Contractions

A contraction is a shortened form of a word or a group of words that omits certain letters or sounds. In most contractions, an apostrophe represents the missing letters. The most common contractions are made up of verbs, auxiliaries, or modals attached to other words.

When can we use contractions?

We use contractions (I'm, we're) in everyday speech and informal writing. Contractions, which are sometimes called 'short forms', commonly combine a pronoun or noun and a verb, or a verb and not, in a shorter form. 

When should we not use contractions?

Generally speaking, we should avoid contractions in formal writing such as business letters, essays, technical and research papers. In other words, we shouldn´t use contractions in any academic writing unless we are directly quoting someone, or in a passage that contains contractions.

How can learn contractions in English?

Listening to television shows and films in English. Write down the contractions you hear, identify the words contracted and specify the type of contraction that was used.

Be careful. Some contractions can have two or three meanings. For example, he'd can be he had or he would. It depends on the rest of the sentence.

“Can I Use Contractions in my Writing?”

Contractions aren't wrong—they're just less formal than the expanded forms. As for novels, short stories and other forms of writing where your own style is required, it's up to you whether you can, cannot or can't use them.

Do contractions count as one word or two?

Where the contraction replaces one word (e.g. can't for cannot), it is counted as one word.

When did contractions start?

Contractions were first used in speech during the early 17th century and in writing during the mid 17th century when not lost its stress and tone and formed the contraction -n't. Around the same time, contracted auxiliaries were first used.

Is o'clock a contraction?

An apostrophe is used in o'clock because the word is a contraction of the phrase "of the clock." Just like other contractions, the apostrophe takes the place of missing words or letters from a longer word or phrase. Always use the shortened form, "o'clock."

Do languages other than English have contractions?

Yes, contractions exist in almost all languages, especially in informal speech. There are differences, though, in when they are acceptable. For example, in French phrases like *ce est and *je ai” are always contracted to c'est and j'ai—it's not even grammatical to say “je ai un chien”.

Why do poets use contractions?

Poetic contractions are contractions of words found in poetry but not commonly used in everyday modern English. Also known as elision, these contractions are usually used to lower the amount of syllables in a particular word in order to adhere to the meter of a composition.

Are contractions unprofessional?

They are fine in informal writing. It's never unprofessional to use contractions, as that's how natives speak! Just avoid using contractions in legal, governmental, business and scholarly writings.