Contractions In Dialogue

[Roc]

Hey guys. I'm curious how you would feel about a certain race of characters not using contractions when they talk or write. Would this become awkward or stilted? It is also going to be juxtaposed by characters that do use contractions.

It is worth mentioning that I won't bring attention to the fact that they do this. So, if readers eventually catch on will they find it possibly annoying or something to that extent?

Thanks everyone!

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

It's hard to say Roc without actually reading it. In the end, if it works it works.

What do you have to lose by trying it out though? It's a simple fix if you later decide you don't like it. All it'll take is some find & replace for non-contracted words.

 

[Ireth]

I think it would be fine. Many of my characters (especially Fae) eschew contractions when they talk, while others don't (especially humans). It serves to subtly highlight the differences between the races, the "high-born, upper class" Fae and the lower-class mortals.

 

[Feo Takahari]

Characters in The Taliswoman don't use contractions in dialogue at all. I didn't even notice until a character from another world observed that her speech had changed, so I suppose it worked out okay.

 

[Roan Davidson]

Vulcans apparently don't use contractions when speaking English--at least judging by Mr. Spock. Star Trek's audience has never seemed to mind.

 

[Ireth]

Vulcans apparently don't use contractions when speaking English--at least judging by Mr. Spock. Star Trek's audience has never seemed to mind.

Maybe contractions are illogical? XD

 

[Nagash]

Another good example of a people never using contractions in their albeit short and few voiced expressions, are Starcraft's protoss. The general result is actually pretty pleasing, giving the hoi polloi of protoss a very rigid and "straight arrow" image. Their unique sense of speech - few words, but the right ones - is all the more comforted by the absence of contractions or other grammatical imperfections.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

The Observers in the show Fringe don't speak with contractions. Their entire mannerisms are very stilted and analytical because of the way they see the world around them, but this plays well in contrast with the other members of the cast.

In this video you will hear the Observer (the bald man) use a single contraction, but that is due to the actor speaking and in probably not written into the script. You can hear the difference in the speech patterns of the two characters, and how the Observer's speech patterns (lack of contractions included) reinforce his body language.

 

[BWFoster78]

In one of my stories, I wanted one of my characters to speak very formally, so I tried to have him not use contractions. I couldn't get it to work without him sounding really stilted, more so than I wanted him to.

Not saying it can't be done, just that it adds a level of difficulty. Pay close attention to beta readers if they think the dialogue sounds stilted.

 

[SeverinR]

My elves don't use contractions,
I haven't decided if they think contractions are too informal or they just don't grasp the concept of contractions in translation.

 

[Ophiucha]

I haven't decided if they think contractions are too informal or they just don't grasp the concept of contractions in translation.

Incidentally, that's not uncommon with ESL speakers. I worked a lot with students (mostly from China and Korea) back in uni who were learning English and very few of them used contractions regularly - although some used them in expressions, like "I'm sorry" after they heard it that way enough times.

 

[stephenspower]

Of course the telling difference between Data and his brother Lore was that Data couldn't use contractions. As I remember, their father made this modification deliberately to make Data slightly unhuman because, being too human, Lore freaked people out.

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

I write a lot of traditional epic fantasy and my elves would almost never use a contraction - or a swear for that matter. They're a much more formal people so it works for them.

Cheers, Greg.

 

[chrispenycate]

It is quite possible to talk without contractions, although it gives the impression of emphasising the verb or negation. I do not think it would disturb as much as my occasional flirts with conversing in iambic pentameter. Does the form 'cannot', which has only lost a space count as a contraction, I wonder?

It seemeth a worthy economy in apostrophes.

 

[Caged Maiden]

I have certain characters that don't use contractions when speaking, some that don't use contractions when thinking even, and others that use them both of the time. So... I think it depends mostly on the character and how they speak and think and their personal background.

 

[Devora]

You have to be careful when using contractions in dialogue because of the character's background. Contractions a device created by commoners in the English language (I don't know other languages that use contractions) to lessen the time it takes to say sentence and to create a more comfortable flow of dialogue, hence why it would be considered improper to use them in high class society where language must be dignified.

 

[BWFoster78]

You have to be careful when using contractions in dialogue because of the character's background. Contractions a device created by commoners in the English language (I don't know other languages that use contractions) to lessen the time it takes to say sentence and to create a more comfortable flow of dialogue, hence why it would be considered improper to use them in high class society where language must be dignified.

I'm having a hard time with this comment.

For the created fantasy worlds that most of us are writing in, the characters are not necessarily speaking English or any other language known on earth. Nothing developed by commoners or by the high class as it did on Earth. Language developed naturally on that world.

That being the case, we, the authors, are essentially translating the language into an easy to read form. In that case, do we need to pay attention to having the "high class" not speak with contractions?

 

[PaulineMRoss]

That being the case, we, the authors, are essentially translating the language into an easy to read form. In that case, do we need to pay attention to having the "high class" not speak with contractions?

It doesn't have to be the 'high class' who speak without contractions, but it is a very useful way of conveying a sense of 'otherness' about a character. I hate writing without contractions, because it invariably sounds stilted and awkward, not like real dialogue at all, so I use it very sparingly, not for main characters (it would drive me nuts). I try to convey rank by word use: my educated characters are more likely to use long words, more correct grammar and mild swearwords, the rougher elements talk more simply and swear more colourfully. But it's really difficult to get right.