i''m and they''re, won''t and don''t

b y B r i a n P . C l e a r y
i l l u s t r a t e d b y B r i a n G a b l e
Ages 7-11 Reinforced binding
You’ll find the answer inside
this book—it’s brimming with
contractions! Brian P. Cleary’s
playful rhymes and Brian Gable’s
humorous illustrations don’t shy
away from creatively clarifying
the concept of contractions.
For easy identification, we’ve
printed the contractions in
color. You won’t want to miss
the comical cats that reinforce
each idea.
I’m and Won’t, Th
e
y’r
e
and
Don’t: What’s a Contraction?
turns traditional grammar lesson
on end. Read this book aloud
and share in the delight of the
sense—and nonsense—of words.
To Tresa, Kelly, Clare, and Shannon

—B.P.C.
Contraction:
Two (or

sometimes three)
words combined into
one word, using
an apostrophe
by Brian P. Cleary
illustrations by Brian Gable

J Mil l b ro o k P r e ss / Min n e a P o li s
4
Contractions
tak
e a couple words
or s
ometimes even three
5
a

n

d



s

h

r

i

n

k



t

h

e

m



i
n
t
o

o
n
l
y

o
n
e

,
a
s

i
n
,

“
S
h
e
’
s

d
r
i
n
k
i
n
g

t
e
a
.
”
6

“
S
h
e
’
s
”

i
s

t
h
e

c
o
n
t
r
a
c
t
i
o
n
,
a
n
d

i
t

s
h
o
r
t
e
n
s

u
p

“
s
h
e

i
s
.
”
a
s

i
n

,

“
T
h
a
t
’
s

m
i
n
e

a
n
d

h
i
s
.
”

7
“
S
h
e

’
s
”

i
s

t
h
e

c
o
n
t
r
a
c
t
i
o
n
,
I
t

t
a
k
e

s

t
w
o

w
o
r
d
s

a
n
d

m
a
k
e
s

t
h
e
m

o
n
e

,
a
s

i
n
,

“
T
h
a
t
’
s

m
i
n
e

a
n
d

h
i
s
.
”

8
As punctuation goes,
contractions always


feature
these:
9
T
h
e
y

t
a
k
e

t
h
e

p
l
a
c
e

o

f

l
e
t
t
e
r
s
,
a
n
d

t
h
e
y
’
r
e

c
a
l
l
e
d

a

p
o
s
t
r
o
p
h
e
s
.
10
Take a phrase like “does not.”
Y
o
u

c
a
n

s
h
o
r
t
e
n

i

t

t
o

“
w
a
s
n
’
t
.
”
T
r
y

a
n
o
t
h
e
r
:

“
W
a

s

n
o
t
.
”
A contraction makes it
“doesn’t.”
11
Y
o
u

c
a
n

s
h
o
r
t
e
n

i
t

t

o

“
w
a
s
n
’
t
.
”
T
r
y

a
n
o
t
h
e
r
:

“
W
a
s

n

o
t
.
”
12
A
p
o
s
t
r
o
p
h
e
s

h
e
l
p

l
i
n
k

t
h
e

w
o
r
d
s
a
n
d

r
e
p
l
a
c
e

a
t

l
e
a
s
t

o
n
e

l
e
t
t
e
r
.
13
A
p
o
s
t
r
o
p
h
e
s

h
e
l
p

l
i
n
k

t
h
e

w
o
r
d
s
a
n
d

r
e
p
l
a
c
e

a
t

l
e
a
s
t

o
n
e

l
e
t
t
e
r
.
A
s

i
n
,

“
I
’
m

v
e
r
y

p

r
o
u
d
t
h
a
t

I
’
v
e

h
e
l
p
e
d

m
a
k
e
t
h
i
s

l
o
v
e
l
y

s
w
e
a
t
e
r
.
”
14
O
f
t
e
n
t
i
m
e
s

c
o

n
t
r
a
c
t
i
o
n
s
j
o
i
n

a
n
o
t
h
e
r

w
o
r
d

t
o

“
n
o
t
.
”
L
i
k
e

“
S
h
o
u
l
d
n
’
t

i
t

b
e

c

o
l
d
e
r

n
o
w
?
”
15
O
f
t
e
n
t
i
m
e
s

c
o
n
t
r
a
c

t
i
o
n
s
L
i
k
e

“
S
h
o
u
l
d
n
’
t

i
t

b
e

c
o
l

d
e
r

n
o
w
?
”
a
n
d

“
C
a
n
’
t

I

t
a
k
e

y
o
u

r

s
p
o
t
?
”

16
“
I don’t think this shoe is mine.”
“
I
s
n
’
t

i
t

a
b
s
u
r
d
?
”

17
A
l
l

t
h
e
s
e

t
u
r
n

a

t
w
o
-
w
o
r
d

p
h
r

a
s
e
i
n
t
o

o
n
e

s
i
n
g
l
e

w
o
r
d
.
18
O
t
h
e
r

t
i
m
e
s
,

c
o
n
t
r
a
c
t
i
o
n
s
s
h
o
r
t
e
n

“
a

r
e
”

o
r

“
i
s
”

o
r

“
a
m
.
”
19
As in,
“
I’m sure you’re hungry,”
and “He’s cooking up
some h
am.”
O
t
h

e
r

t
i
m
e
s
,

c
o
n
t
r
a
c
t
i
o
n
s
20
b
u
t

t
h
r

e
e

w
o
r
d
s
,

f
o
r

e
x
a
m
p
l
e
,
“
I
’
d
’
v
e

t
h
o
u
g
h
t

t
h
i
s

w
a
s

t
h
e

z
o
o
!
”
N
o
w

a
n
d

t
h
e
n
,

c
o
n
t
r
a
c
t
i
o
n
s
s
h
o
r
t
e
n

n
o
t

j
u
s
t

t
w
o
.
.
.
21
b
u
t

t
h
r
e
e

w
o
r
d

s
,

f
o
r

e
x
a
m
p
l
e
,
“
I
’
d
’
v
e

t
h
o
u
g
h
t

t
h
i
s

w
a
s

t
h
e

z
o
o
!
”
N
o
w

a
n
d

t
h
e

n
,

c
o
n
t
r
a
c
t
i
o
n
s
22
“Would” when it’s contracted
is reduced to just a “d”
i
n

w
o
r
d
s

l
i
k

e

“
I
’
d
”

a
n
d

“
s
h
e
’
d
”

23
i
n

w
o
r
d
s

l
i
k
e

“
I
’
d
”

a
n
d

“
s
h
e
’
d
”

a
s

w
e
l
l

a
s

“
y
o
u
’
d
”

t
o

n
a
m
e

j
u
s
t

t
h
r
e
e

.