Why is contraction used

While there is no strict grammar rule limiting the use of contractions to certain formats, they are generally omitted from formal writing like academic essays, business proposals, or otherwise professionally written documents.

Contractions are associated with casual conversation, so they can make formal writing seem sloppy or unprofessional. In literature or informal writing blog posts, texts, personal emails, etc , writers have more freedom to use contractions as they see fit. Regardless of the formality of the writing, writers can use contractions when writing dialogue or documenting speech. Contractions are most commonly used in spoken English. They are indicative of casual conversation, though common contractions can still be used in more formal settings.

For example, a presidential speech might include some contractions, though it will likely have far fewer than a relaxed conversation between two friends. Common contractions are much more noticeable in written English than they are in spoken English. When speaking, contractions often occur naturally. For example, if you are playing a card game, you might say:.

Most native English speakers use contractions without even thinking about it. There are a few different types of contractions in English. In English, there are a fairly small number of contractions, and they're all made out of common words.

Here are some of the contractions you'll see the most:. You might have noticed that the word won't is a little different from the other contractions. It means will not , even though the word will isn't there.

This is because won't is based on a much older form of the word will. Even though the word changed, the contraction stayed the same! If anyone tells you that you should never use contractions in writing, they're wrong.

It's perfectly OK to use contractions in most writing, including newspapers , fiction , and instructions. In fact, using contractions can make your writing simpler and easier to read. You can sign up here. Join our mailing list now and get a special bonus:. We use MailChimp as our marketing automation platform.

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Learn to Speak English! Lorem ipsum. Tempor incididunt. All rights reserved. Why Are English Contractions Important? It has been pointed out before on Really Learn English, that even though you speak well and have good grammar and vocabulary skills, something or somethings still may be missing. For example: Incorrect: "It is what it's. Importance of Contraction Words Technically speaking, contractions aren't necessary in written English.

Contractions make your writing seem friendly and accessible. They give the appearance that you are actually "talking" to your reader. When writing dialogue in a novel or play, contractions help reflect how a character actually speaks. Contractions help save space when preparing advertisements, slogans and other written works that must be short and to the point. Commonly Confused Contraction Words A couple contractions fall into the category of commonly confused words in English.