Compound Help

The contraction is acceptable for dialogue, but only for dialogue because it's a normal speech pattern.

"Bob's got something up his sleeve," Mary said.

From the POV of a linguist (or and ESL learner) contractions are a sub-class of compound words.

The linguistic argument for contractions as compounds relies on describing "not" as a word rather than a morpheme or particle.

Sage said:

I'd argue that it works in prose too, if it's what your POV character would say.

Was "contraction" the word you're looking for or are contractions called "compounds" in some places?

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I'd agree with this. If it's fictional prose, and you are writing in an informal voice that resembles that of a character (or of a colloquial narrator), it works outside of dialog. It wouldn't think it works for a more formal or professional style of prose. AFAIK standard contractions (can't, it's etc.) are generally fine, even in more formal prose, nowadays, but it depends on the style preferences of a publication, and on the tone one is trying to achieve.

AW Admin said:

From the POV of a linguist (or and ESL learner) contractions are a sub-class of compound words.

The linguistic argument for contractions as compounds relies on describing "not" as a word rather than a morpheme or particle.

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That is interesting.

Mel Born said:

Is the adulterer's gone an okay compound for the adulterer has gone?

my gut feel is it is correct, but don't know why.

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Your gut is right. "The adulterer's gone" is a perfect contraction for "The adulterer has gone."