Pronouns used with a form of the verb to be are I, you, we, it, he, she, who, and they. Nouns are also combined with contractions, e.g. Jan's as in Jane is hungry. The contractions who's, it's, you're, and they're can pose problems and can be confusing to students. It's important to give emphasis to these special contractions, making sure the students understand how to use them correctly.
Combining Words With Am, Is, Are
Tell students that some contractions are formed by combining words with the words am, is or are.
Write the contraction I'm on the dry board. Ask students if they can say which two words were combined to make the contraction. Ask the student to write the two words beside the contraction. Write the words I and am beside the contraction I'm. Write the following pronouns on the dry board:
- you're
- he's
- she's
- we're
- it's
- they're
- who's
Have students take turns coming to the dry board and writing the two words that were combined to make each contraction. Ask volunteers to say a sentence using each contraction and another sentence using the words that combine to make the contraction. Make a table showing how contractions are formed and discuss the words and changes that form contractions. Display the table in the classroom.
Who's, They're, You're, It's
Write the words whose and who's on the board. Ask a volunteer to come to the board and draw a line under the word that means who is. Explain that the word whose shows that something belongs to someone and does not have an apostrophe.
Write the words its and it's on the board. Ask which word means it is. Explain that its means that something belongs to someone and does not have an apostrophe.
Write the words their, they're and there on the board. Ask a volunteer to draw a line under the word that means they are. Explain that their means that something belongs to someone and is not a contraction. Tell students that the word there means a place and is not a contraction.
Write the words your and you're on the board. Ask which word means you are. Explain that your means that something belongs to someone and does not have an apostrophe.
Create a worksheet to check for understanding of these four confusing contractions. The worksheet should have several sentences similar to this: Look whose who's here. Ask students to circle the correct word for each sentence.
Multiple Choice Contractions
Have students take the online multiple choice test if Internet access is available in the classroom. If Internet access is not available, create a multiple choice test using all of the contractions introduced in this lesson. Check results to see which students need extra help.
Check Understanding Is, Am, Are Contractions
Observe and record student responses to activities and give extra help to those who are having trouble with to be contractions. Remind students to use the table that has been posted in the classroom to remember how to combine pronouns or nouns with to be verb forms. Pay special attention to the confusing contractions who's, you're, they're, and it's, and give extra practice if students continue to have trouble with these contractions.
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