Understanding Contractions: I'm, You're, It's
CEFR Level A1Lesson Goals
In this lesson, you will learn to hear and understand three of the most common contractions used in natural English speech.
What are Contractions?
In natural speech, English speakers like to talk fast. To do this, they often push two words together to make one shorter word. This is called a contraction.
We use a special mark called an apostrophe ( ' ) to show where the missing letters are. Let's look at three very common examples.
| Full Form (Slow Words) | Contraction (Fast Word) |
|---|---|
| I am | I'm |
| You are | You're |
| It is | It's |
Examples in Sentences
Listen to the audio to hear the difference between the slow full form and the fast, natural contraction. They both have the same meaning.
- Full Form: "I am happy." ➡️ Contraction: "I'm happy."
- Full Form: "You are from Cambodia." ➡️ Contraction: "You're from Cambodia."
- Full Form: "It is hot today." ➡️ Contraction: "It's hot today."
Key Tip: Watch Out for Sound-Alikes!
Some contractions sound exactly the same as other English words. You must use the whole sentence to understand the meaning. This is a very common point of confusion for learners.
- You're means "you are". (You're a good student.)
- Your means something belongs to you. (Is this your book?)
- It's means "it is". (It's a beautiful temple.)
- Its means something belongs to "it". (The cat is chasing its tail.)
Activity: Full Form or Contraction?
Listen to the sentences in the audio. Did you hear the full form or the contraction? Choose the correct option for each sentence.
-
Sentence 1: (Listen)
Did you hear: (a) I am or (b) I'm -
Sentence 2: (Listen)
Did you hear: (a) It is or (b) It's -
Sentence 3: (Listen)
Did you hear: (a) You are or (b) You're
Show Answers
Answers: 1-b (I'm), 2-a (It is), 3-b (You're)
Vocabulary
-
Contraction (noun) [ពាក្យកាត់]
A shorter form of a group of words, where letters are replaced by an apostrophe (e.g., "I am" becomes "I'm").
-
Natural Speech (noun) [ការនិយាយបែបធម្មជាតិ]
The way people talk in normal, relaxed, everyday conversation.
-
Apostrophe (noun) [សញ្ញា ']
The punctuation mark ( ' ) used in contractions to show where letters are missing.
Your Mission
Time to practice! Try these two tasks to improve your listening and speaking.
- Contraction Hunt: Listen to a short, simple English song on YouTube. Count how many times you hear "I'm," "you're," or "it's." You will be surprised how common they are!
-
Practice Speaking: Read these sentences out loud, but change the full form to the contraction.
- "I am happy." ➜ Say: "I'm happy."
- "You are very kind." ➜ Say: "You're very kind."
- "It is nine o'clock." ➜ Say: "It's nine o'clock."