What Are Contractions?
Contractions are shortened forms of words or combinations of words. In everyday spoken English, we use contractions because they sound natural and make our speech flow more smoothly. For example, instead of saying “is,” we often use “‘s” after a subject like he or she.
Contractions in Questions
Example Questions:
- What’s he like?
- What’s she like?
- What are they like?
Breaking Down the Question:
- What’s he like? can be seen as:
- What + ’s + he + like?
- The ’s here is short for is. So, the full form is “What is he like?”
- This structure follows the pattern:
- Question word + is (verb to be) + subject + like?
What Does the Question Mean?
These questions are used to ask about a person’s personality or character. They are not asking about physical appearance but rather about qualities like being friendly, funny, or calm.
Contractions in Statements Describing Character
The lesson gives several examples from the listening activity. Let’s look at them:
Example 1: Describing a Man
- He’s happy – he’s always smiling.
- He’s is a contraction of he is.
- Pattern: Subject (He) + ’s (is) + adjective (happy)
- This tells us about his mood or character.
Example 2: Describing a Woman
- She’s calm.
- Again, she’s stands for she is.
- Pattern: Subject (She) + ’s (is) + adjective (calm)
Adding More Detail:
- You can also add more adjectives to describe someone, such as:
- He’s funny, too.
- This adds another characteristic about the person.
Forming Negative Statements
Sometimes, you want to describe someone by saying they do not have a certain quality. To do this, we use not after the contraction:
- She’s not moody at all.
- This sentence means “She is not moody.”
- Structure: Subject (She) + ’s (is) + not + adjective (moody)
Contractions with Different Subjects
When using subjects other than he or she, the contractions change accordingly:
Example 1: Using “I”
- I’m organised and serious.
- I’m is short for I am.
- Pattern: Subject (I) + ’m (am) + adjective(s) (organised and serious)
Example 2: Using “You”
- You’re intelligent.
- You’re stands for you are.
- Pattern: Subject (You) + ’re (are) + adjective (intelligent)
Practice and Interaction
All these sentences help us describe a person’s character. They answer the question, “What’s he/she like?” by giving us information about personality traits such as being happy, calm, or organised.
Activity:
- Read the Questions and Answers:
- Read each question and answer aloud:
- “What’s he like?” – “He’s happy – he’s always smiling.”
- “What’s she like?” – “She’s calm.”
- Read each question and answer aloud:
- Repeat Them:
- Practice repeating them to get comfortable with the contractions.
- Create Your Own:
- Think of other character adjectives and form your own sentences. For example:
- “He’s kind and thoughtful.”
- “She’s energetic and creative.”
- Think of other character adjectives and form your own sentences. For example:
Exercise: Test your understanding of this English lesson
You can test your understanding of contractions in English by answering these 20 questions. You will get the answers and your score at the end of the quiz.
Choose the correct option:
Now, you know how contractions work. Using contractions makes your speech sound more natural. Try practicing with your own sentences and share them in the comments to keep learning!
