The word contract means to shrink up or reduce to a smaller size.
In English, a contraction is a word that has been shortened by making two words into one.
Look at this sentence: They are not playing volleyball.
We can push the words are not together. The new word is aren’t.
Aren’t is a contraction. By pushing the two words together, we make a new, shorter word.
When we push are not together, the o pops out. We put an apostrophe (‘) in the space where the o used to be.
Here is our new sentence: They aren’t playing volleyball.
What is happening in this sentence? Which words show the action?
You might be tempted to say that the verb is aren’t playing – and you would be almost right – but not is not a verb.
Not is actually an adverb. The action in this sentence is are playing. The word not tells how they are playing.
Not modifies the verb are playing.
Here are some common contractions in English that include the adverb not:
aren’t, can’t, won’t, don’t, didn’t, wasn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t, shouldn’t, hasn’t, haven’t, isn’t
Each contraction was originally two words:
aren’t = are not
can’t = can not
won’t = will not
don’t = do not
shouldn’t = should not
haven’t = have not
Notice that each of these contractions is actually a verb connected to the word not.
Remember, the word not is not part of the action. Not is not a verb.
Not is an adverb telling how something is done.