CONTRACTIONS

These are a longer version of short forms. They are often just the first syllable or two of the word. Many of them are similar to how they are abbreviated in longhand e.g. "Feb" for February, "inf" for inform, "reg" for regular, "esp" for especially. There are about 175 official contraction outlines.

Some books include contractions in their short form list. Here they are kept separate, the short forms being one stroke or one vowel sign only, and the contractions being two or more strokes.

Contractions do not have vowel signs and the majority of them are written on the line regardless of the first vowel sound.

Some contractions represent several variations of the word e.g. present tense, past tense, noun, adjective. This means that only one will make sense in any given sentence, for example inspect, inspected, inspection:

I will insp the work (verb)

I have insp the work (past tense)

I carried out an insp of the work (noun)

(A) Contractions:

inform-ed familiar-ity insurance respect-ed expect-ed

inspect-ed-ion exchange-d especial-ly yesterday
 

January February never November*

* It is helpful to write in the capitals mark, so that it is not misread as "never" but not necessary if it is clearly a date e.g. "5 November 2001"
 

maximum minimum capable peculiar-ity reform-ed

perform-ed performance electric electricity

Circle S and Ses can be added to Contractions:
 

informs respects expects inspects

exchanges insurances performances

As with short forms, Dot Ing is used when the final consonant of the word is not represented in the contraction:
 

informing respecting expecting

inspecting exchanging performing

Some derivatives extend the contractions, with additions like un-, dis-, -in, -able, -ive, -ness. The contraction remains without vowel signs and in its usual position, and the prefix has a vowel sign:

uninformed unexpected incapable

disrespect unfamiliar-ity familiarise

Contractions cover the commonest uses of the word, so they do not cover every possible derivative, therefore those are written in full:

maximise minimise insure reformist

SUMMARY

• Contractions omit part of the word, and have two or more strokes

• They have no vowel signs

• Mostly written on the line, regardless of the first vowel sound

• Some represent more than one variation of the word

• Can take S, Ses, Ing and Dot Ing

• Not all derivatives are based on the contraction

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