Contractions Worksheet

Practise contractions

A contraction joins two words into one shorter word, dropping a letter or two and marking the gap with an apostrophe. This generator builds printable worksheets from a curated list of the most common English contractions. Each row gives a pair of words — for example do not — and the pupil writes the contraction (don't) on the line beside it. You decide how many problems appear, and an optional answer key lets anyone mark the page in seconds.

Every sheet is freshly shuffled, so you can print a different worksheet for each child or each lesson without repeating the same order twice.

How contractions work

Contractions replace one or more missing letters with an apostrophe. In do not to don't, the apostrophe stands in for the dropped o. Most negatives follow this tidy rule (is not to isn't, could not to couldn't), but a few are irregular: will not becomes won't, and cannot becomes can't. Pronoun forms join with verbs too — I am to I'm, they are to they're, and it is to it's. Teaching pupils where the apostrophe sits helps them avoid the classic mix-ups between it's and its or they're and their.

What you can customise

• Number of problems — from a short warm-up to a full page.
• Answer key — include a marked copy for fast checking.
• Worksheet title — rename the sheet for a topic or class.
• Name & date — add fields for classroom use.

How to use it

1. Choose how many problems you want.
2. Toggle the answer key and Name/Date fields as needed.
3. Preview the live PDF and press Generate New for a different mix.
4. Download or print — the branded, ready-to-use worksheet prints on A4 or US Letter.

Teaching ideas

Start by reading the word pairs aloud so pupils hear how the two words blend into one. After the worksheet, turn it into a sorting game: group the contractions by the word being shortened — the not family, the is family, the will family. For older pupils, ask them to write a sentence using each contraction, or to spot and expand contractions inside a short passage. Pairing reading and writing this way fixes both the spelling and the meaning of each form.