A contraction is a shortened form of two words, often a pronoun and a verb (I + am = I’m) or a verb and the word not (is + not = isn’t), where an apostrophe takes the place of the missing letter or letters. Transitional labor: Contractions suddenly pick up in intensity and frequency, with each lasting about 60 to 90 seconds. The following information should be helpful in determining the difference between true labor and Braxton Hicks contractions. The writers of formal documents may feel that they undermine the authority and dignity of their words.

Contractions are common in speech—so common that we don’t always take the time to pronounce them precisely, which leads to a particular contraction mistake writers might make if they’re not paying attention. Contractions help to save space when preparing advertisements, slogans, and other written works that must be short and to the point.

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