Contracted Words – Y2 Apostrophes SPaG Challenge Mat

This bright, appealing grammar worksheet is an excellent way to practise and revise using contracted words in Y2.

We’ve divided it into five sections: understand, challenge, test, explain and apply.

Activities include SATs-style questions and opportunities for creative writing responses, with eye-catching images as prompts.

The five sections are:

• Understand
  Underline the contracted words in the sentences, and rewrite the words listed in their contracted form.
• Challenge
  Rewrite the sentences with contracted versions.
• Test
  Look at the underlined words. Which word could we use to replace them? Then, match the words to the contracted words with apostrophes.
• Explain
  In your own words, explain why we use the apostrophe. How do we know where to put it?
• Apply
  We often use contractions when writing letters or postcards to friends. Imagine you have visited a zoo. Write a postcard to a friend about your trip.

What is an apostrophe?

Apostrophes have two different uses:

• Contraction: Showing the place of missing letters (eg I’m for I am)
• Possession: Marking possessives (eg Hannah’s mother)

What are contracted words?

A contraction is a short word that you create by putting two words together and dropping one or more of the letters. We replace these letters with an apostrophe. This shows where the letters would be if we wrote the words in full. They are used in informal writing or direct speech.

Examples of contracted words:

• don’t (do not)
• didn’t (did not)
• isn’t (is not)
• mustn’t (must not)
• they’re (they are)
• I’ll (I will)

National Curriculum English programme of study links

• Pupils should be taught to spell by learning to spell more words with contracted forms.

This resource is part of the SPaG Gym collection.
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