contractions in academic writing

contractions in academic writing

The Impact of Contractions in Academic Writing

1. Introduction

When writing formally, a student often comes across this problem: is it acceptable to use a contraction in certain places? In the case that the student is unsure that there is a viable alternative, this being that it is possible to completely remove a contraction and instead use ‘not’ (e.g. change “it is” to “it is”, “they are not” to “they are not”, etc.), there is a strong case that it is still acceptable to use the contraction in these circumstances and the meaning of the sentence has not been altered. Still, in the context of academic writing, which is to be both viewed and marked by a teacher or other authority, perhaps the taboo of students using contractions may be due to the fact that they often neglect the rule and instead use contractions where the full meaning has been altered or shortened (e.g. using “will not” instead of “will not” and “have not” instead of “have not”). This may, in fact, lead to misunderstandings in the content and quality of the written work, and it will barely be argued that contractions are appropriate in writing that is to be read aloud, such as a speech or script.

To what extent do contractions have on the tone of academic writing? To many, the difference is not immediately perceived. The reader may actually have to read an essay aloud and listen to it to know if it contains contractions. If the work is of an academic nature, then the fact that contractions are to be omitted would be remembered, and a judgment made if the author used them. The feeling would be that the author is not as advanced in education as one who has not used contractions, and the work would be deemed less intelligent, regardless of the factual content. How true is this assumption?

2. The Importance of Formal Language in Academic Writing

Given the fact that the primary function of academic writing should be to convey a clear message by utilizing formal language, it is important to consider the following example: We would not be taken seriously if we gave our point of view in a casual, maybe even in a flippant manner. Consequently, we can say that good writing has a serious purpose. It is assured, weighty, and carries one along in reading. This can be achieved through the use of formal language. What we mean by formal language is that which is used in a serious occasion, an intellectual conversation, or in an educated circle. This does not necessarily mean the use of slang words or the use of complex jargon, but rather the correct use of grammar tenses and vocabulary in a simple or complex manner. With regards to the tenses, contraction is something that is to be avoided. states that the flexibility of the present perfective structure often results in the abandonment of an event. During writing a scientific report for an experiment, good data and a clear timeline are both essential. These can only be achieved by the use of past tenses and formal language. make an identical point. They say that scientific propositions are certainly more comprehensible when written in a logical incremental fashion using past tenses and mode which obliges clear distinction between what has happened, can happen, must happen, or may have happened. Error identifications of these problems can only be explained to students using good examples involving the constructions being shared. Failure to do this may lead to a student thinking the error a negligible one and of course, what better example to use than a current one from a student’s work. This implies that the teacher should no longer correct in red pen, thus simply pointing out mistakes, but rather fully explain them to the student during a formal discussion. Mistakes which are found in student work can therefore be re-used to highlight errors in grammar, and it is vital that the example possess the same context.

3. Effects of Contractions on Clarity and Professionalism

Professionalism is often associated with politeness. While there is no clear-cut case indicating that contractions are more impolite than two-word forms, the notion of using “don’t” when communicating with the negative imperative might seem slightly lazy and possibly a tad rude to some. (On a personal note, I do have a particular aversion to using the word “ain’t” and will mentally berate myself for days following accidental usage of the word.) The latter can be safely assumed. The aim of simplifying the language is a commonly cited reason for contraction usage, and it is naturally assumed that the simplifying of the language is a move away from the standard language forms, as opposed to a creation of a new and simpler form. Given that standard language is associated with professional language, and assuming that the goal of academic writing is to produce a more understanding and knowledge of a concept, any movement away from standard language forms would be defeatist to professionalism.

Step back and observe the reader’s understanding of a “do not”. They might ponder on the reason for saying “do” and “not” in succession to begin with. But after clarification on the meaning of the phrase, the reader would never misunderstand the correct definition of the two words. This is an example of the verifiability of a word or concept. Effective communication often depends on whether the teacher or author has learned the meaning of a concept right in the first place! This is why two concepts which require correct definition could be communicated more effectively without using contractions.

Contractions can be effective in simplifying the wording and making it more understandable to a wider range of audiences. The shortening of the words and the joining of two words can often produce a word with a markedly different sound than its predecessors. This is sometimes the case with “don’t” or “can’t”, sounding like “doh-nt” and “kah-nt” due to the quicker, less defined pronunciation of similar words. The meaning of contractions can be confused and lost on non-native English speakers or those with trouble understanding certain dialects.

The effectiveness of contractions in maintaining professionalism and achieving clarity is questionable, to say the least. Clarity is a critical concern in academic writing. The ability to clearly communicate a difficult or abstract concept is the mark of a fine piece of academic work. Professionalism is also key, as maintaining a professional stance can often be the difference between a pass and a fail, or indeed, more crucially, the difference between a pass and a good grade.

Contractions were created to save time when conversing. A contraction is the shortened form of two words, the omissive form and the replacing letter or letters, removing the rest. The replacing letter(s) is also usually indicated with an apostrophe. For example, the original form of “don’t” is “do not”. Recently, their use has spilled over into written academic work. Many students, who are under the misapprehension (misunderstanding) that academic writing is supposed to mimic the way you speak, believe that the use of contractions is not forbidden in academic works. So, how effective are contractions in achieving clarity in written work and does it maintain a professional flow of language?

4. Contractions and Credibility in Academic Writing

When James Madison declared war on Great Britain on June 18, 1812, the United States was a predominantly agricultural, frontier nation with a population of about 7,000,000. It was unprepared for a war. The declaration of war was a result of many years of built-up agitation and an increasing desire for war. The primary reasons for going to war included a desire for expansion of the United States’ territory into land which was currently held by Native Americans as well as British support of Native Americans who were attacking American settlers. Trade restrictions caused by the British attempting to impede American trade with France also angered American politicians to the point where war seemed the most appropriate action. A version of the same excerpt, in correct academic language: When James Madison declared war on Great Britain on June 18, 1812, the United States was a predominantly agricultural, frontier nation with a population of about 7,000,000. It was unprepared for a war. The declaration of war was a result of many years of built-up agitation and an increasing desire for war. The primary reasons for going to war included a desire for expansion of the United States’ territory into land which was currently held by Native Americans as well as British support of Native Americans who were attacking American settlers. Trade restrictions caused by the British attempting to impede American trade with France also angered American politicians to the point where war seemed the most appropriate action. One can easily detect a difference between the two different forms of the excerpt. The first excerpt utilized contractions, while the second did not. Because of this, it is easy to tell that the second was not the original text. What is important, however, is whether or not the second passage appears more credible. It does. With the tone of the first passage, argument and its logical support is weakened. Using contractions displays a casual tone when it comes to an academic text. An academic paper should not have casual language. This is not to say that in order to make an academic paper credible it should consist of entirely complex language and an extensive vocabulary. Sentences should be clear, but more formal. By not using contractions, the second excerpt effectively demonstrated a proper tone. The credibility of the second excerpt was further advanced by the fact that it cited sources within the text. This makes locating information for future use easy. If a passage is credible, it will have sources which readers may use to verify the information, or gather more information at a later time. The second excerpt is overall more effective because the tone of writing is appropriate for an academic paper.

5. Conclusion

In conclusion, the intention assumed in the paragraph is not agreeable from the perspective of good academic writing about the impact of using contractions. This is because the usage of contractions, which is generally used in a casual way, is unsuitable for academic writing in conveying a message or idea to the reader. Although the paper has provided a great perspective on the usage of contractions from a grammatical view, the message must be conveyed in a way that is beneficial for the reader to understand. Therefore, contractions are not the best way to achieve this goal. This is because writing can be accepted as good academic writing if the readers are satisfactorily getting the message and able to digest the ideas discussed. The usage of contractions may only lead to misunderstanding and confusion, as shown by the example in the earlier statement in this same paragraph. In a nutshell, while some people generally assume that no impact can be made if we ignore the usage of contractions in writing, this paper has successfully shown that using contractions will not bring a positive impact to academic writing and would be better to be avoided. By identifying and detailing the advantages and disadvantages, it doesn’t leave the user to make an assumption but rather make a firm decision to either use or not use contractions in writing.