Star Notes

Your step by step path to clear English

Bonus Lesson

Contractions
Lesson Outcome:

Date: /

To pronounce English contractions correctly.

Download the Star Audio recording Contractions.

Contractions in Spoken English.
Are you saying you are instead of youre and we will instead of well? Many
non-native speakers dont use contractions. In spoken English many auxiliary verbs are
often contracted. English speakers usually use contractions when talking.
You dont have to use contractions. It is very clear for listeners if you use the
uncontracted form. However, using contractions can make you sound more proficient in
English and can make your English sound more fluent and more like a native speaker.
Contractions in Written English.
Traditionally contractions werent often used in written documents and letters. In recent
times this has changed, mainly because of emails and SMS messaging. The language
used in emails and SMS messaging is generally quite informal. Because of this, many
people now use contractions when writing.
Note When the words in the table below are not used as an auxiliary verb (but as the
main verb) we dont contract them eg. I had it or I have to.
am / are

Am / Are

Contracted form
= m and re

IPA of Contracted Form

I am

Im

/am/

you are

youre

/j/ - same as your

we are

were

/w/ - same as where & wear

they are

theyre

/e/ - same as there & their

how are

howre

/ha.w/

what are

whatre

/w.t/

who are

who're

/hu.w/

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Star Notes
Your step by step path to clear English
Bonus Lesson

Contractions
would & had
Would & Had

Contracted form
= d

IPA of Contracted Form

I would
I had

Id

/ad/

you would
you had

youd

/jud/

hed
shed

/hid/
/id/

we would
we had

wed

/wid/

they would
they had

theyd

/ed/

it would
it had

itd

/.td/

how would
how had

howd

/had/

what would
what had

whatd

/w. td/

Contraction form
= s

IPA of Contracted Form

hes
shes

/hiz/
/iz/

it is
it has

its

/ts/

how is
how has

hows

/haz/

what is
what has

whats

/wtz/

who is
who has

whos

/huz/

he would
she had

he had
he had

is & has

Is and Has
he is
she is

he has
she has

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Star Notes
Your step by step path to clear English
Bonus Lesson

Contractions
have

have

Contracted form
= ve

IPA of Contracted Form

I have

Ive

/av/

you have

youve

/jv/

we have

weve

/wiv/

they have

theyve

/ev/

how have

howve

/hav/

what have

whatve

/w.tv/

could have

couldve

/k.dv/

should have

shouldve

/.dv/

would have

wouldve

/w.dv/

must have

mustve

/ms.tv/

might have

mightve

/ma.tv/

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Star Notes
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Bonus Lesson

Contractions
will

will

Contracted form
= ll

IPA of Contracted Form

I will

Ill

/al/

you will

youll

/jul/

he will
she will

hell
shell

/hil/
/il/

we will

well

/wil/

they will

theyll

/el/

it will

itll

/.tl/

how will

howll

/hal/

what will

whatll

/w.tl/

who will

who'll

/hul/

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Star Notes
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Bonus Lesson

Contractions
not
not

Contracted form
= nt

IPA of Contracted Form

is not

isnt

/.znt/

are not

arent

/a:nt/

would not

wouldnt

/w.dnt/

has not

hasnt

/h.znt/

had not

hadnt

/h.dnt/

have not

havent

/h.vnt/

will not

wont

/wont/

can not

cant

/knt/

did not

didnt

/d.dnt/

does not

doesnt

/d.znt/

do not

dont

/dont/

could not

couldnt

/k.dnt/

should not

shouldnt

/.dnt/

would not

wouldnt

/w.dnt/

might not

mightnt

/ma.tnt/

must not

mustnt

/m.snt/

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Star Notes
Your step by step path to clear English
Bonus Lesson

Contractions
The following contractions are usually only used in spoken English, not used
when writing.
would have

Would have

Contraction form
= dve

IPA of Contracted Form

I would have

Idve

/a.dv/

you would have

youdve

/ju.dv/

he would have
she would have

hedve
shedve

/hi.dv/
/i.dv/

we would have

wedve

/wi.dv/

they would have

theydve

/e.dv/

Would not have

Contraction form = ntve

IPA of Contracted Form

could not have

couldntve

/k.dn.tv/

should not have

shouldntve

/.dn.tv/

would not have

wouldntve

/w.dn.tv/

must not have

mustntve

/m.sn.tv/

might not have

mightntve

/ma.tn.tv/

would not have

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