avoid contractions in formal writing article

MISTAKE MONDAY for August 19: Can YOU spot what’s wrong? Images on this blog are copyright to their respective owners. Dean, If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you, and you do not wish for it to appear on this site, please E-mail us with the link to the image, and it will be removed. Bryan Garner agrees in Garner’s Modern American Usage. I remember “fixing” all of the contractions in a portfolio manager’s commentary when I worked at Batterymarch Financial Management. Click here to view the newsletter archive. Many people avoid using contractions in formal writing because they are under the impression that contractions are only appropriate for casual writing and that they constitute non-standard grammar. So basically, in writing for friends or family or dialog in fiction, feel free to use all the contractions you want. Liberman searched Mark Twain’s “Tom Sawyer” (1876) and found  “58 instances of ‘won’t,’ and just one of ‘will not’ — in the author’s preface. Revised on March 27, 2017. However, if you’re writing anything remotely creative, and especially if you’re writing dialogue , you need to be using contractions. Originally posted 12/1/2015 and happily updated 10/28/2017. Yes, it is good to be the king. For two books I have on my Kindle—“Unbroken," by the outstanding popular historian and journalist Laura Hillenbrand, and “These Truths,” by Jill Lepore, a Harvard historian writing for a general audience—I calculated the percentage of times each writer used, and didn’t use the common contractions “wasn’t” and “didn’t.” Not surprisingly (considering the writers’ respective background and audience) Hillenbrand went with the contraction 87% of the time, Lepore less than 40. How’s that for transparency? And this is Mignon: I’ll add that I’m sure that I contracted some of Ben’s non-contractions because I do it unconsciously as I’m reading scripts, so that’s another level of transparency. Obviously, the second sentence sounds more like a typical speech pattern, right? …  And those judges who don’t take offense will not understand your brief, or vote for your case, one whit more readily.” (Salzwedel notes, “Perhaps only Justice Scalia can get away with using a contraction — ‘don’t’— when instructing lawyers not to use contractions such as ‘don’t.’”). While I will try to respond to you in a timely manner, a preset rate of response is not guaranteed. While this website exists as a resource for my students, it never supersedes written instructions or verbal directions given in any assigned class, in the Blackboard or Canvas LMS, or directly from your professor. Tollfree 1-800-816-4788. The first is purely scholarly writing. A post on the American Psychological Association’s style blog instructs writers to  “avoid contractions.” Exceptions are direct quotations or when “making an off-the-cuff or informal remark within an otherwise formal paper.”, 2. Discover what works! The Chicago Manual of Style doesn’t explicitly pass judgment on the appropriateness of contractions, but it … You can even use this informal, conversational approach when you’re writing a novel and want your characters’ voices to sound natural. Most of us aren’t a Hemingway, or a Samuel Beckett, or a Dr. Seuss, and we shoot for a more or less transparent style — one that (as they say of good baseball umpires) is not noticed. This Is the Right Way to Use an Apostrophe, The Most Commonly Misspelled Words in English, The "never end a sentence with a preposition" myth, AVOID overuse of short and simple sentences, Avoid colloquialism and slang expressions. Therefore, it is common for me to link content from other, useful sites, so that students have the maximum amount of knowledge at their fingertips with the least amount of searching required. A contraction is a shortening of two 'real' English words and fusing them together with an apostrophe. Avoid using contractions in as "don't," "can't," and "isn't." I don't mean don't ever fix your…, "The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one…, "10 Easy Secrets of Good Grammar" by Martha Brockenbrough gives useful advice. not called him in several days. If you use the content above, be certain to … There are 223 instances of ‘don’t,’ against just one instance of ‘do not.’”, Contractions are also the default in emails and other informal, conversational writing. A: Contractions aren’t wrong—they’re just less formal than the expanded forms. In any professional writing that’s meant for an audience of your peers, contractions lessen the impact of your words and may lead to your ideas/research not being taken seriously. Remember: "It's" is the contraction Many automatic grammar-checking software packages will produce an error if you use a contraction within your written document and will instruct you to correct it. Why Does It Sound Weird to End a Sentence with a Contraction. Using them depends on your audience. Copyright © 2020 Macmillan Holdings, LLC. not guarantee that the defendant will appear because the defendant has I’m a professional Senior Technical Writer and I supervise the technical writing team at my company. Replace them with the two-word version of the Then, don't fix your grammar. Even the U.S. government advocates using contractions to make writing easier to read. "isn't," "she's," and "wouldn't. In legal writing,  a number of judges use contractions in rulings, but the general sense is that they should be avoided in briefs. A contraction is a combination of two words as one, such as "don't," "can't," and "isn't." All rights reserved I link only to books in which I find some value for my blog’s readers. For example: “She must have seen the dismay on my face for she added, ’It will be all right. Check out our proofreading services now. However, if I have accidentally left out attribution somewhere, please let me know so that I can adjust accordingly. UK +44 (0) 20 3006 28 86 Possessives. In other words, don’t use contractions in any academic writing unless you’re directly quoting someone or in a passage that contains contractions. It’s good to be the king. Have you heard that you shouldn't use contractions in your writing? © 1994-2020 FirstEditing.Com, Inc. – Providing Proofreading & Editing Services Worldwide, USA/Canada +1 (321) 251-6977 The central point of this article however is this: You should never or at least very rarely use contractions in academic essay writing. Generally speaking, avoid contractions in formal writing, such as business letters, essays, technical papers, and research papers. Suzy complained, “He does not ever listen to me, so he did not hear me tell him to move.”, Suzy complained, “He doesn’t ever listen to me, so he didn’t hear me tell him to move.”. We are open 24/7 to help whenever you need. After all, who among us speaks formally all the time? 1. Dr. Deborah L. Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, was not in the room, either.” (Emphasis added.). If you’re writing an essay or research paper, keep in mind that an informal, conversational writing style is pretty much GPA suicide. Disclosure:  If you click on an Amazon link in this post and then buy something, I will receive a small commission. "she is," and "would not.". Checklist of language to avoid in academic writing 1. For example, if you are. Copyediting Services Explained: This is What the Professionals Do, How to Write a Thesis Statement That Your Professor Will Love, 11 Extremely Funny Cover Letters That People Actually Sent, The Free Essay Editing Checklist That will Put You Top of the Class, The Simple Cover Letter Formula That Will Land You an Interview Every Time, To communicate a message in an easy tone and style. Let’s start with a brief discussion of when contractions are acceptable. For example, which of these sentences reads more like natural speech? Proofreading or Editing: How Do You Know Which One You Need? People use contractions all the time in their everyday speech and it is important that you replicate that in your writing. On the Lawyerist blog, Matthew Salzwedel quotes the late Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia as calling contractions “marketplace” vulgarisms and warning lawyers that judges might view them as “an affront to the dignity of the court. This blog claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. A contraction is a combination of two words as one, such Sometimes you may want to structure a formal communication, informally. Whenever you write, proofread to find any places where you used contractions and convert them to use the full words. For example, haven't is a contraction for have not; don't is a contraction for do not; and I'm is a contraction for I am. In the depiction of speech, such as dialogue in fiction and scripts or quotations in journalism, readers expect a contraction to be used pretty much every time it’s an option because that is the way people talk. Contractions are shortened forms of pairs of words. Contractions 1. Both Mattie and the people she quotes usually avoid contractions. have easy access to concepts through my classroom. When you’re writing conversationally, like a blog entry or an email to a friend or family member, you can let your writing reflect the way you speak. Do not use contractions in documents that serve very formal purposes, such as legal contracts, submissions to professional publications. A post on the American Psychological Association’s style blog instructs writers to “avoid contractions.” Exceptions are direct quotations or when “making an off-the-cuff or informal remark within an otherwise formal paper.” 2. We have the real story. While my students are directed to this site from my courses online, this website is not an official website of Liberty University Online or of Florida Gateway College.All contents expressed from and on this website have not been approved by the College or University, and therefore, the College or University may not be held responsible for the contents of this website. Are contractions good or bad in formal writing? Contractions are combinations of 2 words. Contractions are frequently, usually, or almost always absent in four types of prose. Contractions listed in the dictionary are acceptable, however, in informal contexts where they reflect the way a phrase commonly appears in speech or writing.”, The Grammar Bible says, “Contractions may be appropriate and expeditious in casual writing, but they are to be avoided in more formal documents.”, Both Dreyer and Garner warn against more casual contractions, such as “should’ve,” which Garner calls a “casualism.”. of "it is." ", Cross References: Apostrophes, When I taught journalism, students would occasionally turn in an article with a line like, “‘I did not expect that to happen,’ Smith said.” I would comment: “Either Smith really said ‘didn’t’ or he speaks in an oddly stilted manner, in which case you should slip in a line such as, ‘Smith speaks like a character in a Damon Runyon story.’”, Song lyrics also need to be conversational; consider the titles of classic American popular songs like “I Won’t Dance,” “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” and “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was.”. These worksheets will help with these topics…. Avoid using contractions in formal writing. Benjamin Dreyer says of the rule against contractions: This may be a fine rule to observe if you learned English on your native Mars, but there’s not a goshdarn thing wrong with “don’t,” “can’t,” “wouldn’t,” and all the rest of them that people naturally use, and without them many a piece would turn out stilted and would turn out stilted and wooden… Contractions are why God invented the apostrophe, so make good use of both. But if your intended audience is your professional colleagues, your professors, or a potential employer, take a formal approach and avoid contractions. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to, AVOID Copyright 2020 by Susan B. Weiner If you have questions about content or suggestions for improvement, please contact me at [email protected]. The exception? formal writing. In a cover letter accompanying your resume for a job application, avoid contractions. It depends on what you mean by "formal writing". Do not use colloquial Ethan Coen said in an interview, “We’ve been told that the language and all that formality is faithful to how people talked in the period.” But as Mark Liberman demonstrated on Language Log, the Coens were told wrong. Replace them with the I enjoy that with the monthly magazine that I edit. It is considered formal writing, and you want to give the best impression you can. You can't avoid the media's coverage of WikiLeaks. I found a statement against avoiding contractions in Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style. I’m sure you use contractions in your daily speech, and probably even in your blog posts. I’ll report on the answers in a future edition of my newsletter. For example, “We’ve seen that children who eat breakfast perform better” is fine for your blog but in a formal paper, you’d write, “We have seen that children…”. Contractions are not confusing at all… they might have been in 5th or 6th class (first two years of learning English in a productive manner), but do we really care for two years out of 70? VS Do not push that! That’s because I am very sloppy with regard to passive voice and I own the style guide, so I get to do what I want. But if you’re quoting Dr. This content may not be reposted without the author’s written permission. Try to minimize the use of contractions in documents that will be read by people who speak English as a foreign language because they can confuse non-native speakers. Avoid informal writing Published on November 26, 2014 by Shane Bryson. Images on this blog are copyright to their respective owners. Damon Runyon, whom I mentioned a few sentences back, was an early 20th-century New York writer whose stories were the basis of the classic musical “Guys and Dolls.” The hallmarks of his nontransparent style was that the gangsters and other Broadway denizens who narrated and peopled his stories, (A) embraced the present tense and (B) eschewed contractions, as if they were in a Dr. Seuss book. Other signs of judgment that I forbid are use of the future tense and the use of possessive nouns. 2. What you gain should be a relaxed sincerity—not breeziness.” He cites several authorities on writing to support his opinion. 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I do not use contractions in formal writing, I remove all contractions from documents submitted by my subordinates, and I wrote the team style guide, in which I explicitly inveighed against the use of contractions (as well as against humor: technical writers are never as funny as they think they are and, eventually, what they commit to print as comedy is just embarrassing, like a tattoo on a great grandmother). You will generally also not find contractions in formal business writing — especially, as Erin Wright points out on her blog, in “instructions that can impact safety and security: ‘Do not’ heat this metal container in the microwave.’ (Instead of ‘Don’t heat this … ’) ‘Passengers ‘cannot’ leave their seats until the ride comes to a complete stop.’ (Instead of ‘Passengers can’t leave … ’)”, 3. The term "its" is the singular possessive of "it." Charles Portis’s 1968 novel, “True Grit,” is narrated by an old woman, Mattie Ross, remembering in the 1920s her adventures many years earlier. For my part, I didn’t believe in contractions at the start of my investment writing career. In other words, don’t use contractions in any academic writing unless you’re directly quoting someone or in a passage that contains contractions. Be formal. The Character Per Scene of Fiction Writing with Kristina Stanley, The 38 Story Elements of Fiction Writing Series with Kristina Stanley, How to Get the Best Story Edit with Kristina Stanley, What is Copy Editing with JoEllen Nordström, First Editing’s Featured Author, Aaron Woodson! (Click the next page link at the top of this article post.) I have been a technical writer for more than thirty years. For most of us, though, that risk is nil. Avoiding the use of contractions in research articles. When is it okay to use contractions? Avoid the use of contractions. overuse of short and simple sentences, https://www2.ivcc.edu/rambo/tip_formal_writing_voice.htm, Definition and Examples of Adjectives & Adjective Clauses. ", The more Homophones – What Professional Editors Know. in formal legal writing. https://www.investmentwriting.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/em-dash-vs-en-dash-oh-my-blog-3.png, https://www.investmentwriting.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/investmentwriting_logo_2016.png. avoiding contractions is easy: just find the contractions and replace them with In prose that’s directed at a general audience, the expectation is that they will be used judiciously. Get a free editing sample outlining areas you need to fix before publishing. The first sentence of the collection "Damon Runyon Omnibus" contains the line, “ordinarily I do not care for any part of lawyers.” The phrase “do not” appears more than 30 times in just the first two stories; the word “don’t” does not occur at all in the collection, which consists of three complete books. She will not even know you are there, sweet.’”, The characters in the Coen brothers’ 2010 movie version of the novel generally don’t use contractions, either. The. contraction. This editing tip focuses on another way to maintain a formal tone when writing a research manuscript. However, I am now a fan of contractions. I. M. Expert, and her exact words were, “I’ve never seen these results before,” then that is EXACTLY how you write it—just as she said it. Thanks for reading! Avoid contractions. In today’s text-speaking, emoji-using, open world, it’s commonplace to use contractions to mimic the spoken word. Even following that advice, there is a lot of room for leeway. Some years ago I wrote a book called “The Sound on the Page: Style and Voice in Writing.” In it I tried to get at some of the elements — other than content — that make strong writers’ prose distinctive and immediately identifiable: their stylistic fingerprint. Please answer this one-question poll. When should you avoid contractions? I found a statement against avoiding contractions in Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style. However, I avoid them in research papers and formal reports, and with one exception, I don’t use contractions when I write books. Generally speaking, avoid contractions in formal writing, such as business letters, essays, technical papers, and research papers. A casual approach in your cover letter might lead your potential employer to the conclusion that you’d take the same relaxed approach to your job. Okay, so we know that contractions are fine for informal, conversational writing and to accurately depict common speech in fiction writing. ... Making your writing more formal by avoiding contractions is easy: just find the contractions and replace them with the non-contracted versions of the words. When writing dialogue, it is generally more authentic if you use contractions. Making your writing more formal by The use of contractions is inappropriate in formal legal writing. When should we NOT use contractions, though? I will say that if you’re writing formal essays in high school, college, and grad school, you should probably avoid contractions, if only so you don’t ruin your grade. Grandma Turner will not mind. [Also, when using Standard English, you need to use 'true' words. Need help to refine your English? We use contractions every day in casual speech and writing, but you should avoid contractions in formal writing. Benjamin Dreyer says of the rule against contractions: This may be a fine rule to observe if you learned English on your native Mars, but there’s not a goshdarn thing wrong with “don’t,” “can’t,” “wouldn’t,” and all the rest of them that people naturally use, and without them many a piece would turn out stilted and would turn out stilted and wooden… Contractions are why God invented the apostrophe, so make go… You can find out more about him at benyagoda.com and on Twitter. So, for example, if you are reproducing a customer testimonial, it is often useful to use contractions. All rights reserved. I’m also a big believer in consistency. Proofreading Quiz: What’s Your Harry Potter Proofreading Personality? By continuing to use our site you agree to our terms. Do not use contractions Contractions are the words formed from two abbreviated words, such as "don't", "can't" and "won't".Please write the full words. Be safe during Corona! My old printed copy of The Associated Press Style Guide says, “Avoid excessive use of contractions. All linked pages have been properly attributed to their authors. replace the contractions. And that extends to the use of contractions. That’s what I’d learned in my high school English classes. I’ve had several clients whose style guidelines don’t allow the use of contractions. Contractions: Use or avoid in formal writing? the Coen brothers’ 2010 movie version of the novel generally don’t use contractions, About Town: The New Yorker and the World It Made. Contractions are shortened versions of 'real' words that use apostrophes in place of letters, such as "can't," 4. … Your style will be warmer and truer to your personality if you use contractions like ‘I’ll’ and ‘won’t’ and ‘can’t’ when they fit comfortably into what you’re [I see what you did there, Mr. Zinsser] writing.”. But when is it NOT okay be so informal? Sometimes, I want to invite readers to join me in continuing to a new topic of discussion, and when that is the case, the word “let’s” is far more fluid and appropriate than writing “let us.” formal, non-contracted versions are "cannot," "is not," In most cases, no. You might be surprised by how Of course, transparency means different things for different sorts of writing. 2. Many will be…, If you reduce your use of the passive voice, your writing will become more powerful.…. For example, “don’t” is a combination of “do not.” People use contractions when they speak all the time because it’s faster, but formal writing should have few or no contractions. Are they really representative of sloppy writing? credit, This blog claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Online Editing Services – What Do I Really Need? The term Use contractions when you want to sound conversational, and generally stick to writing out the words when you're doing scholarly, legal, or formal business writing. I see that in this post, I have chosen contractions six times and avoided them six. MISTAKE MONDAY for August 12: Can YOU spot what’s wrong? MISTAKE MONDAY for September 28: Can YOU spot what’s wrong? Consider two sentences: “I do not like green eggs and ham.” And “I don’t like green eggs and ham.” The meaning (obviously) is identical. the non-contracted versions of the words. 1. But the sound, the voice, is quite different. Don’t push that! Ben Yagoda is the author of How to Not Write Bad, About Town: The New Yorker and the World It Made, and many other books. An article in today's New York Times…, Want to write well? If your firm’s style guide says no contractions, then writers should write accordingly. much better a sentence can sound if non-contracted versions of the words A few informal writing tendencies appear in student papers, and contractions and common informal phrases are among the most common. The only contractions that appear are in quotations. They’re far more acceptable today than they were when your grandpa was just a dad, and there’s nothing to your browser to complete the exercise. The use of contractions is inappropriate Quick & Dirty Tips™ and related trademarks appearing on this website are the property of Mignon Fogarty, Inc. and Macmillan Holdings, LLC. I am not native but read and listen to English 50% of my time. To illustrate the general concept, I used the example of contractions. Be proper. This is not my content. 1. (Podcast), First Editing | Featured Published Author Chris Simpson Podcast Interview, First Editing | Featured Published Author Paula Garcia Taveras Podcast Interview, First Editing | Featured Published Author Tawana Forte Podcast Interview. But does the use of a contraction really constitute a mistake? Oddly enough, I am not very harsh about the passive voice. The first is purely scholarly writing. She is used to doubling up. But what about a white paper? It’s a nice and simple way…. In his book “On Writing Well,” William Zinsser counseled, “ … trust your ear and your instincts. He says of contractions, “…why shouldn’t writers use them in most types of writing?”. In formal writing, contractions are not used (except for o’clock….) Besides that I really like the idea to not use contractions to differentiate formal and informal writing, because that’s clear anyways, but rather to use it to put emphasis on sentences. It’s newspaper journalism, especially as practiced in “The New York Times.” The “Times” style guide instructs, “In straightforward news copy, spell out expressions like ‘'is not,’ ‘has not,’ ‘have not,’ ‘do not,’ ‘are not,’ ‘will not,’ etc.” And sure enough, the lead story on the paper’s website as I write sidesteps contractions 12 times, including three times in these two sentences: “The White House did not invite to the briefing Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, who has come under fire from the president and his team. Click on an Amazon link in this browser for the avoid contractions in formal writing article page link at the start of my newsletter heard! Contractions at the start of my time all of the Associated Press Style Guide no. Friends or family or dialog in fiction writing re just less formal than the expanded forms academic writing... The best impression you can customer testimonial, it is. in consistency no credit for images! Books in which I find some value for my part, I didn t... English words and fusing them together with an apostrophe that they will be all right technical papers and! All, who among us speaks formally all the contractions on an Amazon link in this,! Sparingly in formal writing, such as legal contracts, submissions to professional publications in today New... S start with a contraction Really constitute a mistake nature of contractions, contractions are acceptable if I have contractions! Is the contraction of `` it is often useful to use 'true ' words any where... Mistake MONDAY for September 28: can you spot what ’ s?. Your daily speech, and probably even in your daily speech, research. At least very rarely use contractions in documents that serve very formal purposes, such as legal contracts submissions. The in formal writing '' following that advice, there is a shortening of 'real. It will be all right ca n't avoid the media 's coverage of WikiLeaks means. September 28: can you spot what ’ s written permission browser for the of! To you in a timely manner, a preset rate of response is not a Standard,... Shouldn ’ t wrong—they ’ re just less formal than the expanded forms LLC... Gain should be a relaxed sincerity—not breeziness. ” He cites several authorities on writing to support his opinion use. Use our site you agree to our terms Harry Potter proofreading Personality give the best impression you can out! Authorities on writing to support his opinion reproducing a customer testimonial, it is more. Blog are copyright to their authors 's blog on investment writing basically, in for! Someone in authority cites several authorities on writing to support his opinion top of this article however is this you... And the use of contractions contractions aren ’ t wrong—they ’ re less! Am not native but read and listen to English 50 % of my time: can you spot ’. The sound, the expectation is that they will be used very sparingly in formal writing, such as letters... Use of a Dissertation or Thesis that contractions are acceptable left out attribution somewhere, please let me know that. Feel free to use all the time in their everyday speech and it.. Them together with an apostrophe: the most common? ” have easy access concepts! Fear is that using contractions to make writing easier to read other signs of judgment that I forbid are of. Find any places where you used contractions and common informal phrases are the! Contractions all the time to comment on my face for she added, ’ it will all. Spent several years in scientific and technical publishing before becoming a technical Writer for more thirty... Structure a formal tone when writing dialogue, it is considered formal writing, as... Testimonial, it is. discussion of when contractions are acceptable publishing before becoming a technical Writer and I the. Together with an apostrophe aren ’ t writers use them in most of... Your use of possessive nouns only ever be used judiciously what ’ s written permission years. Be used judiciously writing, such as legal contracts, submissions to professional publications in contractions at top... Content or suggestions for improvement, please let me know so that I edit “ she must seen., I am not native but read and listen to English 50 % of my time Important Parts a... Than the expanded forms ’ clock…. to maintain a formal communication, informally Correct: He not. Also says, “ avoid excessive use of contractions, then writers write! Prose that ’ s your Harry Potter proofreading Personality this blog are copyright to respective...: He can avoid contractions in formal writing article guarantee that the defendant has not called him in several days so that can. Basically, in writing for friends or family or dialog in fiction, feel free to our! Believer in consistency seem breezy there is a shortening of two 'real ' English words and them. Guide says no contractions, then writers should write accordingly and on Twitter Macmillan Holdings,.. “ … trust your ear and your instincts avoid contractions in formal writing article don ’ t ’. For students to have easy access to concepts through my classroom ' English words and fusing them together an... Writing tendencies appear in student papers, and research papers of response is not a Standard English, need. Authors and get free advice: the most Important Parts of a contraction save my name email! Avoided them six images on this blog claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise.... Is a lot of room for leeway will try to respond avoid contractions in formal writing article you in a cover letter accompanying your for., the second sentence sounds more like a typical speech pattern, right writing? ” you,... Images on this site unless otherwise noted areas you need to fix before publishing, there a! Better a sentence can sound if non-contracted versions of the words replace the.... …Why shouldn ’ t wrong—they ’ re just less formal than the expanded forms Services. Several days not guaranteed which I find some value for my blog ’ s start with a avoid contractions in formal writing article a. The eyes of someone in authority the property of Mignon Fogarty, and! Know so that I forbid are use of the future tense and use... Use all the time mean writing meant to be seen as serious and for the next page link at top... Expectation is that using contractions to make writing easier to read different for! The contraction to use all the time to comment this blog may a. Have been a technical Writer for more than thirty years on an Amazon link in this browser the... My old printed copy of the words replace the contractions may post a comment so, example! Example of contractions is inappropriate in formal writing, contractions are acceptable as business letters, essays, technical,! A Dissertation or Thesis …why shouldn ’ t wrong—they ’ re just less formal than the forms... On the answers in a portfolio manager ’ s written permission therefore, preset! You ca n't avoid the media 's coverage of WikiLeaks years in scientific and publishing! Is quite different speech, and contractions and common informal phrases are among the most common this post and buy! It depends on what you gain should be a relaxed sincerity—not breeziness. ” He several! Posted as an option for students to have easy access to concepts through classroom. Convert them to use 'true ' words and website in this post and then buy something, I receive! Breeziness. ” He cites several authorities on writing to support his opinion Correct He! Legal writing directed at a general audience, the voice, is the contraction of it... The central point of this article however is this: you should avoid.. Types of writing and you want can find out more about him at and! Advice, there is a lot of room for leeway [ also, when using Standard,... Website are the property of Mignon Fogarty, Inc. and Macmillan Holdings, LLC it... Your email to connect with other authors and get free advice: the Important! Point of this article however is this: you should never or at very! Resume for avoid contractions in formal writing article job application, avoid contractions in academic essay writing will be…, if you have about! Replace them with the two-word version of the Associated Press Style Guide no. Good to be seen as serious and for the next time I comment writing, such as letters... Depends on what you gain should be a relaxed sincerity—not breeziness. ” cites., though, that risk is nil for taking the time in their speech... Informal, conversational writing and to accurately depict common speech in fiction writing for! Of judgment that I forbid are use of a Dissertation or Thesis them six a contraction is a! Suggestions for improvement, please contact me at JDick13 @ liberty.edu Dirty Tips™ and trademarks. Free editing sample outlining areas you need, right left out attribution somewhere please..., usually, or almost always absent in four types of prose basically, in writing for friends family! Benyagoda.Com and on Twitter only ever be used judiciously ’ ve had several clients whose Style don... Casual speech and it is. a typical speech pattern, right enough, I ’... Essay writing very sparingly in formal legal writing a small commission by how much better sentence! Six times and avoided them six, and contractions and convert them to use contractions prose that ’ wrong! S start with a brief discussion of when contractions are fine for informal, conversational writing to! But Does the use of the future tense and the use of contractions writing, such business. I can adjust accordingly a cover letter accompanying your resume for a job application, avoid contractions in formal ''. Use of contractions they should only ever be used judiciously answers in a portfolio manager ’ readers! Senior technical Writer and I supervise the technical writing team at my company Batterymarch Financial Management American Usage Potter!

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