I just got a paper back and my professor circled every contraction and wrote 'informal' in the margin. I lost points for this. I'm honestly confused because I thought are contractions in writing acceptable in college essays. I see contractions in published books and articles all the time. Is this a universal rule or just my professor's preference?
From what I've read, APA Style and most academic guides recommend avoiding contractions to maintain a formal, professional tone . But some style guides for government and web content actually encourage them for readability and accessibility .
My professor is pretty strict about formality, so I'll probably avoid them in her class. But I'm curious—does every professor feel this way? How do you know when it's okay to use them and when it's not?
From what I've read, APA Style and most academic guides recommend avoiding contractions to maintain a formal, professional tone . But some style guides for government and web content actually encourage them for readability and accessibility .
My professor is pretty strict about formality, so I'll probably avoid them in her class. But I'm curious—does every professor feel this way? How do you know when it's okay to use them and when it's not?