Contractions in Formal Writing: What's Allowed, What is Not

Asking whether you should use contractions in formal academic writing is sort of like asking whether you should wear a bathing suit to a formal party—it depends on the type of party. Is it a pool party or a fancy dinner? Therein lies your answer.

Contractions are the abbreviated forms of word combinations, such as “don’t” for “do not” or “isn’t” for “is not.” Contractions are like an appendix; they’re not that pretty, sometimes they get in the way, sometimes they can function just fine, but other times it is necessary to remove them for things to run smoothly! Using contractions in formal writing – such as scholarly works, résumés, essays, or publications – is often frowned upon because some people believe that contractions weaken a statement or make the writing seem too casual for the situation.

Likewise, when it comes to writing, some ways of expressing yourself are more formal than others, and different contexts come with different expectations about what is appropriate. On the informal end of the spectrum you have texts between friends. In the middle of the spectrum you have things like blog posts. On the formal end of the spectrum, you have the scholarly writing you do for classroom assignments, theses and dissertations, and publications.

When to Use Contractions

Using contractions in formal writing is permissible as it can help the writing seem more natural; however, writers are advised to use discretion. Contractions are acceptable in formal writing under these circumstances:

– When using a direct quote from an individual

– When using an idiom that already contains a contraction (removing the contraction would likely take away from the simplistic appeal of the idiom). Example: "Don't count your chickens before their hatched"!

– When displaying a personal voice and writing style

– When writing about contractions themselves (obviously you’ll need examples to discuss)

Examples of When to Use Contractions:

– Pollsters have been told “don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” as a sort of warning against deciding the winner of the election too soon.

– Steven Huang, a researcher studying human stem cells, reported that while his scientists had been able to refine human stem cells, “The procedure isn’t perfect, and requires a lot of eggs.”

When Not to Use Contractions

It is recommended that writers refrain from using contractions in formal essays, professional reports, and other scholarly writing; however, there is not really a hard and fast rule about when contractions are and are not allowed. Contractions can be found in pieces of writing throughout time, from classic to contemporary literature as well as in scholarly articles and professional compositions, and yet many of those pieces of writing are still considered professional and formal in tone.

Some individuals would recommend that if writers can replace the contraction with the two-word version, then they should do so to help keep the piece formal and proper in tone. However, contractions are used in real life, and not having them in a piece of writing may make the text feel inauthentic and forced. It really all depends on the voice you want to convey and the overall tone of your writing.

That being said, there are some contractions that should definitely be avoided altogether in professional writing:

– ain’t: far too informal; not considered proper grammar

– 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