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Post by Marina on Jun 3, 2011 21:06:21 GMT -5
What are your feelings on double contractions?
Like I'd've or that'll've
Personally, they confuse me, because sometimes I have to think before figuring out what words were contracted. And so far I've only seen two authors do this: Stephenie Meyer in Breaking Dawn, which I wanted to scream about, because I could not understand what she was saying and she was using them every other sentence it seemed. It just looked lazy. The other author is Tamora Pierce in her Lioness Quartet, although she used in maybe four time in all four books. But with her, if I remember correctly it was used in speech, so I think she was using them more towards portraying a characters accent. Although, I don't think it was the same characters.
So what do you guys think about them?
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Post by embonpoint on Jun 3, 2011 21:09:08 GMT -5
I definitely use them in informal writing and speech, but in something like a novel, I agree that it does seem lazy (unless it's in dialogue in which case, I suppose it's passable).
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Gina
Armadillo
Every second is a highlight.
Posts: 203
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Post by Gina on Jun 3, 2011 21:13:22 GMT -5
I have actually never seen those before! They would probably annoy me, but I'm pretty sure I've probably used them while talking without me even realizing it.
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Post by onlyaworkingtitle on Jun 3, 2011 22:02:08 GMT -5
I definitely use them in informal writing and speech, but in something like a novel, I agree that it does seem lazy (unless it's in dialogue in which case, I suppose it's passable). Ditto. |
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rayyychul
Armadillo
On ne voit bien qu'avec le c?ur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.
Posts: 159
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Post by rayyychul on Jun 4, 2011 2:27:20 GMT -5
I'll speak them, but I'll never write them. Not even in the most informal of circumstances (instant chat or text, for example), will I write them. I don't mind of people do, but I find them unnecessary and... ugly.
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Post by Dodger Thirteen on Jun 4, 2011 12:33:07 GMT -5
I love them. I think they add a great flow to speech and the like, making it more fluid and...silver-y? If that makes sense.
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Post by blackbirds on Jun 6, 2011 1:24:00 GMT -5
I believe that they would be accepted is dialogue because of it being in vernacular style and all, but I seriously doubt that they are correct grammar in any way.
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Post by moosethemoose on Jun 8, 2011 8:01:25 GMT -5
I'll speak them, but I'll never write them. Not even in the most informal of circumstances (instant chat or text, for example), will I write them. I don't mind of people do, but I find them unnecessary and... ugly. I always consider instant messaging a form of speech, or perhaps its own category, but its not what I'd call 'writing'. Personally I dig on contractions in general, and unusual ones in particular. I'm a big fan of 'f'rinstance'. |
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Post by sazisquarepeg on Jun 8, 2011 15:31:58 GMT -5
I quite like them when they are used in dialogue, and have no real opinion if used in speech or IMing (though I tend not to). I do think, however, it is very lazy to use it when writing formally or outside of dialogue in a novel.
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Post by pjthefey on Jun 9, 2011 22:33:29 GMT -5
I believe I can safely say that I've never used these in writing if for no other reason than upon reading the title of this thread I had trouble imagining what exactly a double contraction would look like.
My feeling regarding using them is this:
Informal speech is fine.
Fiction writing is fine so long as they complement the tone of the narrator's speech.
Ditch them in all other situations.
Ultimately, the words that make my writing most pleasing to the ear are those that are chosen for my final revisions even if they fall into grammatical grey areas. It's hard for me to imagine a double contraction bestowing my sentences with the same kind of richness, authority, and balance that individual words can.
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Umbvix
Young Armadillo
SCHLURP :B
Posts: 64
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Post by Umbvix on Jun 10, 2011 10:10:26 GMT -5
I speak them out of laziness, but I never write them. I didn't even know you COULD write double contractions. I still don't like them, though. They just...don't look right.
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Post by sunnydays on Jun 10, 2011 15:31:20 GMT -5
The only possible use for them in written English is in dialogue. Period. Otherwise, it's sloppy and lazy.
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Dobby
Young Armadillo
Posts: 80
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Post by Dobby on Jun 12, 2011 16:53:50 GMT -5
I use double contractions when speaking, mostly because I tend to speak quickly. I definitely would not use contractions in a formal speech or any other form of formal writing though.
I personally think written dialouge looks awkward if it has too few contractions. Of course, it depends on the goal of the writing. If the author is writing in vernacular, it feels unrealistic to me if there are too few contractions because, at least in my experience, that is not how people talk.
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Post by Mary Sandals on Jun 22, 2011 15:10:18 GMT -5
I use them occasionally (mostly "wouldn't've" or something of that nature) but even when it slips out of my mouth it feels awkward, and writing it even more so. If I saw it on, say, Facebook or got one in a text, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but in a novel? It would drive me mad.
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Annie Ozone
Young Armadillo
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Post by Annie Ozone on Jun 22, 2011 18:51:20 GMT -5
I use double contractions on the internet--e.g., "wouldn't've", "all y'all's [noun]". I mostly use it as a continuation of "y'all". I don't know that I would accept them in formal writing--the internet "wouldn't've" would become "wouldn't 'ave" formally, even (especially?) for dialect. I agree with y'all; it seems lazy, otherwise. I didn't really notice them in SMeyer's writing, but, granted, I wasn't reading all that closely.
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