Year 2 Apostrophes worksheet

“Apostrophes that join words” is free to print, with no account. It is the first sheet in the Year 2 English unit “Apostrophes”, for children aged 6 to 7, and takes about 20 minutes.

Print it on A4. The child's pages come first; the answers, and what each wrong answer tells you, are on the grown-up page that follows. Week 3 of the year, 3 sheets in the unit.

Free sample · answers on the last page

Apostrophes that join words

Name: ____________ · Date: ____________
Year 2 · English · about 20 minutes
Answers are on the grown-up page

Today I can spell short words with an apostrophe for contraction.

A Look back3 min

1.
How many words are in 'The sun is hot.'?
2.
Circle the mark that ends a question.
?.!
3.
Circle the word that is the name of a person.
parkMiajumped

B Watch me, then you4 min

Mia writes a note to her friend. She wants to write 'do not' in a quick, friendly way.

A folded paper note and a pencil on a desk

Watch me

'do not' becomes 'don't'.

The o from 'not' is taken out.

The apostrophe sits where the o was.

Now you

1.
Circle the short word for 'I will'.
I'llIllI'wllI'l

C Your turn7 min

Circle the short word. Each row has a different pair of words.

1.
Circle the short word for 'is not'.
isn'tisntis'nt
2.
Circle the short word for 'are not'.
aren'tarentare'nt
3.
Circle the short word for 'was not'.
wasn'twas'ntwasnt
4.
Circle the short word for 'do not'.
don'tdontdo'nt

Say it out loud: Which letter has gone each time? Where does the apostrophe sit?

D Spot the mistake3 min

Kit says: “Do not becomes do'nt.”

1.
Circle the correct short word for 'do not'.
don'tdo'ntdont'

E Think deeper4 min

1.
Write a sentence to a friend with a short word, like don't. Write it again for a head teacher with the full words. Tell your grown-up which is friendlier and why.

How did it feel?1 min

I can do it Nearly Not yet

For the grown-up

Apostrophes that join words · 2 minutes to read

Answers, and what a wrong one tells you

A

1. 4 If they say 3, they may have missed a small word. Ask them to tap each word on the table as they read it aloud.

2. ? If they circle a full stop, ask them whether the sentence asks something. A question needs a question mark at the end.

3. Mia If they circle park, ask them who or what the word names. A place is not a person. Names of people start with a capital letter.

B

1. I'll

C

1. isn't If they circle isnt, the joined word has lost its apostrophe. Ask them which letter from 'not' went, then where the mark should sit.

2. aren't If they circle arent, remind them the o from 'not' is missing, so the apostrophe must show that gap.

3. wasn't

4. don't

D

1. don't If they circle do'nt, the apostrophe is before the n, but the o is the missing letter. Ask which letter from 'not' went, then move the mark to that gap.

E

1. Look for: A sentence to a friend with a correct contraction and apostrophe, the same sentence with the full words, and a reason about which one sounds friendlier.

Words to use

Say“Which letters did the two words lose? Where does the apostrophe sit to show the gap?”

Instead of“Just tell them the spelling without asking what letters went missing.”

After the sheet

Write 'do not' and 'I will' on two pieces of paper. Join each pair into one short word together, then put a pen mark where the missing letters were.

Tick what your child got right in StudyDen. Anything missed comes back in a later Look back box, so there's no need to redo the sheet.

The rest of this unit

2 more sheets come with a StudyDen plan, in teaching order:

Whose is it? One owner(with a plan)
Two jobs for apostrophes(with a plan)

Every Year 2 English worksheet

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