This English as a foreign or second language handout explains contractions of be to beginner level English as a second or foreign language students.

1. ESL Helpful Handouts Page 1 of 8
Be - Affirmative And Negative Contractions
I’m happy.
You’re happy.
He’s happy.
She’s happy.
We’re happy.
They’re happy.
They’re happy.
She’s happy.
He’s happy.
Free handout from http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts. Written by S Watson. Photos: Bob Watson; www.morguefile.com.

2. ESL Helpful Handouts Page 2 of 8
Be - Affirmative And Negative Contractions
I’m not happy.
You’re not happy.
He’s not happy.
She’s not happy.
We’re not happy.
They’re not happy.
She’s not happy.
I’m not happy.
You aren’t happy.
He isn’t happy.
She isn’t happy.
We aren’t happy.
They aren’t happy.
He isn’t happy.
Free handout from http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts. Written by S Watson. Photos: Bob Watson; www.morguefile.com.

3. ESL Helpful Handouts Page 3 of 8
Be - Affirmative And Negative Contractions
It’s Winter. It’s cold. It’s Summer. It’s not cold.
It’s cold.
It’s not cold.
It isn’t cold.
It isn’t cold.
Free handout from http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts. Written by S Watson. Photos: Bob Watson; www.morguefile.com.

4. ESL Helpful Handouts Page 4 of 8
Be - Affirmative And Negative Contractions
A contraction is 2 Make an affirmative Put together the Use a contraction
words that are put contraction with a pronoun and be (am, when speaking.
together with an pronoun and be ( am, is, are) .
apostrophe. is, are). Use a contraction
I am = Iam with informal
writing.
Take out the first
letter of be (am, is, I’m young.
are).
Iam = Im
Put in an apostrophe.
Im = I’m
I’m young
You’re young.
He’s young.
She’s young.
It’s young.
We’re young.
They’re young.
I’m young.
Free handout from http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts. Written by S Watson. Photos: Bob Watson; www.morguefile.com.

5. ESL Helpful Handouts Page 5 of 8
Be - Affirmative And Negative Contractions
One way to make a Put together the Put not behind be
negative contraction is pronoun and be (am, is, are).
to put together the (am, is, are).
pronoun and be (am, She’s = She’s not
is, are). Then put not She is = Sheis
behind be (am, is, are). Not makes the She’s not young.
Take out the first sentence negative.
letter of be (am,
is, are).
Sheis = Shes
Put in an
apostrophe.
Shes = She’s
I’m not young.
You’re not young.
He’s not young.
She’s not young.
It’s not young.
We’re not young.
They’re not young.
She’s not young.
Free handout from http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts. Written by S Watson. Photos: Bob Watson; www.morguefile.com.

6. ESL Helpful Handouts Page 6 of 8
Be - Affirmative And Negative Contractions
Another way to make Put together be (am, Take out the o in
a negative contraction is, are) and not . not.
is to put together
be (am, is, are) is not = isnot isnot = isnt He isn’t young.
and not.
Do this with every Put in the
pronoun except I . apostrophe.
isn’t
I’m not young
You aren’t young.
He isn’t young.
She isn’t young.
It isn’t young.
We aren’t young.
They aren’t young.
He isn’t young.
Free handout from http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts. Written by S Watson. Photos: Bob Watson; www.morguefile.com.

7. ESL Helpful Handouts Page 7 of 8
Be - Affirmative And Negative Contractions
Practice.
Vocabulary
happy sad cold hot young old short tall big small easy difficult
Change the sentence to make a sentence with an affirmative contraction.
Example: I am happy. I’m happy._
I am young. __________________________________________________________________________
He is short. __________________________________________________________________________
It is easy. __________________________________________________________________________
We are cold. __________________________________________________________________________
She is sad. ___________________________________________________________________________
They are tall. ___________________________________________________________________________
You are old. ___________________________________________________________________________
Change the sentence to make a sentence with a contraction and not.
Example: It is not small. __It’s not small.__
You are not short. _______________________________________________________________________
We are not happy. _______________________________________________________________________
They are not sad. _______________________________________________________________________
It is not easy. ___________________________________________________________________________
She is not tall. ____________________________________________________________________________
He is not big. ___________________________________________________________________________
Free handout from http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts. Written by S Watson. Photos: Bob Watson; www.morguefile.com.

8. ESL Helpful Handouts Page 8 of 8
Be - Affirmative And Negative Contractions
Vocabulary
happy sad cold hot young old short tall big small easy difficult
Change the sentence to make a sentence with a negative contraction.
Example: She is not old . __She isn’t old.__
We are not happy. _______________________________________________________________________
They are not cold. _______________________________________________________________________
She is not tall. ____________________________________________________________________________
I am not young. ____________________________________________________________________________
It is not hot. ______________________________________________________________________________
I am not happy. ____________________________________________________________________________
You are not sad. ____________________________________________________________________________
It is not difficult. ____________________________________________________________________________
Unscramble the words and write the sentence.
Example: isn’t/ happy/She __She isn’t happy.__
easy/isn’t/It _____________________________________________________________________________
cold/We’re ______________________________________________________________________________
They’re/sad/not _________________________________________________________________________
aren’t/happy/You _________________________________________________________________________
Free handout from http://sites.google.com/site/eslhelpfulhandouts. Written by S Watson. Photos: Bob Watson; www.morguefile.com.