Supposedbly, when you are writing a formal paper you are supposed to avoid contractions. I beleive Strunk and White's manual called for this as well. I'm curious to hear the professional opinion of professional TWWers regarding contractions.

And don't get me started about people who pluralize via apostrophes.

11/9/2006 9:32:03 PM

ya'll

11/9/2006 9:33:14 PM

no contractions

11/9/2006 9:33:37 PM

definitely not.

11/9/2006 9:39:20 PM

I've missed this guy.

11/9/2006 9:40:35 PM

Quote :

"Supposedbly"

11/9/2006 9:59:35 PM

it aint a good ider

11/9/2006 10:01:55 PM

It's "yea".

11/9/2006 10:04:27 PM

I use them anyway, not excessively though. I don't see the point of not using them. They can sometimes make something seem more clear.

11/9/2006 10:33:37 PM

Quote :

"professional TWWers"

Yes, you are supposed to avoid contractions in formal papers. Do it often enough in informal writing (TWW) and you get used to it ... use the apostrophe key less frequently.

11/9/2006 10:38:06 PM

Yeah, I guess I misspelled supposedly. Sorry, it's a tricky word. I need to upgrade to Firefox 2.0 on this computer. Anyway, thanks for the replies.

11/9/2006 10:46:10 PM

What's the paper for?

You can use contractions in most papers, research or otherwise.
You can ask your professor about his/her specific preferences.

I used contractions in all my papers, including the Pope Research Grant paper that was privately funded research. Content is important, not whether you say 'do not' or 'don't'

11/9/2006 11:00:12 PM

No paper purpose. In fact, I'm just curious as to how contractions are viewed in the professional workplace. I know there are some Micheal Scott s out there, but how important is good writing?

11/9/2006 11:04:32 PM

In my experience, as long as you use proper word choice and spelling, along with basic grammar, you are good to go.

11/9/2006 11:54:29 PM

I avoid them like the plague in formal papers.

[Edited on November 10, 2006 at 12:03 AM. Reason : Misplaced modifier, FTW!]

11/10/2006 12:02:29 AM

isn't this why we have women? so they can learn this shit and type it up for us as our secretaries?

11/10/2006 12:07:23 AM

it depends

do not use "don't" or "won't"

but usually "wouldn't" "doesn't" and "couldn't" are acceptable.


it all depends, ask whoever's going to be looking at it

11/10/2006 12:10:38 AM

I think as long as you don't OVERLY emphasize TOO MANY WORDS with tacky formatting like my boss does, you'll be okay. i swear its like pulling teeth trying to convince him how unprofessional this looks.

and generally i avoid contractions.

11/10/2006 10:49:57 PM

ain't

11/10/2006 11:02:56 PM

no contractions, unless you are writing a piece such as a script that will be read on television or otherwise aloud. In that case, it is better/more effective to use contractions.

11/10/2006 11:05:53 PM

lol, who would pick a contraction over the two words spelled out...

11/10/2006 11:08:39 PM

Depends on the voice you're trying to use. If you're trying to be formal, like you would in a legal document, avoid them. If you're trying to sound natural or use a speaking voice, go for it.

11/10/2006 11:10:39 PM

Quote :

"formal paper "

[no]

11/10/2006 11:13:50 PM

Quote :

"do not use "don't" or "won't" but usually "wouldn't" "doesn't" and "couldn't" are acceptable."

What on earth is that based on?

No go on the contractions.

11/10/2006 11:14:55 PM

had a teacher that was so hardcore, she said dont use the words would or could

i forget what types of papers they were though...i think persuasive

11/10/2006 11:18:23 PM

Do not use contractions, "I", and avoid "that" if at all possible. The last one is just my personal preference. The word is used too often.

11/10/2006 11:18:59 PM

and dont over compensate with "this"

11/10/2006 11:24:32 PM

never use contractions in a formal paper .. some teachers may not care, but most will view it negatively

11/10/2006 11:36:11 PM

most people here would be better off avoiding formal papers in general.

11/11/2006 12:18:49 AM

Do not use contractions in research papers, Crede. The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers warns that contractions are "rarely acceptable" in such papers. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association punts the question, as it does many questions. I can find no mention of contractions in the latest APA manual, which I loathe, by the way. In addition, contractions are not recommended in most business writing.

^^^^ I may certainly be used in a reflective essay--and many college-level essays are reflective in nature. Concerning your mention of that, I understand your objection. I think, however, you will find the following quotation from the author of the book Word Court to be instructive:

". . .[B]y a margin of four to one my correspondents wish they saw or heard more of these thats, not fewer. The magic of that is that at the same time it connects, it puts a bit of distance between two elements of a sentence--a neat trick that often comes in handy. . . .[S]ometimes one wants to make clear that the object of the verb is the whole clause and not the noun at the start of the clause, and that does this job with a minimum of fuss. Or one may want to put the distance between two (or more) subordinate clauses that express very different ideas. [For example], one that after 'Mr. Smith advised me' is surely enough, and I don't mind [a] version in which there are no thats at all. But I would add two to 'Mr. Smith advised me he would depart next weekend and the roses need pruning,' to make manifest that Mr. Smith advised me of two things, and disparate things at--well, that.

Where to prune that is either where ideas are closely related, as they are in the first 'Mr. Smith' example, or where multiple thats begin to sound like a drumbeat: 'He said that he had advised me that the departure that he planned. . . .'"

Does this example make sense to you? I hope it does, and I hope the contraction question has been definitively answered.

[Edited on November 11, 2006 at 6:35 AM. Reason : .]

11/11/2006 6:26:53 AM

Is it a boy or a girl?

11/11/2006 9:09:09 AM

how in the fuck do people no know this?

11/11/2006 9:31:08 AM

You can use contractions if you're illustrating your point through a fictional dialogue. lol

11/11/2006 1:09:07 PM

^ NB: My posts on TWW are neither research papers or business writing. LOL.

11/11/2006 5:23:17 PM

^^^ This is the same person who thought it was "yay or Nay" instead of the correct

YEA or NAY

how the fuck do people not know that either?

11/11/2006 5:34:39 PM

ya'll =/= y'all

11/11/2006 5:50:38 PM

11/11/2006 11:35:27 PM

Lamaze might help.

11/12/2006 6:39:48 AM

Quote :

"This is the same person who thought it was "yay or Nay" instead of the correct YEA or NAY how the fuck do people not know that either?"

Maybe because 90% of the people on this site think that "yea" is how you're supposed to spell "yeah".

11/12/2006 8:30:30 AM

I before E, except after C, or when followed by G

[Edited on November 12, 2006 at 12:24 PM. Reason : lol]

11/12/2006 12:24:33 PM

From the MLA style manual - "contractions are rarely acceptable in scholarly writing" [goes on to discuss acceptable uses: colloquial (dialect) pronunciation (I'm a-goin'), and in direct quotes. I taught composition when I was working on my MA [ducks], and I'd mark it, but I didn't usually make a big deal about it, unless it was consistent.

11/15/2006 11:36:05 PM