Are you in the final stages of pregnancy and experiencing tight feelings in your lower abdomen? Those are contractions. However, they’re not the contractions we’re talking about. This is a proofreading website. You need something about parenthood.
The contractions we can help with are words. But they are a special type of word, so you need to know how they work and when to use them in order to avoid errors. In this post, we explain the basics.
A ‘contraction’ is a term made up of two other words. Usually, this involves dropping at least one letter from the terms being combined, which is marked with an apostrophe. For instance:
Do not = Don’t
I have = I’ve
Has not = Hasn’t
Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.
Two words are combined in all of these examples, with an apostrophe added to show where a letter has been left out. Most contractions work like this, so the key is knowing which letter to drop!
Contractions are common in speech and in less formal writing. As such, they’re often used when trying to strike a friendly or informal tone. We use them in these blog posts, for example, because we don’t want to sound too stuffy: a tricky task when your main topics are spelling and grammar!
However, contractions shouldn’t be used in formal writing, including in essays and business reports. If you find yourself using contractions in a formal document, write out the words in full instead.
Certain contractions cause more problems than others. We’ve picked out a few common offenders so that you know what to look for:
Δ
4-minute read
Proofreading is important to ensure your writing is clear and concise for your readers. Whether...
2-minute read
Creating presentations can be time-consuming and frustrating. Trying to construct a visually appealing and informative...
No matter your industry, conducting market research helps you keep up to date with shifting...
In a world where you need to stand out, press releases are key to being...
3-minute read
In the United States, the US Patent and Trademarks Office issues patents. In the United...
A visually appealing and user-friendly website is essential for success in today’s competitive ecommerce landscape....