Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and are contractions like “can’t” and “don’t” acceptable in formal writing?
The short answer is that they’re almost always better than the alternative. Contractions are at least perfectly grammatically correct (unless you leave out the apostrophe, in which case … how dare you). They read fluidly, like speech. There’s a common misconception among writers of formal things like papers and essays that “speech” is too casual for the printed page. And no, you shouldn’t use slang or write out your stammering, but that doesn’t mean there’s anything inherently wrong with smooth writing that reads well aloud. In fact, if you want to be understood, that’s typicaly the best way to write.
What does this have to do with contractions? Well, unless you want to sound prudish, you should probably use contractions even in formal writing. Alternatively, you can often think of stronger verbs than “to be” or “to do” that can’t be contracted and look better written out.
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