English speakers rarely say “I am” or “do not” in conversation. They say I’m and don’t. These short forms are called contractions: two words become one, and an apostrophe (‘) takes the place of the missing letters. Using them makes your English sound natural, and understanding them is essential for listening, because natives use them all the time.Quem fala inglês quase nunca diz “I am” ou “do not” numa conversa. Diz I’m e don’t. Essas formas curtas se chamam contrações: duas palavras viram uma, e um apóstrofo (‘) fica no lugar das letras que sumiram. Usá-las deixa seu inglês natural, e entendê-las é essencial para a compreensão oral, porque os nativos usam o tempo todo.
A1 Contractions with be, have and will
The most common contractions join a pronoun with be, have, will or would. The apostrophe goes exactly where the letters were removed.As contrações mais comuns juntam um pronome com be, have, will ou would. O apóstrofo vai exatamente onde as letras foram tiradas.
| Full form | Contraction | Example | Português |
|---|---|---|---|
| I am | I’m | I’m from Curitiba. | Sou de Curitiba. |
| you are / we are / they are | you’re / we’re / they’re | They’re my cousins. | Eles são meus primos. |
| he is / she is / it is | he’s / she’s / it’s | It’s very hot today. | Está muito quente hoje. |
| I have / you have / we have | I’ve / you’ve / we’ve | I’ve lost my keys. | Perdi minhas chaves. |
| I will / she will / they will | I’ll / she’ll / they’ll | I’ll call you later. | Eu te ligo mais tarde. |
| I would / I had | I’d | I’d like a coffee, please. | Eu queria um café, por favor. |
A1 Negative contractions
In negative sentences, not becomes n’t and joins the auxiliary. Most of them are regular, but a few change their spelling.Nas frases negativas, not vira n’t e se junta ao auxiliar. A maioria é regular, mas algumas mudam a escrita.
| Full form | Contraction | Example |
|---|---|---|
| is not / are not | isn’t / aren’t | The bank isn’t open yet. |
| was not / were not | wasn’t / weren’t | We weren’t at home. |
| do not / does not / did not | don’t / doesn’t / didn’t | She doesn’t eat meat. |
| have not / has not | haven’t / hasn’t | I haven’t seen it. |
| cannot | can’t | I can’t find my phone. |
| will not | won’t | It won’t rain tomorrow. |
| would not / should not | wouldn’t / shouldn’t | You shouldn’t worry. |
| must not | mustn’t | You mustn’t park here. |
Three special ones
Won’t is the short form of will not, even though it looks different. Cannot is written as one word, and its short form is can’t. There is no “amn’t”: say I’m not, and in questions aren’t I?Won’t é a forma curta de will not, mesmo parecendo diferente. Cannot se escreve junto, e a forma curta é can’t. Não existe “amn’t”: diga I’m not e, em perguntas, aren’t I?
A2 Two ways to say the negative
With be, there are two correct negative short forms. Both are very common. The second one, with ‘s not or ‘re not, puts a little more stress on “not”.Com be, existem duas formas negativas curtas corretas. As duas são muito comuns. A segunda, com ‘s not ou ‘re not, dá um pouco mais de ênfase ao “not”.
isn’t / aren’t
Contract not.Contrai o not.
He isn’t here. / You aren’t late. (Ele não está aqui. / Você não está atrasado.)
‘s not / ‘re not
Contract the verb.Contrai o verbo.
He’s not here. / You’re not late. (Ele não está aqui. / Você não está atrasado.)
Contractions with nouns and question words
In speaking and informal writing, ‘s, ‘ll and ‘re can also join nouns, names and question words.Na fala e na escrita informal, ‘s, ‘ll e ‘re também podem se juntar a substantivos, nomes e palavras interrogativas.
- My phone’s dead. Can I use yours? (Meu celular descarregou. Posso usar o seu?)
- Where’s the nearest bus stop? (Onde fica o ponto de ônibus mais próximo?)
- What’s your name? (Qual é o seu nome?)
- Who’ll be at the meeting tomorrow? (Quem vai estar na reunião amanhã?)
B1 Same short form, different words
Two contractions can cause confusion. ‘s can be is or has, and ‘d can be would or had. The secret is to look at the word that comes next.Duas contrações podem confundir. ‘s pode ser is ou has, e ‘d pode ser would ou had. O segredo é olhar a palavra que vem depois.
| Next word | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ‘s + -ing, adjective, noun | She’s working. She’s tired. | she is |
| ‘s + been, got, past participle | She’s been to Peru. She’s got a car. | she has |
| ‘d + base verb, like, rather | I’d love to go. I’d rather stay. | I would |
| ‘d + past participle, better | I’d already eaten. You’d better hurry. | I had / you had |
Teacher’s tip
Careful with sentences like It’s broken. Here “broken” is an adjective, so ‘s means is. But in It’s broken down twice, it means has. When in doubt, try both full forms and see which one makes sense.Cuidado com frases como It’s broken. Aqui “broken” é adjetivo, então ‘s significa is. Mas em It’s broken down twice, significa has. Na dúvida, teste as duas formas completas e veja qual faz sentido.
When not to use contractions
Contractions are perfect for conversations, messages and informal emails. But there are a few situations where the full form is necessary or better.As contrações são perfeitas para conversas, mensagens e e-mails informais. Mas há algumas situações em que a forma completa é necessária ou melhor.
| Situation | Example | Português |
|---|---|---|
| positive short answers | “Are you ready?” “Yes, I am.” | “Você está pronto?” “Estou.” |
| at the end of a sentence | I know where she is. | Eu sei onde ela está. |
| emphasis | I did not take your money! | Eu não peguei o seu dinheiro! |
| formal writing | The results do not support this idea. | Os resultados não confirmam essa ideia. |
Spelling traps: it’s or its?
Some contractions sound exactly like other words. Even native speakers mix them up in writing, so pay attention to the apostrophe.Algumas contrações têm exatamente o mesmo som de outras palavras. Até nativos confundem na escrita, então preste atenção no apóstrofo.
| Words | Example | Português |
|---|---|---|
| it’s (it is) / its (dele, dela) | It’s a nice city. Look at its beaches! | É uma cidade bonita. Veja as praias dela! |
| you’re (you are) / your (seu) | You’re late again. Where’s your bag? | Você se atrasou de novo. Cadê sua bolsa? |
| they’re (they are) / their (deles) / there (lá) | They’re at their house. I’m going there. | Eles estão na casa deles. Vou para lá. |
| who’s (who is) / whose (de quem) | Who’s that? Whose car is this? | Quem é aquele? De quem é este carro? |
What about “ain’t”?
You will hear ain’t in songs and movies, meaning “am not”, “isn’t”, “haven’t” and more. It is very informal and considered incorrect in standard English, so don’t use it in tests, at work or in writing.Você vai ouvir ain’t em músicas e filmes, no sentido de “am not”, “isn’t”, “haven’t” e outros. É muito informal e considerado incorreto no inglês padrão, então não use em provas, no trabalho ou na escrita.
Common Mistakes
Avoid these
✗ “Is she your sister?” “Yes, she’s.” ✓ “Yes, she is.”Na resposta curta afirmativa, use a forma completa.
✗ The dog is wagging it’s tail. ✓ The dog is wagging its tail.Its (possessivo) não tem apóstrofo; it’s é “it is”.
✗ I willn’t go. ✓ I won’t go.A forma curta de will not é won’t.
✗ Your welcome! ✓ You’re welcome!“De nada” é you’re (you are) welcome.
Quick Summary
| Contraction | Example | Full form |
|---|---|---|
| ‘m / ‘re / ‘s | I’m, you’re, she’s | am, are, is |
| ‘ve / ‘s | I’ve, she’s been | have, has |
| ‘ll | I’ll, they’ll | will |
| ‘d | I’d like, I’d gone | would, had |
| n’t | isn’t, don’t, haven’t | not |
| special forms | won’t, can’t | will not, cannot |
Practice Time
Quiz