Seriousness Spelling contractions - Page 2

GraceKrispy · 08-22-2010, 02:50 PM

As to the original question, I'm not sure. In one class I took (jr high? High school? Can't remember), we were not allowed to use contractions, as we "did not know how to use them properly." On one computer I had, I had to refrain from using them when posting on the Internet, as the language was set to something else and turned all apostrophes to ?. That was really difficult to do. Judging from my experiences with some of the self-published works I've read, I wish the authors would also refrain from using them, as they are being used incorrectly.

I haven't noticed the lack of contractions in most of my fiction, though (outside of classics and period pieces), just in my non-fiction.

SameOldStory · 08-22-2010, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Contractions are primarily a feature of the spoken language - it's basically a form of elision, in which words are "slurred together"; it's generally not considered good writing style to use them in written English, unless you're writing dialogue. Of course, it depends how formal your writing style is and what the intended audience is. I use many more contractions when I'm writing here on MR than I would if I were writing a formal report at work.

That is exactialy what I am talking about, the dialogues in books.

Even when I type it out that way it seems too formal.

That's exactialy what I'm talking about, the dialogues in books.

That looks better even if it's not dialog.

ardeegee · 08-22-2010, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

That is exactialy what I am talking about, the dialogues in books.

Oh, then the answer to that is quite simple-- you are reading bad writers. People who have no ear for writing realistic dialogue.

SameOldStory · 08-22-2010, 04:32 PM

It's very common in most of the older books, and less common in most of the current fiction that I read. It seems as if it was a rule or guide line.

I'm sure that it's not common in certain genre at all.

kindlekitten · 08-22-2010, 05:38 PM

I was taught that you write dialogue exactly the way someone would speak it (hence some of my rather odd contractions). some stuff out of the teens-30s, especially if it REALLY southern reads like a completely 'nuther language

TGS · 08-22-2010, 06:14 PM

Even the most skillful writer is probably not trying to render some kind of phonetic copy of imagined dialogue but to evoke an impression of what the dialogue sounded like. And don't forget, most fictions have a narrator who is "reporting" speech - so whose patterns of speech should we be should the rendition try to capture, the narrator reporting the speech of a character or the character themselves?

ardeegee · 08-22-2010, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

It's very common in most of the older books

Okay, that makes me think of Victorian fiction and earlier. Jane Austen was the first to come to mind. Yeah, the people in those books talk like that in the dialogue. But, I believe, actual people of that time in the affluent, educated, snooty class were expected to really talk that way. Contractions were for the commoners.

I googled "Jane Austen contractions" (without the quotation marks) and found a similar thread somewhere else in the top results:

http://www.verlakay.com/boards/index.php?topic=30934.0

SneakySnake · 08-22-2010, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

That is exactialy what I am talking about, the dialogues in books.

Even when I type it out that way it seems too formal.

That's exactialy what I'm talking about, the dialogues in books.

That looks better even if it's not dialog.

exactialy!

happy_terd · 08-22-2010, 10:00 PM

Ask my wife about contractions.

mrscoach · 08-22-2010, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy_terd

Ask my wife about contractions.

Just remember to not let her hold your hand.

SameOldStory · 08-22-2010, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy_terd

Ask my wife about contractions.

Getting along with you is as painful as giving birth?

Just askin.

happy_terd · 08-23-2010, 12:10 AM

I am probably the easiest person to get along with her personality.

She likes to beat me and I like to be beaten.

SameOldStory · 08-23-2010, 12:49 AM

So?

At least she respects you.

Unlike some I know.

kindlekitten · 08-23-2010, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TGS

Even the most skillful writer is probably not trying to render some kind of phonetic copy of imagined dialogue but to evoke an impression of what the dialogue sounded like. And don't forget, most fictions have a narrator who is "reporting" speech - so whose patterns of speech should we be should the rendition try to capture, the narrator reporting the speech of a character or the character themselves?

I'm going to guess you have not read a lot of AMericanLiterature from the Civil War until ohhhh about 1960

GeoffC · 08-23-2010, 05:35 AM

It's because there's a shortage of apostrophes ....

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08-22-2010, 02:50 PM	#16
GraceKrispy It's Dr. Penguin now! Posts: 3,909 Karma: 4705733 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: (USA) Device: iPad mini, Samsung Note 3, Sony PRS-650 (rarely used now)	As to the original question, I'm not sure. In one class I took (jr high? High school? Can't remember), we were not allowed to use contractions, as we "did not know how to use them properly." On one computer I had, I had to refrain from using them when posting on the Internet, as the language was set to something else and turned all apostrophes to ?. That was really difficult to do. Judging from my experiences with some of the self-published works I've read, I wish the authors would also refrain from using them, as they are being used incorrectly. I haven't noticed the lack of contractions in most of my fiction, though (outside of classics and period pieces), just in my non-fiction.

08-22-2010, 04:32 PM	#19
SameOldStory My True Self Posts: 3,126 Karma: 66242098 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Trantor, Galactic Center Device: Galaxy Tab 2 7.0	It's very common in most of the older books, and less common in most of the current fiction that I read. It seems as if it was a rule or guide line. I'm sure that it's not common in certain genre at all.

08-22-2010, 05:38 PM	#20
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	I was taught that you write dialogue exactly the way someone would speak it (hence some of my rather odd contractions). some stuff out of the teens-30s, especially if it REALLY southern reads like a completely 'nuther language

08-22-2010, 06:14 PM	#21
TGS Country Member Posts: 9,058 Karma: 7676767 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Denmark Device: Liseuse: Irex DR800. PRS 505 in the house, and the missus has an iPad.	Even the most skillful writer is probably not trying to render some kind of phonetic copy of imagined dialogue but to evoke an impression of what the dialogue sounded like. And don't forget, most fictions have a narrator who is "reporting" speech - so whose patterns of speech should we be should the rendition try to capture, the narrator reporting the speech of a character or the character themselves?

08-22-2010, 10:00 PM	#24
happy_terd Banned Posts: 13,045 Karma: 10105011 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Finally made it to Walmart. Device: PRS 420	Ask my wife about contractions.

08-23-2010, 12:10 AM	#27
happy_terd Banned Posts: 13,045 Karma: 10105011 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Finally made it to Walmart. Device: PRS 420	I am probably the easiest person to get along with her personality. She likes to beat me and I like to be beaten.

08-23-2010, 12:49 AM	#28
SameOldStory My True Self Posts: 3,126 Karma: 66242098 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Trantor, Galactic Center Device: Galaxy Tab 2 7.0	So? At least she respects you. Unlike some I know.

08-23-2010, 05:35 AM	#30
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	It's because there's a shortage of apostrophes ....