are' is written they're with the apostrophe between the y and the r.
In Grade 3 writing, 'they're' places the apostrophe between 'they' and 're' because the 'a' from 'are' is dropped.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Grade 3 word 'cannot' contracted
→ can't
can't
Grade 3 phrase 'I am' contracted
→ I'm
I'm
Grade 3 phrase 'will not' contracted
→ won't
won't
Grade 3 phrase 'let us' contracted
→ let's
let's
Grade 3 students must memorize these common contractions because the apostrophe placement and spelling change from the original words, especially in 'won't'.