Contractions, an addendum

Greetings. As discussed in a recent post, many students struggle to correctly position the apostrophe within contractions and possessives. Spelling contractions correctly can be a challenge.

Learners do not typically struggle with the meaning of contractions, except homonyms— who's versus whose, it's versus its, you’re versus your and they’re/ there/ their. Contractions (and homonyms) can be challenging for native speakers as well as English Language Learners.

Forming contractions involves a change in spelling but no real change in meaning. For example, is not conveys the same meaning as the contracted form isn't. However, there may be a change in register, as for example from the more formal can not to the less formal can’t. 

As student move up the grades, it is important to discuss variations of language, including register, slang, jargon, and dialect. Contractions are tricky in that sense, and evolving in usage and acceptance . Not so long ago, contractions were deemed lazy, slangy, unfit for formal discourse. The truth is that contractions are practical. Much more efficient to say here’s than here is. Mechanically easier to articulate, too. Contractions flow, making speech fluid and natural. This is similar to how much easier it is to articulate cell over cellular and phone over telephone (see posts on clips and linguistic blends). Furthermore, contractions have long been a part of worldwide human language patterns.

“Unfortunately, contractions aren’t readily accepted in scholarly works. They are almost looked down upon as childish and immature. However, that is far from the truth. While most look at contractions as a fairly modern invention, they’ve been here since before all of us, our parents, our grandparents, our great grandparents, and many generations before that were born” (from Historically Irrelevant: The History of Contractions).

Where do contractions fit in speaking and writing today? That is somewhat fluid. One thing we know for sure, the placement of the apostrophe is a problem for far too many spellers.

Emphasizing the Wee Apostrophe

Apostrophe comes from Greek, according to Etymology Online:

apostrophe(n.1)

"mark indicating an omitted letter," 1580s, from French apostrophe, from Late Latin apostrophus, from Greek apostrophos (prosoidia) "(the accent of) turning away," thus, a mark showing where a letter has been omitted… In English, the mark often represents loss of -e- in -es, possessive ending. By 18c. it was being extended to all possessives, whether they ever had an -e- or not.

Thats not boring, is it? Its interesting! Wouldnt you folks’ like to hear more?

Some students struggle mightily with apostrophes in possessives and contractions, etc. Where does that pesky apostrophe go?? Which letter(s) does it replace?? To say nothing of whether or not the word even needs an apostrophe. Mistakes can create misunderstandings, a comprehension glitch.  It is common for writers to mistake a plural (boys) for a possessive (the boy's backpack) for a contraction (this boy's so hungry).  Writing aside, some readers do not know how to interpret the apostrophe.

To complicate the issue, an apostrophe has multiple uses: In addition to possessives and contractions, an apostrophe goes after a lowercase letter to make it plural. Watch your p’s and q’s. And don’t forget to dot your t’s! See the wise old Owl at  Purdue’s writing lab for an interesting backstory on those p’s and q’s. 

Note also the use of an apostrophe to hold the place of omitted numbers, as in '60s for 1960s, and the television program That '70s Show. 

But the possessives and the contractions are paramount in terms of writing competency. Teachers must be very clear about the apostrophe. They must explicate the whys and the wherefores. That tiny notation has to pop!