One rule I learned early on from my teachers is to never use contractions in writing. This was drilled into me during university as I wrote book reports and research papers. In fact, most formal writing abhors contractions.
But there’s one place that loves contractions: web writing.The thing about people who read on the web—whether a blog about movies or the content on your company’s website—is they’re in a hurry. They want to read quickly, and when you write for the web, keep that in mind.
Using contractions makes your writing feel more comfortable, more engaging. Few people ever talk without contractions; common conversational English is riddled with contractions. As a result, contractions make your content feel familiar, so readers digest it more easily.
So, if you’re writing anything destined for the web, embrace the contraction. Don’t be afraid to use it. Your readers might just thank you for it.
