Grammar is something that changes
from decade to decade. Much of what is written now would have shocked the
people of the 1900s. Should we stick to the “proper” forms of grammar, or open
our doors to new and improved ways of writing?
A great fun fact is that the reason
for many of the grammar rules that have existed, and then died a horrible
death, is because many of the people who had their hand in standardizing the
English language wanted to model it after Latin. However, English is not Latin
by any means and created these crazy rules that did not allow English’s true
Anglo-Saxon roots flow.
Truthfully, I tend to lean towards
the traditional ways of grammar. I absolutely love the Oxford comma, otherwise
known as the serial comma, but I know that it is not used in many forms of
writing such as AP format and the journalism field.
The Grammar Girl book is fabulous; it presents grammar in a way that is
not intimidating to someone who might not have a need to take an excess of
grammar classes in school. I appreciate her “quick and dirty tips”; however, I
feel that some are just laziness.
That is completely my opinion! When
I am writing in a formal voice I hold myself to a much higher standard. I tend
to overdue my grammar so I have the option of pulling it back if I want.
I think Grammar Girl has a valid
point; much of our grammar is insane and learning these quick tips will help us
in a pinch, but I do not think it is a substitute for the real thing.
Grammar needs to be taught every
year, during every grade, no exceptions, no matter what subject you will go on
to study. I think my last class all about grammar was freshmen year of high
school, and I can tell you this much: freshmen are never masters at anything
except making mistakes.
I remember being in high school and
wondering why all my papers had “comma splice” written all over it. I had no
idea what a comma splice was and my teacher did not go over it. It wasn't until
I looked it up and taught myself proper usage that I began to use commas
correctly.
Just remember that grammar has areas
that based on the style of the writer. Be creative and let the words flow!
I agree with you on trusting your own style. There are lots of optional grammar rules that require the writer to trust their gut and write what sounds best to them.
ReplyDeleteI find the tips incredibly useful, but agree that Grammar Girl does not cover everything.
ReplyDeleteI think that one of the main reasons why grammar rules have become less formal might have to do with the increasing amount of writing that occurs online. Consequently, the line between formal and casual writing becomes blurred. For example, social media is a conversational medium but businesses still rely on social media to post professional content.
ReplyDeleteGrammar Girl is definitely written for just a quick, general improvement with grammar knowledge. You're right, when it comes to deep knowledge or proper grammar, this book might not do the trick. But I think the Internet would read a lot nicer if everyone had to keep this book with them as they were commenting!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely agree with your idea about having grammar classes every year, it certainly would have helped me out.
ReplyDelete