Vocabulary Assessment · Grades 2–4
Compound Words and Contractions Assessment
A printable assessment for grades 2-4 on the two opposite moves English makes with words: joining two whole words into one, and shortening two words by replacing letters with an apostrophe. Twenty-four items with a complete answer key.
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What this assessment checks
Compounds and contractions are taught together because students confuse them, and confusing them causes apostrophe errors that last for years:
- Breaking a compound word into the two words that built it
- Writing contractions correctly, apostrophe included
- Expanding a contraction back into two words
How to use it
Give it after both have been taught. If you are short of time, Section B alone is a usable apostrophe check — it is the section that predicts writing errors.
Reading the results
The apostrophe replaces the missing letters and goes exactly where they were: do + not becomes don’t, never do’nt. Mark apostrophe position strictly in Section B, because a misplaced apostrophe is the error that survives into middle school. In Section C, watch for students who call every long word a compound — a compound is two words that can each stand alone.
| Resource type | Assessment (printable PDF) |
| Grade range | Grades 2–4 |
| Items | 24 across 3 sections |
| Answer key | Included on the final page |
| Time | About 20 minutes |
| Access | Free Account |