Using Contractions Correctly

Since the word contract means “to squeeze together,” it seems only logical that a contraction is two words made shorter by placing an apostrophe where letters have been omitted. Writing a contraction properly is simple when you know the general rule of creating contractions.

You replace the letters that were removed from the original words with an apostrophe when you make the contraction.

If you combine “is” + “not” to form “isn’t,” you remove the “o” from “not” and replace it with an apostrophe. One common exception to this rule is the word “won’t.” It is a shortened form of “will not,” but you can see the word “will” is not in the contraction at all.

Contraction words are made out of common words, and there are a little over 90 standard contractions.

These are the most common contractions you’ll hear or use when speaking English.

Contractions like these that include the word “not” negate a verb.

From double contractions to slang and old fashioned words, some contractions don’t look exactly like all the others.

While contractions can be very useful in written English, many experts caution against the use of contractions in formal communication. Since contractions tend to add a light and informal tone to your writing, they are often inappropriate for academic research papers, business presentations, and other types of official correspondence.

However, this rule does have some flexibility. In general, it's best to use your own judgment when deciding if contractions are appropriate for a particular piece.

Contractions can be used in any position in a sentence; however, homophone contractions such as "it's" and "they're" sound better when followed by another word or phrase. The reason is that the sounds of "its" and "it's" and "they're" and "their" are so similar that they can be confusing unless they are used with the context of an additional word.

For example:

• Incorrect: "It is what it's."
• Correct: "It is what it is looking like."
• Correct: "It is what it is."

• Incorrect: "You said they didn't want to go, well, they're."
• Correct: ""You said they didn't want to go, well, they're going."
• Correct: "You said they didn't want to go, well, they are."

Technically speaking, contractions aren't necessary in written English. Using the full version of a word is always grammatically correct. However, there are a number of reasons why contractions do serve a valuable stylistic purpose.

• 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.

A couple contractions fall into the category of commonly confused words in English.

The contraction it’s is often confused with the word its. You can learn the correct usage of “it’s” and “its”, including the trick for telling the difference.

To determine if you should use “it's” or “its” in your sentence, try replacing the word with “it is” or “it has”. If the sentence makes sense, “it’s” is appropriate. If not, use “its”.

“They’re” is another troublesome contraction word. Practice using “they’re”, “their”, and “there” to ensure you’re using each word correctly.

Deciding which word to use is easy if you remember a few simple tips:

• If you can replace the questionable word with “they are”, “they’re” is correct.
• If you can replace the questionable word with “his” or “her”, “their” is correct.
• If you can replace the questionable word with “here”, “there” is correct.

Now that you have a basic understanding of how to use contractions correctly, take a look at some of the ways you could still get tripped up by contraction words. Learn when not to use an apostrophe and the 7 grammar rules you can break, including using contractions.