Contractions are just an abbreviation that combines words by removing letters and adding an apostrophe (e.g. it’s, I’ve), yet they can be surprisingly controversial.
As well as evoking some strong opinions, there can be a lot of confusion and misconceptions around when you can and can’t(!) use them, so let’s take a look at some general advice.
When should you use contractions in writing?
It’s generally recommended to use contractions for most forms of writing. Good copy is all about the cadence of a sentence and contractions are vital to the rhythm because they mimic natural speech patterns as well as keep your writing concise. That doesn’t mean you have to use the contracted form every time, but it’s worth reading your content aloud and making a judgement as to where they could make your copy more fluid. Often this comes down to the amount of syllables used and where they’re placed.
Using contractions isn’t slang; it’s actively encouraged and you’ll even find them in articles from the BBC or broadsheet newspapers. For the vast majority of marketing purposes, therefore, it’s perfectly fine to adopt them.
In fact, it’s incredibly difficult not to sound stilted and childlike if you eliminate them entirely. Exclusively using the likes of it is, we will or I have also makes copy more difficult to read and can strip it of the personality you were aiming for.
When not to use contractions
Contractions are best avoided when it comes to legal documents such as contracts, as well as academic papers.
It’s also worth being aware that not all contractions were created equal. Negative contractions, e.g. can’t and shouldn’t, are sometimes advised against in highly regulated sectors like financial or law, because they can easily be misread (e.g. can or should).
If you want to keep a nice flow to your writing but still err on the side of formality, you may also want to avoid conditional contractions, which are words like should’ve and could’ve.
Then there are what’s called double contractions. As the name suggests, these are two contractions joined together, e.g. shouldn’t’ve or couldn’t’ve. These sound completely normal in casual, spoken, conversations, but look awkward written down and can appear unprofessional. For most marketing purposes, I’d suggest steering clear.
It’s also important to be careful when dealing with contractions and plurals. There’s is short for there is, here’s is short for here is, and so they impact the words you can use next. I often see “here’s some tips” which is technically incorrect because you’d say “here are some tips”, not “here is some tips”, so pay extra attention in these cases.
The right choice for you
Whether you use contractions, and which ones, will depend on the tone of voice you’re trying to create. If your style guide advises a conversational tone, then they’re essential. If your business tends to keep things formal, you may want to limit their use.
If you’re unsure, a safe bet is to stick with positive contractions (e.g. I’ll, we’ll, we’ve) and neutral contractions (it’s, there’s, that’s). These are the most commonly used and accepted types of contractions.