Use Contractions

There's a reason we have contractions in language. They're easier to say and make for smoother communication. Although formal writing frowns on it, I still believe that more often than not, it's a good idea to use them.

One interesting thing I've found, though, is how often I don't use them when I'm writing. And I have figured out why I miss them, too. Although I write the way I talk, it is a slower process. During that process, I usually go one word at a time. So no matter how fast my fingers may be moving or my brain may be processing, it is still doing one word followed by one more word, and so on.

Because of that, contractions are often overlooked. In order to use them, I would have to be thinking multiple words ahead of what I'm writing, which I'm largely not doing. Sometimes, I do have a whole thought in my head, so I can use contractions. And sometimes a particular wording is awkward that it breaks my focus and I make the change immediately.

Usually, a cursory proofreading will catch all of the spots where a contraction would smooth out a sentence (though I don't proofread my posts, which is why you probably have come across more than a couple here.

One final note, though. Contractions are usually a good idea, not always. Sometimes I choose to separate two words because it sounds better that way. Sometimes I do it to add emphasis to one of those words. In this post, there are some contractions I chose not to use because it felt right.

Tell me if you think I was wrong to do it.