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Contractions occur when you use an apostrophe to indicate missing letters in the abbreviated forms of many short phrases. You should avoid using contractions in academic writing as they are too informal. This page gives examples of common contractions and what to use instead.
What to avoid and what to use instead
| Avoid | Instead use |
|
Didn't |
Did not |
|
Couldn't |
Could not |
|
Won't |
Will not |
|
Aren't |
Are not |
|
Haven't |
Have not |
|
Should've |
Should have* |
|
Could've |
Could have* |
|
I've |
I have |
|
I'll |
I shall |
|
(S)he'll |
(S)he will |
|
It'll |
It will |
| Avoid | Instead use |
|
He's/she's |
He is/she is |
|
Who's** |
Who is |
|
Don't |
Do not |
|
We're |
We are |
|
There's |
There is |
|
That's |
That is |
|
Can't |
Cannot |
|
(S)he'd |
(S)he had or (S)he would |
|
They're |
They are |
|
(S)he's |
(S)he is |
|
Isn't |
Is not |
* It is a common misconception that the non-abbreviated form of could've and should've is 'could of' and 'should of'. Please note this is not the case and the full form uses the word 'have'. You would never dream of using 'I of' as the full form of I've.
** Note that who's is a contraction of who is whilst whose is the possessive form of who (e.g. Darwin, whose theory of evolution was groundbreaking, was ...)
