Send us feedback. See more words from the same century. Accessed 12 Nov. More Definitions for contraction. See the full definition for contraction in the English Language Learners Dictionary.
Nglish: Translation of contraction for Spanish Speakers. Britannica English: Translation of contraction for Arabic Speakers. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. Save Word. Definition of contraction. Examples of contraction in a Sentence The hot metal undergoes contraction as it cools.
Two teams were eliminated in the contraction of the baseball league. A contraction is a word made by shortening and combining two words. People use contractions in both speaking and writing.
They're so common that movies and books often try to make characters seem old-fashioned or strange by having them never use contractions. This is a little silly because English speakers have been using contractions for centuries—although not always the same ones we use today. This is an apostrophe. Knowing where to put the apostrophe can seem tricky, but there's a pretty simple rule that works with every contraction. Remember how we said contractions are made of two words that have been shortened?
The apostrophe replaces any letters that are in the original words, but that aren't in the contraction. For instance, the contraction couldn't means could not. As you can see, the o in not isn't in the word couldn't. The apostrophe goes in its place, right between the n and t. Let's look at another example. Classic or classical? Come or go?
Consider or regard? Consist , comprise or compose? Content or contents? Different from , different to or different than? Do or make? Down , downwards or downward? During or for? Each or every?
East or eastern ; north or northern? Economic or economical? Efficient or effective? Elder , eldest or older , oldest? End or finish? Especially or specially? Except or except for? Expect , hope or wait? Experience or experiment?
Fall or fall down? Far or a long way? Farther , farthest or further , furthest? Fast , quick or quickly? Fell or felt? Female or feminine ; male or masculine? Finally , at last , lastly or in the end? First , firstly or at first? Fit or suit?
Following or the following? For or since? Forget or leave? Full or filled? Fun or funny? Get or go? Grateful or thankful? Hear or listen to? High or tall? Historic or historical? House or home? How is …? If or when? If or whether? Ill or sick? Imply or infer? In the way or on the way? Late or lately? Lay or lie? Lend or borrow? Less or fewer?
Look at , see or watch? Low or short? Man , mankind or people? Maybe or may be? Maybe or perhaps? Nearest or next? Never or not … ever? Nice or sympathetic? No doubt or without doubt?
No or not? Nowadays , these days or today? Open or opened? Opportunity or possibility? Opposite or in front of?
0コメント