I had carefully prepared my notes on the use of contractions but stumbled on an internet source that seems to have done justice to it. So, I recommend you do the reading at...
Let me add that the use of contractions is usually limited to informal language situation. To speak more specifically to candidates, it is only to be used in informal letter writing.
Observe carefully eight instances of the use of contraction in the extract below from Chinua Achebe's No longer at Ease
That evening he had a serious disagreements with Clara...
'Why didn't you tell me?' she asked when he had told her about the overdraft.
'Well, there was no need. I'll pay it easily in five monthly instalments.
'That's not the point. You don't think I should be told when you're in difficulty
'I wasn't in difficulty. I wouldn't have mentioned it if you hadn't pressed me.'
'I see,' was all she said. She went across the room and picked up a woman's magazine lying on the floor and began to read.
After a couple of minutes, Obi said with a synthetic light-heartedness:
'It's very rude to be reading when you have a visitor.'
'You should have known I was very badly brought up.'
'I don't understand why you want to quarrel.' Not a sound. 'I think I had better be going.'
'I think so, too.'
'Clara, I'm very sorry.'
Let me quickly point out that it is not uncommon to see candidates write--am sorry--when they should write I'm sorry. It is so common that candidates can assume it is correct. No, it isn't!
Consider another extract from Karen Kingsbury's Summer.
Breathing was impossible, the water fulling his lungs and making him desperate for a single breath. Katy, where are you? Where'd you go? His words were a silent scream, and from underwater he could suddenly see straight ahead as far as the ocean went. The water was clear and blue, even though it was darkness of nights. But there was no sign of Katy. She was gone, and he couldn't hold his breath another minute. "What is it? What is wrong?" He must've shouted, because she looked terrified. He was panting, still trying to catch his breath. Then he realized what had happened. He'd been dreaming. He hadn't gone down to the beach with Katy in the deal of the night, and certainly neither of them had gone swimming. She was here beside him, in bed, where she'd been when the fell asleep.
The use of possessive pronouns
Possessive pronouns are used to show ownership, or as the name implies, to show possession. They are seven (7) in number: mine, ours, yours, his, hers, its, theirs.
Do not use the apostrophe with possessive pronouns. Hence, it will be wrong to have your's/yours', our's/ours', her's/hers', etc. It is not uncommon to see candidates write, Your's faithfully or Your's sincerely, which is wrong.
The use of its/it's
Its is a possessive pronoun; however, it's is the contracted form of (it is, it was or it has).
The dog wagged its tail.
The dog wagged it's tail. (Wrong)
It's a sunny day.
Its a sunny day. (Wrong)
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