How to avoid contractions?

I know how there's some sort of unspoken rule about avoiding contractions at all costs, but in my college essay, (1) they seem to boost the word count unnecessarily and (2) some of them seem very awkward if read. Having a couple is not an enormous drawback, is it?

e.g.

I discovered that I didn't tremble anymore when I had to speak publicly.

vs.

I discovered that I did not tremble anymore when I had to speak publicly.

and

It's peculiar how...

vs.

It seems peculiar how...

There is no hard and fast rule about this. Whether or not contractions are allowed depends upon the purpose, audience, and voice of the essay. Admissions essays are written in first person and thus somewhat less formally phrased than scholarly essays. Contractions such as your first example are allowed, especially if the avoidance of the contraction would lead to something that sounds awkward.

I prefer the non-contracted version of your second example, however. That's because you switched from "it is" to "it seems," which is more precise and more active.

Unless you have been specifically told to avoid contractions, you can usually treat them as okay. I don't know where the nonsense about avoiding them comes from, as using them is far more natural than spelling everything out. Generally, what you were doing, namely imagining how your sentences would sound if read out loud, is an excellent way to tell when contractions should be preferred. As for your second example, the best phrasing would depend upon whether or not what you go on to describe really is peculiar, or merely seems so on first glance. Using the word as an adjective or adverb might be better in any event, as neither "it is" nor "it seems" are ever going to win any awards for most interesting phrase of the year.

Thanks Simone and Sean!

I took your advice and kept the "it seems" and left the contracted "didn't". I've always wondered where the myth of contractions came from in the first place... Contractions also help minimize the word count and keep it generally more concise, but I'm still wary of sprinkling my essays with them anyway...

I just recently heard of this as well. I was working on my essays in school when my friend suggested that I remove my contractions. I thought it was a joke but apparently it makes it informal.

Contractions are colloquial. I recall reading in a few places and hearing from a few teachers early on, contractions should be avoided. Some English teachers enforce it as a strict rule while others don't care.

Outside of English, as I've found, professors will throw sacred dictates such as bibliographies clear out the window. Whatever the case, if you're ordered not to use them, don't. If you're writing a formal essay (including most admissions statements) and unsure, don't use them. If you're writing a fairly academic paper, as you are required to do often in certain fields, definitely avoid them. Contractions functionally disappear as the topic of interest becomes complex and technical.

The common sense way to avoid a word is by writing what you mean to say in a different way. This ability can be developed through mastery of the language.

Take your first sentence for example. It can be adapted to exclude any word without losing vital meaning.

"I discovered that I didn't tremble anymore when I had to speak publicly."

It was relieving to find that my body no longer trembled while speaking publicly.

I realized that I didn't tremble anymore when I had to speak publicly.

The trembling which I had reluctantly accepted as an incurable symptom of public speaking, subsided, and shortly thereafter disappeared completely.

Here is a sentence that avoids all of what was contained in your original sentence, while staying close in meaning:

My body no longer shook while addressing an assembly of people, it occurred in the back of my mind.

If you can't (find yourself unable to) (are incapable of acting to) (lack the ability to) (do not possess the skill to) (try and fail at base, to) (beg the skill to) etc. etc. etc. paraphrase a sentence in a half dozen or more ways, your language skills may need serious work.

My English teacher this year subtracts points for contractions. I find that I have a hard time avoiding them. The contractions sound more natural to my ear. It helps me to read my papers through a couple of times with an eye for different things--the first time through will be for clarity, the second time I might focus on verb agreement, and the third time I might look for contractions, misused words (rein or reign, roll for role), and typos.

Yeah, the contraction rule is, to put it bluntly, stupid. But, if you are dealing with a teacher or professor who insists you follow it, then do so.

I heard in Europe that they don't use contraction, while in america/canada we do.
Either way, since birth I was taught to use it. In paper i do avoid using it, because it can get confusing for me, because it may means possessive.

It's like prepositions at the end of sentences. In more formal writing, contractions should not be used, so you may have to reword things so that you arrive at the correct sense without them. It is difficult, but it can be done. Try saying it out loud to get the sense of the rhythm of it, and it will flow more smoothly with practice.

I believe it was Churchill who said "That is the sort of nonsense up with which I will not put." :-)