What is Contractions in Writing (Does it Mean Anything?)

Many people, including writers, authors, and students, are confused about contractions and whether they can be used in writing.

If yes, in what situations should contractions be appropriate? And in what situations should they not be used?

Your every question related to contractions in writing is answered here with comprehensive examples. So, without wasting time, let’s get started right away!

What is Contractions in Writing

Everyone uses contractions in writing and oral communication, whether they do so intentionally or unintentionally. Writing contractions involves combining two words by cutting down extra letters and adding an apostrophe where words are being cut.

Contractions usually appear in colloquial speech and informal writing to make writers’ writing more natural and controversial. Common contraction examples in English grammar include “won’t,” “don’t,” “can’t,” “haven’t,” “isn’t,” etc.

Are Students Lacking in Contractions? If Yes, How Can They Learn It?

A recent study of 300 Remedial Sciences students at the University of Jos was conducted to understand the impact of contraction in writing and speech.

The results revealed that the students know the rules of contractions in verbs, but they are not mindful of the contexts of usage.

The findings indicate the need to design instructional activities such as debates, quizzes, and other group competitive activities for students on a regular basis to learn contractions in writing.

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Grammatical Rules for Contractions in Writing

When communicating through writing, remember the essential contraction rules.

1. Contractions are pretty acceptable in informal writing, such as stories, daily conversations, fiction writing, everyday speeches, narratives, posts, text messages, personal emails, etc.
2. Avoid contractions when communicating through a formal means of writing, such as an academic paper, thesis, essay, job letter, professional documentation, business proposal, etc.
3. Typically, tag questions use negative contractions. For example, “Tea is hot today, isn’t it?”
4. Avoid double contraction in a sentence, as they will make your writing awkward and uninteresting to the reader.
5. Contractions with “had” are usually done with a pronoun (e.g., “they’d gone”)

Commonly Used Contraction Examples in Writing: Contraction’s Case

Here are the common contractions in writing examples with sample sentences alongside the type of contraction.

Subject pronoun + Verb: The most common type of contraction, which is a combination of subject noun and verb.

Negative contraction: You can even make a negative contraction by combining a verb with “not.” For example, joining the verb “can” with “not.”

Interrogative contraction: Combining a question word (What, how) with a helping verb (is, did) to make an interrogative contraction.

Informal contractions: An informal contraction is a shortened form of two words, mostly used in casual, daily conversation. These contractions mostly don’t have apostrophes, such as the contraction “gonna” used for “I am going to” and “I gotta go” for “I have to go.”

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Want to Learn More About What Are Contractions in Writing?

Become an expert in contractions in writing with English assignment help, whether you are a beginner student or a writer. With their help, you can add a conversational feel to your writing and create pieces that engage readers and make a strong impression.