Final Thoughts on Contractions in Formal Writing. Not every word ending in an “s” requires an apostrophe. Even though apostrophes are common in everyday writing, they are relatively rare in academic papers. Most of the answers have correctly identified the two uses of an apostrophe: 1. to indicate possession; and. Everyone loves a hot debate, right? This rarity helps to maintain a formal tone, because apostrophes are generally considered informal. Apostrophes sometimes show up in verbs that end in … Using contractions makes your language sound more informal, which may make you sound less authoritative or make a serious issue sound too casual. If you're talking about something in a certain place (there) or something that belongs to people (their) you do NOT need to use an apostrophe. Given that informal constructions are omitted in research reports, apostrophes also disappear from there. An apostrophe should therefore only be added in “it’s” when used as a contraction rather than a possessive. So, only two occasions will give them cause to hop out into the limelight: contractions and noun possessions. The point is: no possession, no apostrophe. For example, it’s instead of it is, can’t instead of cannot, isn’t instead of is not. it’s = it is or it has; should’ve = should have).In academic writing, words that use apostrophes for missing letters (i.e. 2. to indicate missing letters. You're (you are) not demonstrating a spectacular handle on comma usage. In the end, that didn't go so well, as contractions are regularly misprinted in writing all across the globe. Well, don't be fooled by this little guy; the apostrophe trips up millions of people all day, every day. Do you put an apostrophe after dates like those above? Do not use an apostrophe in verbs. So, the signs above should read: If, however, a plural noun needs to show possession, then it's time for the apostrophe to come on over. In this case, the only time you would NOT use an apostrophe is when the date is plural. It gets inserted into words it shouldn't be in or omitted from words it should be in all the time. Any time you have an it's or an its in your writing, double-check the sentence. The dog was chewing on its bone. If we can all remember that, then we're one step closer to becoming apostrophe aficionados, and who wouldn't like a title like that? (Possession), The '30s were great years for jazz and swing music. Finally, the apostrophe can be used in rare cases to create a plural form, particularly when using an s alone would create confusion. It’s important to remember here that “it is” and “it has” become “it’s”. Apostrophes are used to indicate possession for nouns, but not pronouns (i.e. Is it showing possession? It’s also worth noting that contractions are generally not considered appropriate in formal writing. Use an apostrophe to indicate that letters have been removed from a contraction. Contractions are shortened forms of pairs of words. Possession. Plural Nouns. All Rights Reserved. The apostrophe is an important piece of punctuation.The main uses of apostrophes are to show ownership (e.g. (Omission), The 1930s were a great time for music and dance. Here's another misunderstood contraction. Apostrophes are punctuation marks used to indicate possession. Just in case we didn't drive the contraction thing home yet, let's look at one more common error that makes every editor, professor, and book aficionado cringe. Possession and contraction. We explain how it should be used and give examples of when NOT to use an apostrophe in your writing. The reason is that academic writing involves using a formal tone, while apostrophes are mostly used in informal writing. The apostrophe likes to walk on the wild side. However, some critics think using contractions in formal language makes it more readable and accessible. If you can say "you are" in its place, then keep the apostrophe hanging. Or, it could reference a singular cheesesteak and say: Bob's secret is in his cheesesteak's sauce. Who's (who is) going to love me if I can't get my apostrophes right? Let's take a look: You could say that 1930's music and dance scene set the stage for many great composers. Apostrophes are tiny punctuation marks but are majorly misused every single day. A contraction, in the context being discussed, refers to the use of an apostrophe in place of other characters. Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Education, How to Use Contractions Correctly in Fiction, Qualities That Make Written Communication Effective, How to Improve Your Handwriting With a Ball Point Pen, Purdue Online Writing Lab; Contractions; Jaclyn M. Wells; March 2009, Penn State Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: Special Stylistic Issues in Technical Writing, PlainLanguage.gov: Use Contractions When Appropriate. The placement of an apostrophe depends upon the word you are making possessive. Is it a contraction? Often, apostrophes mistakenly find their way into plurals. Is it indicating something missing? But the apostrophe, when used carefully, can add simplicity and clarity to your writing. They're (they are) not playing well with apostrophes. Thus the characters replaced by the apostrophe in the previous examples are ‘i’ ‘no’ and ‘o’. Apostrophes are finicky little things that only like to express their jubilation when the timing is right. ‘Charlie is Jenny’s cat’ means the cat named Charlie belongs to Jenny) and to show missing letters in words (e.g. 1. The placement of an apostrophe depends upon the word you are making possessive. Don't use contractions in formal writing assignments, such as essays, technical writing, cover letters or formal business communications unless you have permission. Let's take a look: In the land of texting, where we shorten "you" to "u", it's no surprise that we often skip the apostrophe, turning it's to its. To see if you need to make a possessive, turn the phrase around and make it an \"of the...\" phrase. Make a singular noun possessive by adding an apostrophe and an "s ." The reason is that academic writing involves using a formal tone, while apostrophes are mostly used in informal writing. They're these teeny, tiny punctuation marks that are majorly misused every single day. If you are engaged in formal writing, I would suggest that you avoid using all contractions. (Possessive because the bone is in the possession of the dog.). The apostrophe is used to indicate possession (e.g., Tom’s plan, the cat’s whiskers) and to show the omission of letters where a word has been contracted (e.g., I can’t remember the ’80s for I cannot remember the 1980s). Here, we have who's, contraction of who is, and whose, a personal pronoun. ), They’re waiting for us. Contractions make it easier for readers to understand your writing because they help your language sound natural. Apostrophes are used to show that a noun or pronoun is in the possessive case. (Plural). Now that you know how to use the apostrophe to create English contractions, don’t get too carried away. 1. add 's to the singular form of the word (even if it ends in -s): the owner's car James's hat (James' hat is also acceptable. If its is showing something has possession or ownership of something, then you do NOT need an apostrophe and using its is correct. Students often confuse possessives and contractions. When writing reports, articles, or essays, if your professional writing sounds strange without any contractions, then by all means, use them. Read our article on Using Contractions Correctly for more help on those shortened words and don't forget to post a comment or question about using apostrophes below. Singular possessive. Copyright © 2020 LoveToKnow. The use of the apostrophe: avoid using contractions within your essay. For example, "They are going to the lake" makes sense, so you can write "They're going to the lake," but "I'm staying at they are house" doesn't make sense, so it should be "I'm staying at their house.". Richards earned a master's degree at Carnegie Mellon University. They tighten up two words into one, offering an evasion from redundancy and over-usage. Apostrophes are frequently used in everyday writing, but they are rarely used in scientific and medical writing. its, whose, and your). Because the use of contractions seems more informal, you should avoid them in any instance in which you want to portray a … Apostrophes are punctuation marks used to indicate possession. It’s also worth noting that contractions are generally not considered appropriate in formal writing. Of course, it's should be used as a contraction of it is, while its is only used to show possession. Remembering that apostrophes mainly like to hang out with contractions, there's only one time an apostrophe enters into the there, their, they're family of homophones. Do not use first-person pronouns ("I," "me," "my," "we," "us," etc.). She graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University with bachelor's degrees in creative writing, English/American literature and international studies. It’s stopped raining. Contractions were created to make things easier. Before writing contractions in a paper that is going to be graded, you should ask your tutor whether it is appropriate to include them in your writing. They're also friends to the contraction (i.e. Singular possessive. Store signs have been notorious over the years for grammar errors. Using contractions makes your language sound more informal, which may make you sound less authoritative or make a serious issue sound too casual. For example, shorten "it is" to "it's"; "would not" to "wouldn't"; and "he will" to "he'll." Sitemap. For example, "haven't" is a contraction for "have not"; "don't" is a contraction for "do not"; and "I'm" is a contraction for "I am." Don't use contractions in formal writing assignments, such as essays, technical writing, cover letters or formal business communications unless you have permission. These strange plural forms are uncommon, but if they arise in a scientific manuscript, it is appropriate to use the apostrophe: Plurals of individual lowercase letters: The writing sample contained 269 a's and 934 e's. If there's an E on the end of "whose" do NOT use an apostrophe. Their apostrophe usage is not their strongest point. If you do have occasion to cite or use these things, you should use apostrophes in the normal way to mark the elided material.Contractions must be carefully distinguished from clipped forms. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Introduction. Contracted forms are not considered appropriate in formal writing. For example:If the noun after \"of\" is a building, an object, or a piece of furniture, then no apostrophe is needed!Once you've determined whether you need to make a possessive, follow these rules to create one. If you can use "who is" instead of who's in the sentence the apostrophe stays. Use contractions in informal writing assignments and applications, such as letters or emails to your friends, informal business memos and creative writing assignments. So it would be acceptable to say: Bob's secret is in his cheesesteaks' sauce. An informal, conversational tone is appropriate for these assignments, so contractions are permissible. Do not use an apostrophe in nouns that are plural but not possessive, such as CDs, 1000s, or 1960s. If it is showing possession (your dog, your usage), you do NOT want to use an apostrophe. Apostrophes are used in writing … This includes cover letters, résumés, theses, essays, etc. Similar to the its vs. it's premise, just double-check your sentences. However, if you are writing an essay then the second use is irrelevant as you should not be using the informal shortened versions such as can't or doesn't. There is an apostrophe in the contraction "they're.". Some professors may also permit contractions in formal writing assignments, but check first. An apostrophe should therefore only be added in “it’s” when used as a contraction rather than a possessive. An apostrophe showing the possessive on a plural needs to go after the S that is making the word plural. Well, there's really no need for such heated conversation, as you only have to ask yourself three quick questions. Can you correct these 14 basic grammar mistakes? If you aren't sure which form to use, swap the contraction for its original words and check whether the sentence makes sense. You can also use apostrophes to denote contracted forms of dates, such as '70s instead of 1970s. Even though apostrophes are common in everyday writing, they are relatively rare in academic papers. The following guidelines should help you maintain a formal writing voice in your essays. A clipped form is a full word which happens to be derived by … It's (it is) your responsibility to be a grammar queen. Remember, if it's a contraction or a possession, only then are apostrophes on the guest list. What's wrong with these signs? (= It has stopped raining. (= They are waiting for us. These words often sound identical, but they are spelled differently. it's, they're, who's, and you're). If you can say "it is" in its place, then you DO need the apostrophe. Do not use an apostrophe in the possessive pronouns whose, ours, yours, his, hers, its, or theirs. Well, this is the hottest one in town! Rebekah Richards is a professional writer with work published in the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution," "Brandeis University Law Journal" and online at tolerance.org. We're going to show you when NOT to use an apostrophe, and make sure you don't join the ranks of English-language speakers who often confuse its (not it's) primary purpose. The apostrophe goes where the letters have been taken out. In some rare cases an apostrophe can be used to form a plural. The apostrophe is used to indicate possession (e.g., Tom’s plan, the cat’s whiskers) and to show the omission of letters where a word has been contracted (e.g., I can’t remember the ’80s for I cannot remember the 1980s).In some rare cases an apostrophe can be used to form a plural. For example, "their" indicates possession while "they're" is a shortened form of "they are." Intentionally avoiding contractions in these assignments may lead to stilted, awkward language. – could’ve/ would’ve/ should’ve: can make the writing awkward, and writing these out sounds the same as the contraction, so use the two-word version. Given that informal constructions are omitted in research reports, apostrophes also disappear from there. However, it is basically a matter of personal choice. We use contractions every day in casual speech and writing, but you should avoid contractions in formal writing. These informal words should never be used in academic or formal writing. It is, of course, never appropriate to use such colloquial forms in formal writing, except when you are explicitly writing about colloquial English. ), Example: 1990s (more natural than 1990’s).

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