Week 2 – English Grammar – Contractions

Grammar – What will you be doing in this activity?

In this activity, you will:

• Learn how to use contractions, or make sentences shorter.
• Practise doing this yourself.

Contractions

Press play to read and listen: 

Read these questions from the listening and reading activities. What’s he like? What’s she like? What are they like?

Notice the form of the questions:

What’s he like?:

What + ’s + he + like?

Question word + is (verb to be) + subject + like?

Here, ’s is short for is. We use this when the subject of the question is he or she. Both ’s and is have the same meaning but the short form (’s) is more normal when speaking.

This question is asking about a person’s personality or character, not their physical appearance.

Listen to each question again and repeat it.

• What’s he like? 

• What’s she like? 

• What are they like? 

More Contractions

Press play to read and listen: 

Read these sentences from the listening lesson.

1. He’s happy – he’s always smiling. He’s funny, too.
2. She’s calm.

Look at the images and notice the form of these sentences:

1. He’s happy.

• He + ’s + character adjective.
• Subject + is (verb be) + character adjective.

1. She’s angry.

• She + ’s + character adjective.
• Subject + is (verb be) + character adjective.

In both sentences, ’s is short for is. We use this when the subject of the sentence is he or she. Both ’s and is have the same meaning but the short form (’s) is more normal when speaking. Both sentences are positive.

It is possible to have negative character adjectives.

Look at the image and read the example below.

She’s not moody at all.

• She + ’s + not + character adjective.
• Subject + is (verb be) + not + character adjective.

When we want to make the character adjective negative, we use not before it.

When we use a different subject, we need to change the verb to be.

Look at the images and read the examples.

I’m organised and serious.

• I + ’m + character adjective 1 + and + character adjective 2.
• Subject + am (verb be) + character adjective 1 + character adjective 2.

You’re intelligent.

• You + ’re + character adjective.
• Subject + are (verb be) + character adjective.

We usually use the short forms (’m and ’re) when speaking.

All of these sentences are used to describe a person’s character or personality. They are answers to the questions in section 1.

Here is an example of a question and answer:

What’s he like?

Listen to each answer and repeat it.

He’s happy – he’s always smiling. 

• He’s funny, too.

• She’s calm. 

• She’s not moody at all. 

• I’m organised and serious. 

• You’re intelligent. 

Question: Can you think of any other examples? Type some in the comments box below!

Practising Contractions

Read the questions and choose the correct word for each gap. Remember how these questions are used when we talk.

For example: What is he like —> What’s he like?

What is missing here in this question?

Question: What ___ she like?

• ’s
• is
• does

Question 2: She ___ intelligent and creative.

• ‘m
• ’s
• ‘re

Question 3: What’s he __ ?

• do
• look
• like

Question 4: He’s ___ sad – he’s always smiling.

• Very
• not
• all