Using contractions

Soobdoo

Soobdoo

I am confused about the use of contractions.
Most of the books on writing that I have read advise against the use of contractions except in speech.
The trouble is modern speech is so full of these that it often feels stilted and unnatural to write without using them.
I seem to use doesn't, can't etc a lot and have corrected this on review.
When my daughter read through my last ms it was one of the things she commented on.

Does anyone have any views or advice?

Jay Mandal

I use contractions for speech, and often for narrative, too - but then my stories are modern, and sometimes lighthearted.

I probably wouldn't use them for a serious factual work.

TaffetaPunk

Hi Soobdoo,

As a proofreader, I can tell you that different publications use different house styles - the house I proofread for doesn't like contractions, but other houses might be OK with them.  However, even then, sometimes I leave the contraction as the writing would sound stilted with the words written in full (or if it's a direct quotation).  In this case, I flag it in pencil and let the editor decide.  All this is leading to me saying:  If you want to use contractions, use them.  It can always be changed at the editing stage.

Carol

The only time I'm really aware of contractions is in dialogue for characters based a couple of hundred years ago- the richer/loftier the person, then a more formal style of speaking will likely be used; while an ordinary person you'll likely use it without worrying too much.
In contemporary stuff I go with what sounds and reads right.

Soobdoo

Thanks for all your comments.
Perhaps I'm worrying about them too much.
I'm sure it's something I'm going to continue to puzzle over.