Contractions Detection

This rule identifies and flags common English contractions in text. Its purpose is to maintain a more formal writing style by suggesting writers avoid contracted forms of words. Using full forms instead of contractions can make writing appear more professional and is often preferred in formal documentation, technical writing, and business communications.

The motivation behind this rule is that while contractions are perfectly acceptable in casual writing, they may reduce clarity and professionalism in formal documents. Some style guides specifically recommend against using contractions to maintain a more authoritative tone and ensure international readers can more easily understand the text.

Examples

This rule flags contractions such as:

• "I'm" → Suggests using "I am"
• "can't" → Suggests using "cannot"
• "they're" → Suggests using "they are"
• "it's" → Suggests using "it is"
• "here's" → Suggests using "here is"

When these contractions appear in text, Vale will generate a suggestion-level alert recommending that you avoid using the contraction and instead use its full form.