HomeContractions Worksheet: Form and Expand Word Pairs Free original lessons
Contractions Worksheet: Form and Expand Word Pairs
Practice joining word pairs into contractions and expanding contractions back into two words. Includes word bank, worked example, four exercises, and a handwriting convention rubric.
Free lesson
Four exercises
Worked answers
Writing and Handwriting Paper Guides
This worksheet builds fluency with common English contractions by asking you to move in both directions: from two words to one shortened form, and from a contraction back to its full word pair. The tasks use a simple handwriting convention so that letter shape and spacing can be checked consistently without requiring one universal style. Work through the worked example first, then complete the four exercises. Each exercise includes reasoning and a check method so you can verify your own answers.
Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.
Handwriting Convention for Contractions
Use a baseline-to-midline x-height for lowercase letters such as m, n, r, u, v, w, x, and z. Round letters such as a, c, e, o, and s may extend slightly above the midline and below the baseline; this is normal and does not affect the apostrophe check. The apostrophe is a small mark placed above the x-height zone (that is, above the midline), not touching the baseline. Letter styles may vary: print, cursive, or a mix are acceptable if the apostrophe is clearly separate from adjacent letters and the contraction reads as one word.
Spacing rule: leave a clear gap between words on the page, but no gap inside a contraction. For example, write 'do not' with a visible space, and 'don't' with no space between n and t. The apostrophe replaces the omitted letter or letters; do not add extra marks.
- Draw a baseline and a midline on your practice paper.
- Write the full word pair with a normal space between words.
- Write the contraction with no internal space and a small apostrophe above the x-height zone.
- Check that the apostrophe is visible and does not touch the baseline.
Forming Contractions from Word Pairs
A contraction joins two words by omitting one or more letters and replacing them with an apostrophe. Common patterns include pronoun + verb (I am → I'm; they are → they're), verb + not (do not → don't; is not → isn't), and auxiliary + not (was not → wasn't; were not → weren't). The word bank below lists contraction forms you may use. Not every word bank item is needed for every exercise.
Word bank: I'm, you're, he's, she's, it's, we're, they're, don't, doesn't, didn't, can't, won't, isn't, aren't, wasn't, weren't, I've, you've, we've, they've, I'll, you'll, he'll, she'll, we'll, they'll, I'd, you'd, he'd, she'd, we'd, they'd. Expansion note: 'can't' expands to 'cannot' or 'can not'; these are expansions, not contraction entries.
- Read the word pair and identify which letters are omitted.
- Replace the omitted letters with an apostrophe.
- Write the contraction with no internal space.
- Check the apostrophe position against the handwriting convention.
Expanding Contractions into Word Pairs
Expanding a contraction means writing the full words that the contraction represents. The apostrophe shows where letters were removed, so you must restore those letters. For example, 'can't' expands to 'cannot' or 'can not'; both are acceptable in this worksheet unless a specific form is requested. Use the word bank to check common expansions.
When expanding, keep the same meaning and tense. Do not change the pronoun or verb. Write the two words with a normal space between them.
- Identify the base words and the omitted letters shown by the apostrophe.
- Write the first word, then a space, then the second word.
- Check that the expanded pair means the same as the contraction.
- Check spacing and apostrophe removal.
Checking Your Work
Use a two-pass check. First pass: read each answer aloud to confirm it sounds like natural English. Second pass: compare the apostrophe placement and spacing to the convention. For expansion tasks, confirm that the restored letters match the contraction's meaning.
If an answer looks correct but the apostrophe is unclear, rewrite it once. Do not erase aggressively; a clear second attempt is easier to check.
- Read the answer aloud.
- Point to the apostrophe and confirm it is above the x-height zone.
- Confirm no internal space inside a contraction.
- For expansions, confirm a normal space between the two words.
Worked example
Form a contraction from the word pair 'they are'. Then expand the contraction 'we'll' into two words.
Worked answer
they're; we will
Why: For 'they are', the letters 'a' and 'e' are omitted and replaced by an apostrophe, giving 'they're'. For 'we'll', the contraction is formed from 'we will' by omitting 'wil' and replacing it with an apostrophe, giving 'we'll'; the expansion is 'we will'. Both answers follow the handwriting convention: no internal space in the contraction, and a normal space in the expansion.
Four practice exercises
Exercise 1
Form contractions for these word pairs: 'I am', 'she is', 'do not', 'we have'. Write each contraction once.
Show answer and check
I'm, she's, don't, we've
Why: I am omits a and replaces it with an apostrophe: I'm. She is omits i: she's. Do not omits o: don't. We have omits ha: we've. Each contraction is written as one unit with no internal space.
Check: Read each contraction aloud. Confirm the apostrophe is above the x-height zone and that no space appears inside the word. Compare to the word bank.
Exercise 2
Expand these contractions into two words: 'you're', 'isn't', 'they'll', 'wasn't'.
Show answer and check
you are; is not; they will; was not
Why: You're restores a: you are. Isn't restores o: is not. They'll restores wil: they will. Wasn't restores o: was not. Each expansion uses a normal space between the two words.
Check: Confirm the expanded pair means the same as the contraction. Check that the apostrophe has been removed and that a normal space separates the two words.
Exercise 3
Imagine a writer has placed the apostrophe in 'don't' so that it touches the baseline instead of sitting above the x-height zone. Rewrite 'don't' following the convention, and explain the correction in one sentence.
Show answer and check
don't with the apostrophe raised above the x-height zone (above the midline), not touching the baseline. Correction: the apostrophe should sit above the x-height zone (above the midline), not on the baseline.
Why: The convention defines the apostrophe as a small mark above the x-height zone. Touching the baseline makes it look like a letter or punctuation mark in the wrong position. Raising it keeps the contraction readable and consistent.
Check: Point to the apostrophe. Confirm it is above the x-height zone and separate from n and t. Read the word aloud to confirm it is still 'don't'.
Exercise 4
Form a contraction from 'we would' and expand 'he'd'. Then write one sentence using each answer correctly.
Show answer and check
we'd; he would (or he had, depending on context). Example sentences: We'd like to practice. He'd finished before noon.
Why: We would omits woul and replaces it with an apostrophe: we'd. He'd can expand to 'he would' or 'he had'; both are valid, so the sentence context determines the expansion. The worksheet accepts either expansion if the sentence is grammatical.
Check: Check the contraction for no internal space and a clear apostrophe. For the expansion, read the sentence aloud to confirm the meaning matches the chosen expansion. Accept either 'he would' or 'he had' when the sentence is correct.
Common mistakes
- Writing 'cant' without an apostrophe. Add a small apostrophe above the x-height zone between n and t: can't.
- Putting a space inside a contraction, such as 'do n't'. Write the contraction as one unit with no internal space: don't.
- Expanding 'won't' as 'willn't' or 'wo not'. The correct expansion is 'will not'; 'won't' is irregular and does not follow the simple apostrophe pattern.
- Using the apostrophe to replace the wrong letters, such as 'isnt' for 'is not'. Place the apostrophe exactly where the omitted letter o was: isn't.
Self-check rubric
- Contraction formed correctly with the right base words and omitted letters.
- Apostrophe placed above the x-height zone and clearly separate from adjacent letters.
- No internal space inside a contraction.
- Expansion restores the correct letters and keeps the original meaning.
- Expansion uses a normal space between the two words.
- Handwriting is legible; print, cursive, or mixed styles are acceptable if the apostrophe is clear.
Questions and answers
Can I use cursive handwriting for this worksheet?
Yes. The convention allows print, cursive, or a mix. The key requirement is that the apostrophe is clearly separate and above the x-height zone.
Is 'cannot' acceptable as an expansion of 'can't'?
Yes. Both 'cannot' and 'can not' are acceptable expansions in this worksheet unless a task specifies one form.
Do I need to use every word in the word bank?
No. The word bank is a reference. Use only the contractions that fit each task.
How do I check my apostrophe if my handwriting is very small?
Use the baseline-to-midline x-height as a guide. The apostrophe should sit above that zone. If it is hard to see, rewrite the word slightly larger.