tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589226281542951200.post624314240960174453..comments2023-07-13T06:32:12.819-04:00Comments on First Impressions: The Writings of Author Alexa Adams: Austen and ContractionsAlexa Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10086472405632748174noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589226281542951200.post-10649947291475296972021-03-03T04:23:59.772-05:002021-03-03T04:23:59.772-05:00Ben’t. Ha ha! That’s a great one that made JanetR’...Ben’t. Ha ha! That’s a great one that made JanetR’s list because she surveyed all of Austen’s works, including the letters!!!! Amazing that this list does t directly correspond to the contractions she regularly use in the novels. According to JanetR, she uses the following in her letters:<br /><br />Don’t, Can’t, It’s, Shan’t, Won’t<br /><br />Don’t is the only one she uses more than once. 12 Alexa Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10086472405632748174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589226281542951200.post-20467852799540750682021-03-02T22:27:57.722-05:002021-03-02T22:27:57.722-05:00More...This and the list by JanetR give good guida...More...This and the list by JanetR give good guidance on how to use contractions in your work if you choose to use them. So go ahead!Suzan Lauderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13770386453085972642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589226281542951200.post-34701449796053495532021-03-02T22:26:36.266-05:002021-03-02T22:26:36.266-05:00I messaged you and sent you my Word document of th...I messaged you and sent you my Word document of the post.Suzan Lauderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13770386453085972642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589226281542951200.post-61930998242975215212021-03-02T15:12:06.686-05:002021-03-02T15:12:06.686-05:00Thanks, Riana. It keeps coming up, so the work kin...Thanks, Riana. It keeps coming up, so the work kind of did itself. I’m glad this interested you. Alexa Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10086472405632748174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589226281542951200.post-60503392362885751942021-03-02T15:10:56.454-05:002021-03-02T15:10:56.454-05:00My pleasure, Ceri! I’m thrilled you enjoyed it. My pleasure, Ceri! I’m thrilled you enjoyed it. Alexa Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10086472405632748174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589226281542951200.post-30213942216494779452021-03-02T14:37:00.380-05:002021-03-02T14:37:00.380-05:00Interesting! Contractions are something I think ab...Interesting! Contractions are something I think about when I write, but I'm not always as good as I should be about using them carefully. Bravo on some really useful and detailed work.Riana Everlyhttp://www.rianaeverly.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589226281542951200.post-34563961925165592982021-03-02T06:18:33.349-05:002021-03-02T06:18:33.349-05:00Oo, I love posts like this, really interesting. Th...Oo, I love posts like this, really interesting. Thanks for doing all the work to find this info!Cerihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01908542708518435282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589226281542951200.post-25914776917756924842021-03-02T00:36:53.589-05:002021-03-02T00:36:53.589-05:00A proud word geek! I only wish I were a better one...A proud word geek! I only wish I were a better one. Thank you so much, Laurel Ann. Alexa Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10086472405632748174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589226281542951200.post-62095647782715939572021-03-02T00:35:31.905-05:002021-03-02T00:35:31.905-05:00Thank you, Suzan! Do you know if the post is still...Thank you, Suzan! Do you know if the post is still up? I’d love to read it. I’ll search. Full confession, my main motivation in writing this was originally to justify my use of a few, select contractions in all my books. Sometimes they just feel so much more natural in dialogue, but you have to be careful with them. Alexa Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10086472405632748174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589226281542951200.post-64180806818661908442021-03-01T15:53:39.099-05:002021-03-01T15:53:39.099-05:00Thanks, Alexa. You are a word geek! It makes me ap...Thanks, Alexa. You are a word geek! It makes me appreciate your writing even more. Laurel Ann Nattresshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09701752283360214517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589226281542951200.post-61908337133542309022021-03-01T12:54:42.507-05:002021-03-01T12:54:42.507-05:00Years ago, an AHA regular, JanetR, wrote a post wi...Years ago, an AHA regular, JanetR, wrote a post with a list of all the uses of contractions in Austen. I think she missed some of the odd ones you caught, but it was an extensive list. E.g., there were only 15 contractions in all of P&P. Her conclusion was that in Austen's work, they were typically only used by lower class or ill-mannered characters (e.g., Lydia and Mrs. Bennet get the Suzan Lauderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13770386453085972642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589226281542951200.post-27776987796715679962021-03-01T11:46:37.986-05:002021-03-01T11:46:37.986-05:00My pleasure, Elin! Yes, I think Austen's feeli...My pleasure, Elin! Yes, I think Austen's feelings about "la" are probably much like Marianne Dashwood's regarding "setting your cap" at someone. I'm glad you enjoyed this. Alexa Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10086472405632748174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589226281542951200.post-80195637865747022392021-03-01T07:09:05.368-05:002021-03-01T07:09:05.368-05:00Great article, very interesting, Alexa!
I believe ...Great article, very interesting, Alexa!<br />I believe Austen deliberately used certain words or contraptions, as you mentioned here, to give her characters a particular trait. It certainly does not seem random when you analyse it has you have done so well in this article.<br />I have noticed the use of "La" as well which is used by Lydia and Lucy Steel f.eks. but Elizabeth, Anne, FannyElin Eriksenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00598352831402578837noreply@blogger.com