Contractions in Writing (Writers Adopting it in 2024)

Contractions in writing are shortened versions of two or more words by adding an apostrophe. They save time and make the writing easy to read and engaging.

However, writers usually mix up contractions with formal and informal writing, making their written work ambiguous. We are going to solve this issue by explaining:

• What is contractions in writing?
• When should contractions be used, and when should they be avoided?
• What are their types?
• And finally, what are contraction examples?

What are Contractions in Writing

Contractions usually fall under the abbreviation category, which means cutting down two words by removing a few letters and adding an apostrophe. Mainly, they are used with small and simple words, especially pronouns and modal verbs.

A simple contraction example is using “I had” and “I would” as “I’d.” However, using more than one contraction in a sentence can make the writing too informal. The reader will more likely enjoy the writing if there is a balance between regular and contraction words.

When to Use Contractions in Writing

Rules for contractions are considerably applied in informal writing with casual and conversational tone. Here are some types of informal writings where contractions are highly applicable:

Blog post writing	Personal emails	Fictional stories
Novel writing	Casual letters	Diaries
Text messages	Social media updates	Daily conversations

When to Avoid Contractions in Writing

A formal tone, like academic writing requires strict formatting and grammatical rules. Therefore, contractions are discouraged because they may make your writing amateur and confusing for the reader. Let’s see what type of formal writing prohibits the use of contraction.

Academic papers	Research reports	Business proposals
Official emails	Legal documents	Job applications
Cover letters	Formal presentations	Technical writing

Types of Contractions in Writing

Here are the four types of contractions commonly used in informal writing.

Subject pronoun + verb

This is the most basic form of contraction in writing, where the subject pronoun and verb combine to make a contraction word. Let’s say the subject pronoun “She” and the verb “will” merge to form a contraction word “She’ll.” 

Interrogative Adverbs

You create a contraction word when you combine an interrogative adverb like (What,why,who) with a verb like (is,did,has). Some common examples showing interrogative contractions include “what is,” “why did,” and “who has,” which transforms to “what’s,” “why’d,” and finally, “who’s” after applying the contraction rule.

Negative Contraction

Negative contractions in writing are created by combining a verb with a not. For example, the verb (can, would, should) merges with the “not” and transforms into contraction words like can’t, wouldn’t, and shouldn’t.

No Rule Contractions

This type of contraction doesn’t follow any rule. The apostrophe can be at the middle of the word, at the end of the word, or even there can be no apostrophe at all in the contraction.

For instance, “Wanna” is a colloquial contraction of the phrase “Want A.” Another example, Y’all, combines the words “You All.” Finally, another example of a no-rule contraction ending with an apostrophe is movin’, which escalates the letter “g” to shorten the word.

Contractions in Writing Examples

Here is a list of common contraction examples useful in daily life, such as conversations, informal writing, or speeches.

Word Combination	Contraction	Example Sentence
What is	What’s	What’s your problem now?
Here is	Here’s	Here’s a package you’re going to deliver.
Should have	should’ve	You should’ve listened to what I said.
Could have	could’ve	They all could’ve died due to a minor fault.
Why did	why’d	Why’d you call the police?
Is not	isn’t	You were lying to me. Isn’t it?
Can not	can’t	I can’t stop talking to you until morning.
I will	I’ll	I’ll go abroad for higher education.
She will	She’ll	She’ll look after you once I am gone
They have	They’ve	They’ve to fight back for their rights.
Freaking	freakin’	Are you freakin’ kidding me?
You all	Y’all	Why are y’all so upset today?
Going to	Gonna	I am gonna finish this cake.
Someone is	someone’s	I think someone’s blaming me for no reason
That is	That’s	I think that’s enough for me

Know the Difference Between Contraction vs. Abbreviation vs. Acronym

Contractions, abbreviations, and acronyms are shortened forms of words, but their implication differs from each other. A contraction is a short form of two or more words by adding an apostrophe like “can not” transform to “Can’t.”

Abbreviation, on the other hand, is a part of writing mechanics in grammar. It is basically a shortened form of only a single word, like “Dr.” for the “doctor” word. Finally, an acronym is created when every first letter from a group of words is combined to make a new word, such as “NASA” for “National Aeronautics and Space Administration.”

Any Query Regarding Contractions in Writing?

Make your informal writing more manageable and more engaging to the reader by understanding the above contraction rules and examples. But if you have any queries regarding contractions in writing, feel free to ask a professional essay service for expert help.