why is correct grammar important to good speech making

• Features for Creative Writers
• Features for Work
• Features for Higher Education
• Features for Teachers
• Features for Non-Native Speakers
• Learn Blog Grammar Guide Community Events FAQ
• Grammar Guide

Why Is Grammar Important? Here Are 5 Good Reasons

Krystal N. Craiker

Have you ever wondered why you should care about grammar? Why bother with good grammar once you’re done writing essays for school?

As the world becomes more digitally connected, good grammar is more important than ever.

What Is “Good Grammar?”

5 reasons why grammar is important, basic grammar skills to remember.

What do we mean by “good grammar?” Proper grammar follows the accepted conventions of sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling.

Grammar applies to both written and spoken language, but today we’re focusing on written grammar skills.

Using correct grammar means following the rules of English.

There are a lot of rules, and they often chan‌ge, but the basics stay the same. Knowing these basic rules, and using them correctly, is the key to proper grammar.

What’s the Purpose of Grammar?

Grammar exists to make communication easier.

It’s a way to standardize how we use the English language, which cuts down on communication errors. Poor grammar leads to confusion and misunderstandings.

Everything is online these days, which means people are constantly reading. From email and social media to news articles and online learning, we are using written language more than ever.

This means the chance for misunderstandings is even higher. Good grammar builds bridges by making effective communication easier.

Thankfully, as the world becomes more connected through the internet, we now have technology to help us avoid grammatical errors.

We believe good grammar is so important that our grammar checker will always be free.

Here are five good rea‌sons why you need strong grammar skills.

You’ll notice that all five reasons have an underlying thread: effective communication.

Let’s take a look at some of the most important ways that proper grammar aids effective communication.

1) Clarity in Communication

The most important aspect of communication is clarity. Grammar rules exist to improve clarity. Mixing up similar words, or using run-on sentences, can leave your audience confused.

Clarity is especially important in email, social media, and messaging platforms. When grammar mistakes cause unclear communication, it wastes time because you need to explain yourself all over again.

If you’re giving instructions, your audience may do something wrong because they misunderstood. This may lead to an unnecessary argument caused by poor communication skills.

Using correct grammar won’t eliminate every miscommunication in your life, but it will drastically cut down on them. Correct grammar allows you to say what you need to say, clearly, the first time.

2) Accessibility

Good grammar improves accessibility.

Not everyone reads on the same level. Learning disabilities like dyslexia can make reading comprehension difficult, but correct grammar makes writing easier to understand.

Assistive technologies that read text out loud also work much better when grammar is used correctly.

Readability is an essential part of accessibility, even for people without learning disabilities. Readability scores , like the ones used in our Readability Report , can help you reach an average reading level that the majority of people can understand.

A recommended readability score for most audiences is a US grade 7. Improving your grammar is the quickest way to improve a readability score.

3) Global Connection

For writing to be truly accessible, it has to be understandable for non-native English speakers as well as native ones.

When we learn other languages, we learn proper grammar; it takes a much higher level of fluency to interpret incorrect grammar.

By writing with good grammar, you ensure that non-native speakers have a higher chance of understanding you.

That’s the power of language and grammar: we can connect with people from across the world who speak many languages. Grammar rules make this connection easier.

4) Good Impressions

In any situation where you need to make a good impression, correct grammar will help, which is especially true in professional and academic settings.

Don’t discount the importance of cultural dialects. Even dialects follow grammatical patterns. But these grammatical patterns and rules don’t always line up with standard English grammar.

In professional situations, aim to use standard English grammar rules.

Using good grammar also shows attention to detail.

This is a highly valued professional skill, and when you send a cover letter or other important document that has exceptional grammar, it makes you stand out from the masses.

5) Make Your Words Matter

We’ve covered how grammar is crucial for clarity, but grammar also helps your words make an impact.

Grammatical patterns can help you emphasize ideas, evoke emotions, and entertain your audience. Playing with syntax and word order is how you can take your writing from drab to exciting.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common grammar mistakes in writing.

• Sentence fragments
• Run-on sentences
• Incorrect subject–verb agreement
• Mixed up homophones
• Incorrect punctuation

Sentence fragments are very common errors. Every sentence must have a subject and a verb. If it doesn’t have ‌both, it’s a sentence fragment. A sentence fragment does not express a complete thought.

In contrast, run-on sentences have too many subjects and verbs.

They occur when too many independent and dependent clauses are not correctly linked with punctuation. They’re hard to read because there are no breaks in the train of thought.

Subject–verb agreement means that the verb ending should match the subject in both point-of-view and number.

In other words, don’t use a third-person singular verb if your subject is first person plural. Here’s what this might look like:

Incorrect: We knows the muffin man.

Correct: We know the muffin man.

Mixed up homophones are another egregious error. Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.

Some of the most common homophones that people mix up are: your/you’re , then/than , to/two/too , there/their/they’re .

ProWritingAid’s Homonym Report can ensure that you are using the correct word every time.

Incorrect punctuation is another thing to avoid. Always end your declarative sentences with periods, your questions with question marks , and your exclamatory statements with exclamation points .

If you write a quote, use both opening and closing quotation marks . Be mindful of comma s: don’t overuse them.

Conclusion: Why Your Grammar Matters

Your words represent your thoughts and ideas. Writing is how we interact with other people when we can’t be face to face. Because the written word has so much power, grammar matters.

Don’t think of grammar as a vicious red pen or a pedantic teacher out to get you.

Think of grammar as the set of tools which help you communicate as clearly and effectively as possible. Grammar is there to enhance your communication , not inhibit it.

And if many grammar guidelines still elude you, ProWritingAid has you covered.

Take your writing to the next level:

20 Editing Tips from Professional Writers

Whether you are writing a novel, essay, article, or email, good writing is an essential part of communicating your ideas., this guide contains the 20 most important writing tips and techniques from a wide range of professional writers..

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Krystal N. Craiker is the Writing Pirate, an indie romance author and blog manager at ProWritingAid. She sails the seven internet seas, breaking tropes and bending genres. She has a background in anthropology and education, which brings fresh perspectives to her romance novels. When she’s not daydreaming about her next book or article, you can find her cooking gourmet gluten-free cuisine, laughing at memes, and playing board games. Krystal lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, child, and basset hound.

Get started with ProWritingAid

Drop us a line or let's stay in touch via :

English EFL

What is good grammar and why does it matter.

Methodology

Using good grammar involves speaking or writing in a lucid and comprehensible manner. It also entails following the basic rules of spelling, punctuation, and sentence construction. A writer with good grammar knows how to use words and punctuation to convey meaning while putting their point across in a way that most readers would understand.

Grammatical errors can make spoken language confusing and hard for listeners to follow the speaker’s intent. In a nutshell, having good grammar denotes the ability to both understand as well as apply the commonly accepted rules and tenets of grammar. Though these dictums are not always set in stone, it is essential to understand and use them effectively.

Four Important (and Inflexible) Rules of English Grammar

English grammar has a lot of rules but four of these are especially important for people striving to speak and write the language with perfection.

• Using Commas Correctly

The humble comma is a small punctuation mark that plays a big role in language. It is easy to both overuse as well as underuse and is sometimes omitted altogether.

Here are some common mistakes involving commas:

• Run-on sentences: Run-on sentences occur when two independent clauses are incorrectly joined due to the lack of proper punctuation or the use of appropriate conjunctions. Commas paired with coordinating conjunctions can help avoid run-on sentences.

For example:

She got bored over the weekend, so she went over to her friend’s house.

           Jack came home early, so he could celebrate his son’s birthday.

The students could ask their teacher a question at any time during the lecture, but they would    have to raise their hands.

• Introductory clauses : Introductory clauses—also known as dependent clauses—provide background information for the main part of the sentence or the independent clause. Introductory clauses should be followed by a comma to avoid confusion.

Because Bozo was getting restless, we took him for a walk around the block.

If they want to win, baseball players must practice every day.

• Coordinate Adjectives : These are multiple adjectives used to modify the noun whose order can be modified without affecting the meaning of the sentence. Coordinate adjectives must be separated with a comma to prevent the reader from considering them as a singular modifier.

           She was inordinately proud of her thick, gorgeous hair.

The order of coordinate adjectives can be reversed without changing or losing the meaning of the sentence.

She was inordinately proud of her gorgeous, thick hair.

Their usage can be tested by placing the conjunction “and” between the adjectives to see if the sentence still makes sense.

She was inordinately proud of her thick and gorgeous hair.

No comma is needed between the last adjective and the noun it precedes.

She was inordinately proud of her thick, gorgeous hair.

She was inordinately proud of her thick, gorgeous, hair.

• Names of Direct Address – A comma must be used when the speaker is directly addressing the person they are talking to.

            Let’s eat, grandma.

Could you pass the butter, Jason?

• Subject-Verb Agreement

The subject and verb must agree in number (singular and plural.) If the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular; if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. This is an important rule that ensures writing remains consistent and retains uninterrupted flow.

The cat chases the mouse.

The cats chase the mouse.

This can get tricky in sentences where the subject does not immediately precede the verb.

Sentences with a singular subject must also have a verb that describes the action of the subject as singular.

My dog always growls at the mailman.

On the contrary, sentences with plural subjects must have verbs that agree with the subject to be accurate.

My dogs always growl at the mailman.

When sentences have their subjects as collective nouns, it becomes important to identify context to understand whether the collective nouns act either in unison or independently. Singular forms of verbs are used when collective nouns act in unison, whereas plural forms of verbs are utilized to signify collective nouns that act independently.

The bouquet of roses lends color and fragrance to the room.

The team members are in disagreement over the plan of action.

• Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

An antecedent is a word that is replaced by a pronoun.

Caitlin went to the store because she ran out of milk.

In the above sentence, the antecedent “Caitlin” is replaced by the pronoun “she.”

The antecedent and the pronoun must agree in gender and number. They must also be clear about who or what is being replaced.

Caitlin and Jane went to the store because she ran out of milk.

The above sentence is incorrect because it is unclear who the pronoun refers to.

Homophones are two or more words that have the same sound but different meanings and often have different spellings. It is important to learn the appropriate usage of homophones to remain grammatically correct.

Homophone examples:

Does Grammar Matter in This Day and Age?

A large number of people now consider grammar to be irrelevant and redundant. In a world where millions communicate via texting, slang terms, and emojis, it is argued that as long as the recipient gets the gist of the message, a few grammatical errors should not matter.

While this line of thinking sounds logical, it fundamentally ignores the many benefits enjoyed by someone who uses proper grammar. Grammar is the basis of effective communication; poor grammar affects both the meaning and clarity of a message. Regardless of its detractors, grammar still remains a core component of the English education system and is also an important marker of learning outcomes. Grammar is also helpful to:

• Communicate Effectively and Efficiently in Any Situation

Being able to articulate in a personal, professional, or public environment is a critical skill. When both sender and receiver have a good grasp of grammar, messages are delivered and received promptly, leaving no scope for misunderstandings. Good grammar reduces confusion and saves time that would otherwise be wasted on translations, clarifications, and follow-ups.

• Maintain Good Interpersonal Relationships

In the professional or academic arenas, using good grammar (or bad) affects how people feel about, respond to, and communicate with each other. For professionals, using proper grammar can help them make a good impression on co-workers and customers, and demonstrate that they care about their job.

• Save Time and Money in a Globalized World

Most business organizations today are global and work with geographically dispersed teams. Written communications in the form of emails, business reports, internal newsletters, white papers, and company blogs have therefore become critical to the daily operations of an organization. In this context, a grammatically incorrect document could be disastrous since it could present false or misleading information and potentially cost the company in terms of time and/or money.

• Demonstrate Professional Competency

Studies have shown that employees who use good grammar are more likely to succeed in the workplace. Good grammar in speech and writing reflects professional competency and is likely to get employees noticed by their superiors and clients. It might also lead to better pay and/or promotion in the future.

As the above points demonstrate, good grammar is a life-changing skill that boosts personal and professional success. Unlike what a few subjective opinions might state, grammar remains crucial to the effective understanding and practical applications of language and communication as a whole.

Author bio: Sophia is an online ESL/EFL instructor and a passionate educator. She found her true calling — teaching — while she was juggling writing and a 9-5 desk job. When she is not busy earning a living, she volunteers as a social worker. Her active online presence demonstrates her strong belief in the power of networking.

If you want to connect, you can find her on:

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

The Importance of Grammar in English

English grammar is one of the most important elements of your language study. Unfortunately, it can also be one of the most complex and difficult.

In this article, I’ll show you why English grammar matters in different situations , from informal conversations to professional communication.

I’ll also help you study grammar more efficiently  by focusing on the concepts that are most important to you—plus three key English grammar rules you can’t ever ignore.

How Important Is English Grammar in Daily Life?

3 english grammar rules that are important in any setting, irregular plurals, articles and gender, speaking formally, how to practice the english grammar that’s most important to you, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Correct grammar is your key to speaking English fluently and confidently. Knowing your grammar will help you avoid errors that make your English sound strange to native speakers.

But there are certain situations in which English grammar is especially important . For example, if you’re going for a job interview in an English-speaking country , the employer will be interested in the quality of your spoken and written English. In fact, in a recent survey of UK job recruiters , 50% said that bad spelling and grammar was the biggest reason they would dislike an application.

Correct grammar won’t just demonstrate your English skills—it’ll also show that you’re diligent and have an eye for detail.

This is equally important if you’re aiming to study abroad. Colleges and universities are likely to assess your academic English  based largely on your knowledge of English grammar.

Grammar is even important for your social life . Did you know that people on online dating apps are 14% less likely to chat with someone who uses poor grammar ? Plus, when you’re meeting new people or visiting new places, the last thing you want is to be misunderstood! To avoid confusing your friends, or even ordering more drinks than you intended, you need to have a firm idea of how to structure your words.

With all that said, remember that in some situations it’s okay to relax your grammar . When you’re texting a close friend, for example, it’s fine to use casual or more simplified language. Talking online is a fantastic way to connect with native speakers and other English learners in a friendly and pressure-free environment.

Here are a few English grammar rules that everybody needs to know.

If you ask your friend to look after your dog , but you actually have seven dogs,  your friend is in for a massive canine surprise.

Making a mistake with plurals is sure to cause confusion anywhere , from social situations to research labs. That’s why it’s so important to learn the rules—especially for irregular English plurals, which are tricky for non-native speakers.

In English, the standard way to form the plural is by adding the letter “ s ” to the end of a singular noun.

One cat → Two cat s

One shoe → Two shoe s

One bath → Two bath s

This rule works most of the time, but unfortunately there are some exceptions.

Words that end in “ ss ” typically form the plural by adding “ es ” to the end. This is to avoid having a triple “ s ” at the end of a word, which would look and sound strange.

One goddess → Two goddess es

One business → Two business es

Some words may stay the same in the plural as in the singular . For example, if you have one pet  fish and you buy another, you now have two  fish . If you fly in an aircraft , and then fly in another, you’ve now flown in two aircraft . There’s no rule to tell us which words will behave like this, but luckily the list isn’t too daunting. The proofreading website Vappingo has come up with 101 examples of these words .

Some of them may be a little obscure, but you’ll see there are certainly some that you’ll use all the time. When you come across a word like this, make a note of it to help you remember that it’s different.

You may also start to see patterns among irregular plurals, but don’t rely on them without checking. For example, one goose becomes two geese , but one moose becomes two moose  (not “meese”).

These sorts of words are the most misleading and probably the hardest to get the hang of. One way of learning these irregular plurals is to create a table with two columns during your regular vocabulary study. When you learn an important piece of vocabulary, write the singular form in one column and the plural in the opposite column. Hang the table somewhere you’ll see it regularly, like on the back of your bedroom door or on your fridge.

Once you get used to seeing them, they’ll begin to look less odd!

Understanding articles and gender in English is crucial for being able to refer to a person or thing correctly . Unfortunately, this highly important English grammar rule is also one of the strangest for many non-native speakers.

That’s because in many languages, the way that you describe a noun is dependent on its gender. In French, for instance, there are different articles for feminine and masculine nouns.

In English, nouns don’t have a grammatical gender. It’s common for new English speakers to refer to objects as “he” or “she” because they’re used to them having a gender in their native language.

The good news is that once you break this habit,  English grammar is actually very simple . The two articles you need are “the” and “a.” We use “the” to refer to specific objects directly , while we use “a” to refer to objects more generally.

I would like to eat the banana you bought at the store today.

I would like to eat a banana , but there aren’t any in the house.

If a noun begins with a vowel, the indefinite article becomes “an”  rather than “a.”

Confusingly, English speakers love to humanize objects, even though we don’t use genders. Vehicles are often treated as feminine. You may hear someone say, “Look at her engine, she’s a real beauty!” when talking about a car. This doesn’t mean that a car should actually be referred to as “she,” it’s just a way of expressing pride or fondness for a machine by making it sound more like a person.

Formality is important for lots of occasions. For interviews, work dinners and dates, you need to be able to adapt your English to suit the tone of the event .

One subtle grammar change that’s worth noting is the use of the words “can” and “may” when making requests or asking questions. “May” is considered more formal and polite than “can.”

With a friend, you might ask, “ Can I have the wine?” With a colleague or someone you just met, you might ask, “ May I have the wine?”  instead.

Similarly, “would like” is a more formal version of “want.”

I want to try on this dress. → I would like to try on this dress.

There’s one thing that makes formality in English easier than other languages. In lots of languages, there’s a formal and an informal way of addressing somebody (saying “you”). In French, for example, you can use tu for a friend and vous  for somebody you don’t know so well. But in English we only have one word: “you.”   You can call your best friend, your mom and your boss “you” without worrying about formality.

Now that we’ve covered three important grammar rules in English, it’s time to look at how you can practice grammar that’s relevant to your needs. For instance, if you’re learning basic grammar for a trip to the U.S., you have different needs than someone who’s applying to an undergraduate program at an English-speaking university.

So, how do you focus your grammar study on the most important concepts for you ?

Start by gathering some quality, comprehensive grammar resources to narrow down your learning. For example:

As you study with this and other resources, keep a notebook of key grammatical ideas so you can look back on what you’ve covered. At the beginning of each week, choose a new area to focus on and challenge yourself to find a real life example each day. This will help you track your progress on the grammar concepts that are most important to you.

You can also make a note of confusing grammar that you hear or read in English . Once you begin to immerse yourself in English media, you’ll start to realize that you’re hearing certain phrases and structures again and again. Those are the important everyday grammar concepts you should focus on if you don’t already recognize them.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Try FluentU for FREE!

If you have English-speaking friends, don’t be afraid to ask them to help you out . People are unlikely to correct your spoken grammar because they may worry about offending you. Tell your friends that you don’t mind them politely pointing out your errors, and they can help you find the right way of rephrasing your words.

A good friend will be patient and encouraging, because even native English speakers know that grammar can be complicated.

While English grammar can seem daunting in places, learning to understand and use it correctly is incredibly rewarding. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes as you practice English. Sometimes this is the best way to learn! If you’re committed and enthusiastic about tackling grammar, it can be an absorbing and even exciting aspect of learning a new language.

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

• school Campus Bookshelves
• menu_book Bookshelves
• perm_media Learning Objects
• login Login
• how_to_reg Request Instructor Account
• hub Instructor Commons

Margin Size

• Download Page (PDF)
• Download Full Book (PDF)
• Periodic Table
• Physics Constants
• Scientific Calculator
• Reference & Cite
• Tools expand_more
• Readability

selected template will load here

This action is not available.

11.6: Conclusion, Glossary, References

• Last updated
• Save as PDF
• Page ID 54976

\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)

\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)

\( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

\( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)

\( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)

\( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

\( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}}      % arrow\)

\( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}}      % arrow\)

\( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

\( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)

\( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)

\( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)

\( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)

This chapter has discussed a number of important aspects of language that good speakers should always consider. It is important for speakers to remember the power of language and to harness that power effectively, yet ethically. We’ve discussed the relationship between the language we use and the way we see the world, the importance of using language that is clear, vivid, stylized, ethical and that reflects well on you as the speaker.

The difference between choosing one word over another can be as significant as an audience member remembering your presentation or forgetting it and/or an audience turning against you and your ideas. Taking a few extra moments to add some alliteration or to check for language that might offend others is time very well spent. The next time you have to write or speak about an issue, remember the importance of language and its impact on our lives— carefully consider what language will you use and how will those language choices make a difference in how your audiences defines and understands your topic.

Review Questions and Activities

Review questions.

• Explain the difference between communication and language.
• Explain the relationship between language and the way that humans perceive their worlds.
• Why should you use simple language in your speech?
• The use of concrete and precise language in your speeches helps prevent what sorts of problems?
• Give an example of a metaphor and explain how that metaphor functions to communicate a specific idea more clearly.
• What is alliteration?
• Why is personalized language important?
• What are some examples of types of sexist language and what is the impact of those examples?
• What are two problems associated with using exaggerated language in your speeches?
• Explain the types of powerless language most commonly used.
• Why shouldn’t you use clichés in your speech?
• Why is correct grammar important to good speech making?
• Bachelor’s Degree
• Brotherhood
• Businessman
• Female Doctor
• Using speeches from mlkonline.net or jfklibrary.org , choose any speech from the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., President John F. Kennedy, or Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and isolate one paragraph that you believe exemplifies a careful and effective use of language. Rewrite that paragraph as I did for my classes, using more common and less careful word choices. Compare the paragraphs to each other once you’re done, noticing the difference your changes in language make.
• A piece of pre-decimal currency conserved is coinage grossed.
• The timely avian often acquires the extended soft-bodied invertebrate.
• A utensil often used for writing is more prodigious than a certain long-edged weapon.
• Let slumbering members of the canine variety remain in slumber
• An animal of the avian variety resting on one’s palm is more valuable than double that amount in one’s appendage most often used for tactile feedback.
• About.com (2011). Bushisms—U.S. President proves how difficult English really is!
• Retrieved from. http://esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa032301a.htm
• Gamble, T. K. & Gamble, M. W. (2003). The gender communication connection. New York: Houghton-Mifflin.
• Time.com (1981, February 23). “Haigledygook and secretaryspeak.” Retrieved from www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...949069,00.html
• Hamilton, G. (2008). Public speaking for college and career, 8th Ed. New York: McGraw- Hill.
• Jackson, J. (1984). 1984 Speech at the Democratic National Convention. San Francisco, CA: July 18. Found at http://www.americanrhetoric.com/spee...son1984dnc.htm
• King, M. L., Jr. (1963, August 28). I Have a Dream [Speech]. Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http://www.americanrhetoric.com/spee...haveadream.htm
• Peccei, J. (2003). Language and age. In L. Thomas et. al.,Language, society, and power, 2nd Ed. New York: Routledge.
• Spender, D. (1990). Man Made Language. New York: Pandora.
• Thomas, L., Wareing, S. Singh, I., Pecci, J. S., Thornborrow, J. & Jones, J. (2003). Language, society, and power: An introduction, 2nd Ed. New York: Routledge.

Contributors and Attributions

• Template:ContribCCComm105

Why does grammar matter?

Director of the Center for Writing, College of the Holy Cross

Disclosure statement

Laurie Ann Britt-Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

College of the Holy Cross provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.

View all partners

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to [email protected] .

Why does grammar matter? – Maci, 13, Indianapolis, Indiana

After 20 years of teaching academic writing to both native speakers and English language learners, I can attest that at some point, just about everyone asks me why, or even whether, grammar matters.

There is more than one way to define grammar. Linguists – the people who study language – define “grammar” as a description of how a language operates. Though some people use it to bully people for making mistakes, grammar is not a way to decide if language is right or wrong . Everyone makes mistakes, and the English language is amazingly flexible in how its pieces can be put together and understood.

That’s because English is a “living” language, actively spoken by people worldwide. It grows and changes, picking up new words and new ways of constructing meaning all the time .

All kinds of factors influence the way people talk, including regional variations, age, ethnicity, education level and technology. People from Indianapolis use English differently than people from Alaska or Georgia . And American English sounds and works differently than the English spoken in England, Jamaica or India. But they are all still considered English .

Through reading, writing and speaking, you have already learned quite a bit about how English works. You began your education in grammar when you first started using simple sentences. For example, my son had to learn to say “carry me,” not “carry you,” when he wanted to be picked up. That’s grammar, even though you didn’t always call it that.

The school subject we call grammar is the next step. It establishes some ground rules that attempt to define what can be considered a more uniform, established version of English. There is a complicated history of how those rules were created and who benefits from them . The end result is that schools teach the kind of English students in their country will be expected to use in public, at work and in formal writing .

Writing exists to be read. So the reader must be considered when you construct sentences. You write differently for your friends, your parents and your teacher. The grammar you learn in school helps you meet the expectations of the reader. They also learned a similar grammar in school.

Wait, did I just make a grammar mistake using “they” – plural – to refer to a singular “reader”?

Well, maybe not. Remember how I said English is a living language? The use of “their” as a singular, nongendered pronoun is one example of how the language is changing. Traditionally, I would have written “he,” because for so long male was the default gender. As the social thinking about gender changed, people began to write “he or she” to be more inclusive. Now we can use “they,” which is all-encompassing .

That shift will continue to be debated, as will starting a sentence with a conjunction like “but” or “and,” which used to be discouraged. But I think I get why these changes are happening: They mimic speech .

Studying grammar helps make communication between people clearer. Once you understand your own language and appreciate its patterns and varieties, you can more easily understand how other languages are constructed, making them easier to learn . Being able to understand across languages allows you to share your ideas and the ideas of others more broadly.

Grammar matters a lot – just maybe not for the reasons you thought.

Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to [email protected] . Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.

And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.

• Linguistics
• Curious Kids
• Quick reads
• Speed reads
• Curious Kids US

Content Coordinator

Lecturer / Senior Lecturer - Marketing

Assistant Editor - 1 year cadetship

Executive Dean, Faculty of Health

Lecturer/Senior Lecturer, Earth System Science (School of Science)

• school Campus Bookshelves
• menu_book Bookshelves
• perm_media Learning Objects
• login Login
• how_to_reg Request Instructor Account
• hub Instructor Commons

Margin Size

• Download Page (PDF)
• Download Full Book (PDF)
• Periodic Table
• Physics Constants
• Scientific Calculator
• Reference & Cite
• Tools expand_more
• Readability

selected template will load here

This action is not available.

1.1: Why Is Grammar Important?

• Last updated
• Save as PDF
• Page ID 182768
• SUNY/Lumen Learning
• SUNY and Lumen Learning

\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)

\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)

\( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

\( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)

\( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)

\( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

\( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}}      % arrow\)

\( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}}      % arrow\)

\( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

\( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)

\( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)

\( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)

\( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)

Take a moment and try to imagine a world without language: written, signed, or spoken. It’s pretty hard to conceptualize, right? Language is a constant presence all around us. It’s how we communicate with others; without language it would be incredibly difficult to connect people.

Many people are self-conscious of their speech and worry that the way they talk is incorrect: this simply isn’t true. There are several different types of English—all of which are equally dynamic and complex. However, each variety is appropriate in different situations. When you’re talking to your friends, you should use slang and cultural references—if you speak in formal language, you can easily come off as uptight or rude. If you’re sending a quick casual message—via social media or texting—you don’t need to worry too much about capitalization or strict punctuation. Feel free to have five exclamation points standing alone, if that gets your point across.

Additionally, when you speak or write with poor grammar, others will often make judgements about who you are as a person. As Williams and Colomb say, “Follow all the rules all the time because sometime, someone will criticize you for something.” [1]

Code Switching

Code switching is the ability to use two different varieties (or dialects) of the same language. Most people do this instinctively. If you were writing a paper, you might say something like “The experiment requires not one but four different procedures” in order to emphasize number. In an informal online setting, on the other hand, you might say something like “I saw two (2) buses drive past.”

The most important facet of code switching is knowing when to use which variety. In formal academic writing, standardized English is the correct variety to use. As you go through this module, remember that these are the rules for just one type of English.

• Williams, Joseph M. and Gregory G. Colomb. Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace . 3rd ed. Boston: Longman. 2012, p. 14. ↵

Contributors and Attributions

• Why Is Grammar Important?. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Conversation Balloons. Authored by : bartek001. Located at : https://pixabay.com/en/conversation-balloons-anger-545621/ . License : CC0: No Rights Reserved
• Toolkit. Authored by : Brian Ejar. Located at : https://thenounproject.com/term/toolkit/154266/ . License : CC BY: Attribution

• Link to facebook
• Link to linkedin
• Link to twitter
• Link to youtube
• Writing Tips

Why Grammar Is Important!

3-minute read

• 11th January 2023

You’re probably aware that grammar is important. But some could argue that grammar is the most important part of writing. Read on to learn the five components of grammar and why proper grammar is so crucial.

1.   Punctuation

Yes, punctuation – while it can be considered its own category in writing – plays a key role in grammar. You can set the tone with ending punctuation, use commas to separate thoughts and add clarity, and use apostrophes to change the meaning.

Consider an example:

Here, just one missing comma can mean the difference between listing things you love and sounding like Hannibal Lecter !

2.   Tense and Aspect

Tense refers to whether something happens in the past , present , or future . Aspect indicates whether you’re talking about one single instant action, a regular or repeated action, or an ongoing or progressive action or state . For example:

These sentences sound similar, but whether the couple is married or not varies between each one.

3.   Word Order

In English, word order shows the relationship between the words, so the meaning can change depending on where they’re placed. A basic statement follows this formula: subject + verb + objects and adverbial phrases. Adjectives come before the subject or object they describe. Let’s look at some examples of how word order can make a difference:

While each of these sentences technically make sense, they each mean something quite different – and can evoke some strange mental images!

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

4.   Determiners

Nouns don’t usually stand on their own in everyday language. Determiners are words that tell us things like who or what a noun belongs to, how many there are, and where they are. For example:

See how these sentences mean very different things? Determiners are essential in forming meaningful sentences in the English language.

5.   Connectors

As their name suggests, connectors, such as “if,” “who,” “when,” “and,” “but,” “neither,” and “both,” connect phrases, words, and clauses . Using these correctly is important, as they add essential details to your sentences:

In this example, your choice of connectors can mean the difference between offering too much dessert and offering none.

Why Is Grammar So Important?

As we’ve seen, getting your meaning across correctly comes down to using grammar properly. Even small errors can be costly ! In addition, it lets your readers know that you are a reliable source, makes you look professional, and shows respect for anyone reading your work.

It also keeps your readers engaged. Have you ever been engrossed in reading something very interesting, only to get stuck on a sentence that you have to read a few times because it doesn’t quite make sense or the meaning isn’t clear? If this happens to your readers, they’ll be distracted from your message, and your writing won’t accomplish what you intended it to.

Professional Proofreading and Editing

Now that you know more about how important grammar is, don’t neglect to have your writing proofread! Even if you feel pretty confident with your grammar usage, all writers miss errors in their own writing. Why not try out our proofreading service for free ?

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

9-minute read

How to Use Infographics to Boost Your Presentation

Is your content getting noticed? Capturing and maintaining an audience’s attention is a challenge when...

8-minute read

Why Interactive PDFs Are Better for Engagement

Are you looking to enhance engagement and captivate your audience through your professional documents? Interactive...

7-minute read

Seven Key Strategies for Voice Search Optimization

Voice search optimization is rapidly shaping the digital landscape, requiring content professionals to adapt their...

4-minute read

Five Creative Ways to Showcase Your Digital Portfolio

Are you a creative freelancer looking to make a lasting impression on potential clients or...

How to Ace Slack Messaging for Contractors and Freelancers

Effective professional communication is an important skill for contractors and freelancers navigating remote work environments....

How to Insert a Text Box in a Google Doc

Google Docs is a powerful collaborative tool, and mastering its features can significantly enhance your...

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

• Your Language School
• +44 7533 669078
• [email protected]

• English for Academic Purposes
• School Partnership
• Work with Us

Grammar Matters: 5 Reasons Why Good Grammar is Important

• April 9, 2021

Share This Post

Lately, there has been an increasing disregard toward learning and using correct grammar, especially among native speakers. The lack of attention is understandable; when you use the language in day-to-day conversations and exchanges, you really would not feel the need to sit down and actually take time to study rules of language you are able to speak and converse through every day. To add to this is the emergence of slang terms and the informal, casual use of the language, which all the more devalues the reasons for learning age-old grammar rules.

While these notions are acknowledged, they should not be interpreted as reasons to refuse learning and using proper grammar. In fact, these should motivate you more to study grammar rules and apply them in your everyday exchanges. As English speakers, it is important that you are not only able to use the language to get your message across, but you should be able to do so properly, accurately, and in accordance with established grammar rules. 

Grammar matters, and below are reasons why there is value in learning and using good grammar!

• Good grammar enhances accuracy and thus conveys the correct message.

Grammar rules exist precisely for clarity and accuracy in getting your message across. With strong grammar skills, there is a very minimal chance of miscommunication and misinterpretation. Here is a classic example:

If you say, “Let’s eat, Grandma,” it would easily be understood that you were inviting your grandmother to a meal, but without the correct punctuation — “Let’s eat Grandma” — the message becomes cryptic, misleading, and actually pretty hilarious.

• Good grammar is indispensable in formal, academic, and professional writing.

Whether for school, work, or any professional setting that calls for formal correspondences, professional writing is something we will all need to do at least once in our lives. Of course, formal writing necessitates the use of formal language rules, so the task is definitely so much easier when you are equipped with good grammar skills.

• Good grammar increases credibility and respect.

Grammatical errors, especially when they occur too frequently, make one look unprofessional and less credible. For instance, in a written material where there are quite a number of grammatical errors, the impression is that it was sloppily done and thus loses credibility. While everyone, even writers and language experts, is susceptible to committing grammar mistakes, you can always minimise these errors by studying and practising good grammar. 

• Good grammar sets you apart from your competition.

In instances where you will need to prove yourself worthy next to other individuals, such as in applying for a job, good grammar in interviews and assessments is often a dealbreaker. Make sure you are a complete package that employers will not be able to say no to by improving your grammar skills!

• Good grammar boosts confidence.

Ultimately, good grammar enables you to speak and write comfortably and confidently in any setting, as compared to one who is unsure of his or her words and usage of the language. In effect, you will sound more intelligent and convincing, with your message effectively conveyed and understood. 

Interested in improving your grammar skills? Let our proficient English language experts help you with that! Contact us to enquire about or enrol in our high quality online English courses.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get updates and learn from the best.

Improving Your English Skills over the Summer Break

The summer break is just around the corner! While most of us want to spend the long summer holiday recuperating from the tough academic year

Taking Functional Skills Exams? Tips on How to Prepare and Prosper

To recap, the Functional Skills course is a programme that equips learners with skills that are considered fundamental in working and day-to-day living. Unlike in

Motivating Adults in Developing Basic Skills

It goes without saying that certain skills are vital to thrive in life and at work. Basic adult skills, which necessarily include literacy, ESOL (English

Join our United Kingdom Based English language school Online

Privacy Overview

Why Is Grammar Important? (5 Key Reasons)

• May 1, 2021

You have, no doubt, started to read an article, a news post, a blog, or anything in between, and thought to yourself, “Boy, was this written by a bot?” Worse yet, you may have wished the bot had been the one doing the writing. In moments like these, you quickly come to realize just how important grammar is in any kind of writing. For even something as short as a tweet, a mangled one fails to have the impact of a well-written one.

Grammar is, simply put, the foundation on which language—both verbal and, in our case, written—is built. If the work you do relies on any kind of written content, you can’t expect to skimp on grammar and receive the kind of engagement you desire. To help truly drive this home, here are five reasons grammar is so crucial.

1. Grammar ensures everything you write is clear

No matter what the intentions behind your writing—be it to change the world, to persuade, or just to entertain—if you have a tenuous grasp on grammar, then your writing won’t have the clarity it needs to get your message across.

This includes the little stuff, like commas, as well as deeper syntax and sentence structure issues. At worst, a comma in the wrong place can transform the meaning of a sentence. At best, your sentence will be harder for the reader to decipher.

You might’ve heard of this famous example: “Let’s eat, grandma.” Without the comma, it turns into “Let’s eat grandma,” which has an entirely different meaning that only cannibals would find appealing.

A dangling modifier will briefly leave your readers scratching their heads, breaking any flow and ruining any engagement. If your readers have to decipher your meaning, then you’ve done something wrong.

“Walking at sunset, the sights were beautiful.” In that sentence, what’s walking? The sights? That modifier is dangling. A better version might be: “Walking at sunset, I soaked in the beautiful sights.”

These kinds of issues only serve to make things more difficult for your readers. The better you can select the right words in the right order for the message you’re trying to convey, the better it will resonate with readers, and the less likely they will be to misread or misinterpret what you’re telling them.

2. Good grammar makes your writing sound professional, which gives it authority

The clunkier your sentences and paragraphs are, the less professional your writing will be—and the less professional it is, the less likely your readers will believe that you’re an authority for anything. If you want readers to take what you’re trying to say (or sell) seriously, your grammar has to be on point. At the same time, good grammar also allows you to give your writing the tone you want, be it formal, informal, or somewhere in between.

In many situations, your words will be one of the first interactions that someone has with you. Make them count. Poor grammar will only erode the trust you’re trying to build with your readers. Without trust , you’ll find it much harder to accomplish whatever it is you intend for your words to accomplish, be it sell or entertain.

3. Good grammar allows your writing to be more persuasive, and competitive

Readers trying to wade their way through written content that’s riddled with errors are probably going to be too distracted to truly engage with what you’re trying to say. That’s reason enough not to have poor grammar. Every comma splice (a comma between two complete sentences), every homophone (two words that sound similar but aren’t: there/there affect/effect), and every dangling modifier make it harder to relay your message—sell whatever it is you’re selling.

Once you’ve moved beyond simply trying to avoid mistakes, harnessing the power of grammar will allow you to elevate whatever you write to the next level. Well-constructed sentences with excellent word choice and an on-point tone will not only be more engaging to read but more persuasively.

On top of that, if you’re writing for any sort of competitive market—say you want your blog about personal finance or knitting to perform well—you’ll be more likely to rise above your competition if you have the grammar to really dazzle your readers.

4. Express yourself better with better grammar

For non-academic or formal writing, voice is everything— and grammar is important in ensuring that your voice comes through loud and clear. If you want to sound excited, there are much better alternatives than simply ending EVERY! SINGLE! SENTENCE! with an exclamation point. If you want to sound excited, try using words that convey that feeling.

Of course, everything in moderation. The occasional exclamation point won’t detract much from your writing, but too many will do more harm than good. The same goes for ellipses or any other grammar tool.

5. If you do want to break the rules, learn them first

As they say, with great powers comes great responsibility. That’s as true for superpowers as it is for grammar. You’re free to bend the rules (or perhaps even break them if you’re really careful). Doing so will give your voice just the tone you want it to have. Ultimately, accuracy and clarity should be your end goal with any writing. However, the occasional fragment or run-on sentence can have a great stylistic effect if used intelligently and sparingly. Throw the rules out of the window too often, though, and your writing will devolve into an incoherent mess.

The bottom line

Without grammar, written and verbal communication would be nigh impossible. That alone is one of the main reasons why grammar is important. But, beyond that, poor grammar will be painfully obvious to most if not all readers, while excellent grammar will elevate your writing to the next level. You’ll have more clarity, sound more professional, and engage readers more effectively with great grammar.

Even if you didn’t pay quite enough attention in English class, you can avoid poor grammar. Many word processors will guide you in the right direction, and writing tools like Grammarly will help even more. Crafting words that truly shine takes skill and practice, though, which is why hiring a talented and experienced writer or editor can be so beneficial. Allow them to show you why grammar is so important and reap the benefits.

Don’t forget to share this article!

Related articles

10 Best Freelance Writing Courses (2024)

10 Best AI Writing Tools (2024)

10 Best Freelance Writing Sites for Writers (2024)

Press ESC to close

Why is Grammar Important for Communication? Role of Language in Communication

Communication is an essential part of our daily lives, whether we are interacting with friends, colleagues, or strangers. Language plays a critical role in communication, allowing us to convey our thoughts, ideas, and emotions effectively. However, the effectiveness of communication is heavily dependent on the proper use of grammar. Grammar is the system and structure of a language, including its syntax, morphology, and semantics. 

It provides a set of rules that govern how words are combined to form meaningful sentences, and how those sentences are organized to express ideas clearly. In this blog, we will explore the importance of grammar in communication, and how its proper use can enhance our ability to convey information effectively.

Why English Communication is Essential?

English communication is essential for several reasons, including:

• Global Language: English is a global language used for communication in many fields, including business, science, and technology. It is spoken by over 1.5 billion people worldwide and is the most widely spoken second language. Therefore, being proficient in English communication can open up opportunities for international travel, work, and collaboration.
• Academic and Professional Success: English communication skills are often required in academic and professional settings. Being proficient in English can improve your chances of academic success, job opportunities, and career advancement. Good English communication skills are often required for writing research papers, presentations, and reports.
• Cross-cultural Communication: English is a language used by people from different cultures and backgrounds. Being proficient in English can facilitate cross-cultural communication and understanding, enabling you to connect with people from diverse backgrounds and form meaningful relationships.
• Access to Information: English is the language of the internet, and most of the information available on the internet is in English. Being proficient in English communication can give you access to a vast array of information, resources, and knowledge.
• Personal Growth: Learning and improving English communication skills can also enhance personal growth. It can boost confidence, improve cognitive function, and broaden perspectives, enabling individuals to understand and appreciate different cultures and viewpoints.

English communication is essential for personal, academic, and professional growth. Being proficient in English can open up opportunities for international travel, work, and collaboration, improve cross-cultural communication, provide access to information, and enhance personal growth. Therefore, it is essential to develop strong English communication skills to succeed in today’s globalized world.

Importance of English Grammar

English grammar is essential for effective communication in English, as it provides a systematic structure and set of rules that govern how words and sentences are used to convey meaning. Here are some reasons why English grammar is important:

• Clarity: Proper English grammar helps to ensure that our ideas are expressed clearly and accurately. It helps to avoid ambiguity and confusion, making it easier for others to understand our message.
• Credibility: Good English grammar can enhance our credibility and professionalism. It demonstrates that we have taken the time to communicate clearly and effectively, which can lead to increased trust and respect.
• Consistency: English grammar provides a set of rules that ensure consistency in how words and sentences are used. This consistency makes it easier for readers or listeners to understand the message and follow the flow of ideas.
• Precision: Proper English grammar allows us to express our ideas with precision. It enables us to convey the exact meaning we intend, without the risk of being misunderstood.
• Global Language: English is a global language used for communication in many fields, including business, science, and technology. Proper English grammar is crucial in these fields, where accuracy and clarity of communication are essential.
• Academic and Professional Success: English grammar is also essential for academic and professional success. Proper grammar is required in writing assignments, research papers, and professional communication, such as emails and reports.

English grammar plays a vital role in effective communication in English. Its proper use can help us to convey our ideas clearly, concisely, and precisely, while also enhancing our credibility and professionalism. Therefore, it is essential to develop strong English grammar skills to be an effective communicator and to succeed in academic and professional endeavors.

Also Read : Daily Use of English Sentences in Conversations: Spoken English Sentences for Everyday

Why is Grammar Important for Communication?

Grammar is essential for effective communication as it provides a systematic structure and set of rules that govern how words and sentences are used to convey meaning. Without proper grammar, communication can become confusing, unclear, and even misleading. Here are some reasons why grammar is important for communication:

• Clarity: Proper grammar helps to ensure that our ideas are expressed clearly and accurately. It helps to avoid ambiguity and confusion, making it easier for others to understand our message.
• Credibility: Good grammar can enhance our credibility and professionalism. It demonstrates that we have taken the time to communicate clearly and effectively, which can lead to increased trust and respect.
• Concision: Using proper grammar can also help us to be more concise in our communication. We can convey our ideas more efficiently, using fewer words, which can be especially useful in situations where time or attention spans are limited.
• Precision: Proper grammar also allows us to express our ideas with precision. It enables us to convey the exact meaning we intend, without the risk of being misunderstood.
• Social and Cultural Awareness: The use of proper grammar is also a sign of social and cultural awareness. It shows respect for the language and the people who use it, which can be especially important in multicultural environments.

In conclusion, grammar plays a vital role in effective communication. Its proper use can help us to convey our ideas clearly, concisely, and precisely, while also enhancing our credibility and professionalism. Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to grammar when communicating, whether it is in writing or speech.

Also Read: Direct and Indirect Speech: Get to Know the Rules and Application with Examples

Role of Language in Communication

Language is the primary tool of communication. It allows us to express our thoughts, ideas, and emotions to others, facilitating social interaction and human connection. Here are some of the roles that language plays in communication:

• Expression of Thoughts and Ideas: Language enables us to express our thoughts and ideas in a way that others can understand. It allows us to share our knowledge, experiences, and opinions with others, creating a sense of shared understanding.
• Establishment of Social Relationships: Language also plays a crucial role in establishing social relationships. It enables us to connect with others and build relationships through verbal communication. Language also enables us to understand and appreciate cultural differences, which can help us to establish connections with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Transmission of Culture: Language is also an important means of transmitting culture from one generation to the next. Through language, we can pass on traditions, beliefs, and values, preserving our cultural heritage.
• Problem Solving: Language can also be used as a tool for problem-solving. It allows us to communicate our needs and concerns to others, facilitating collaboration and cooperation to find solutions to problems.
• Emotional Expression: Finally, language plays a critical role in emotional expression. It enables us to express our feelings and emotions to others, promoting empathy and understanding.

In conclusion, language plays a vital role in communication. It enables us to express our thoughts, establish social relationships, transmit culture, solve problems, and express emotions. Therefore, it is essential to develop strong language skills to be an effective communicator and to build meaningful connections with others.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Share Article:

You might also like

Which English Speaking Course is Best?: Your Ultimate Guide

Is Fluent English Better than Intermediate?: Fluent vs Intermediate

Which English Certificate Course is Best?: A Comprehensive Guide

Other stories, how can i improve my english speaking online online english speaking improving tips, top 5 communication skills for teachers: let’s check out the best communication benefits for teachers.

Why Is Grammar Important? 7 Top Reasons

This article asks why is grammar important in writing and communication.

Some say grammar doesn’t matter anymore, especially in a society where texting and using slang terminology is popular. After all, who has time to worry about misplaced modifiers with all those emojis to choose from? We think that’s  terrible writing advice .

In a professional context, correct grammar is a critical skill. It’ll help you write more compelling job applications, proposals, articles, and books. Moreover, it demonstrates to readers that you care about the English language. Basic grammatical errors also demonstrate sloppiness and a lack of attention to detail. It can put clients and employers off from working with you, so it pays to use the best grammar checkers online .

1. It Demonstrates Professionalism

2. it helps get better grades, 3. it encourages better communication, 4. it sets the right tone, 5. it enables more enjoyable writing, 6. it’ll help you figure out what rules to break, 7. it improves your listening skills, communicating clearly using written language, communicating clearly using spoken language, understanding and applying the rules of grammar, 1. proper use of commas, 2. subject-verb agreement, 3. pronoun and antecedent agreement, 4. homophones, prowritingaid, what are the benefits of learning grammar, 7 reasons why good grammar important.

Grammar is important in communications, writing, academia, journalism, work, and many different areas of life for multiple reasons. Here are seven.

Whether looking for a new job, marketing a product or service, or writing, how you speak and write impacts how people perceive you. Having good grammar helps you come across as more intelligent, educated, and professional. Poor grammar can put off clients, particularly if you’re a writer. A single mistake isn’t a big deal, but many grammar errors suggest poor attention to detail.

Elon Musk reportedly fired some of his employees for typos and grammar mistakes in important communications. So, if you plan to lead others, good communication skills and good grammar are assets to foster.

When you submit an essay or a research paper with grammatical errors, it can detract from the quality of your research or arguments. Your words become less powerful when filled with grammar problems. An assessor or tutor will mark the paper down simply because of these mistakes, even if the quality of the paper is good overall.

So, if you want to succeed in college or grad school, written grammar skills are key for writing essays that achieve good grades. To get help with this aspect of English writing, use the best academic writing software .

Sometimes it’s acceptable to use colloquialisms and ignore grammar rules when writing to a family member, sending a text, or even some personal social media messages. However, recipients outside of your inner circle might not understand the intentions behind this type of writing. They might even find an email rife with errors offensive. The best way to ensure somebody understands your meaning is by following basic grammar rules.

Some wonder why is grammar important in business. Good grammar is the best way to ensure customers or colleagues understand you. If you’re writing a business proposal, an update to a boss, or something for a customer, best set the right tone. Usually, that involves writing something confident and positive that’s easy to read. Imagine if a customer support rep messaged a reply full of punctuation errors! That type of sloppiness could damage the reputation of the business in question.

Grammar is important in writing if you want a reader to spend time consuming your work and ideas. Consider texting. Now, texting a friend with poor grammar is fine, but try reading pages of text speak. It’s not much fun!

Proper grammar is key if you want to write an engaging story, blog post, or even a book for a wider audience than your social circle. Some writers can break these rules, for example, poets and literary fiction authors, but the rest of us should make things easier, not harder, for readers. You might also be inspired by our list of benefits of studying English grammar .

As important as grammar is, sometimes it’s okay to break certain conventions or rules. For example, short phrases, rather than complete sentences, can work well on social media and for dialogue in genre fiction books. Similarly, some writers play around with capitilization rules depending on the style guide. However, it’s better to understand what these rules are before you decide to break them. And if you do break them, be consistent.

Using grammatical principles correctly improves a writer’s ability to understand others. They can interpret the sentences and structure of a speaker’s words or writing, even if there are mistakes in it. A writer knows what to watch out for and listen to. They can also understand their intended meaning and respond accordingly.

What Does Good Grammar Mean?

Good grammar means writing or speaking so that your choice of words is understandable and follows the basic rules of sentence construction, punctuation, and spelling. But how can you tell if you have good grammar or need to improve in this area? Here’s a closer look at what “good grammar” means.

You can communicate clearly in the written language if you have good grammar. You know how to use words and punctuation to convey your meaning in a way that most readers can understand. That’ll help you entertain, inform, educate, or entertain readers more quickly.

Not only does grammar play a role in written language, but it also plays a role in spoken language. While grammar rules are less strict when speaking, grammatical errors in speech are still critical.

Too many grammar mistakes and spoken language become distracting. That makes it hard for people to follow your meaning. That said, it depends on the context and who you’re speaking to.

Finally, having “good grammar” means having the ability to both understand and apply common rules and uses of grammar. While rules are not always set in stone, the basic concepts are worth understanding and using properly. After all, it’s one thing to know what an apostrophe is but another to understand where to place it.

What Are the Most Important Grammar Rules?

Grammar, especially in the English language, comes with many perplexing rules. Some are important to follow, but you can ignore others depending on the context. In another article, we profile many of the most important grammar rules but focus on the below essentials if you want to improve your writing skills.

In written language, the comma is a small mark with a big job. It is easy to over or underuse the humble comma. Here are some common mistakes involving commas:

• Comma Splice  – The comma splice is a fancy name for a run-on sentence. It is a sentence that combines more than one sentence or idea into one, without a comma or conjunction.
• Introductory Clauses  – Introductory clauses that are unnecessary for the sentence to make sense should be offset by a comma. If they aren’t, the sentence becomes confusing. Here is an example: Because it was late, the family went home to put the kids to bed.
• Names of Direct Address  – When you are addressing the person you’re talking to, you must set the name off with a comma. Remember, we don’t want to eat Grandma, we just want to invite her to the meal.
• Coordinate Adjectives  – Coordinate adjectives are multiple adjectives that modify a noun and can change their order without changing the sentence’s meaning. These need a comma. For example, you would need a comma between “The fast, sly fox,” because fast and sly both modify fox and could be switched. Conversely, no comma is needed between, “The shy little boy” because little must precede boy to make sense.

These are just an example set of rules worth noting. To be a strong writer, you must understand how and when to use commas while learning sentence structure. Read our guide  about when to use a comma .

Subjects and verbs in sentences must agree in number. If you have a plural subject, you need a plural verb, and vice versa. Sometimes this gets tricky in sentences where the subject doesn’t come right before the verb, so it’s something to watch for. Fear not: a  good grammar checker  will easily spot and fix these mistakes automatically.

An antecedent is a word a pronoun replaces. In the sentence, “John went to the store because he was out of milk,”  he  is the pronoun replacing the antecedent  John .

The pronoun and antecedent need to agree in number and gender. They also need to be clear about who or what they are replacing. So, if you say, “Sarah and Anna went to the store because she was out of milk,” the sentence is incorrect because it is unclear who “she” is.

One of the most common pronoun/antecedent errors involves the pronoun  their . In the sentence, “Each girl took their bag and went to the car,” the pronoun is incorrect. Even though there is more than one girl, both  each  and  girl  is singular. It should read, “Each girl took her bag.”

Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Examples include:

• Affect and effect
• Compliment and complement
• Their and there, and they’re

It’s relatively easy to mix up these words, particularly if you’re learning English or in a rush. Unfortunately, the result can confuse readers and make embarrassing mistakes. However, you’ll spot and avoid these mistakes more easily with patience and patience. If you need help, read our guide to  common homophones .

How Can I Check My Grammar?

No one is going to write with perfect grammar all of the time. It’s not a big deal if you make a single mistake in most cases. Don’t pay any attention to the  grammar nazis !

There are too many rules to follow, and it’s relatively easy to fix issues in most works. That said, if it’s important (like a job cover letter), consider a  grammar checker  before pressing send or clicking publish. Here are two great options that we recommend to writers and those learning the basics

Grammarly is a good choice for fixing mistakes  Grammarly  is a free online grammar-checking program you can use to check anything you’re typing. Simply upload your content into the browser, and it will check your grammar and help with proofreading. It also offers various mobile apps and software plugins.

Grammarly offers a more in-depth paid option if you want even more grammar checking or are not an English native speaker. You can also switch between American English and British English.

ProWritingAid is another popular choice  ProWritingAid  is another tool to consider. It checks for grammar mistakes like the ones above and also supports plagiarism checks. It also has style reports for  improving your writing . ProWritingAid works well with apps like Scrivener. It also has detailed reports that fiction writers may enjoy

It will even help you  avoid overusing certain words  or phrases within the English language. Both of these tools can also help with spelling mistakes. But if you need clarification on what tool to use, check out  ProWritingAid vs Grammarly  comparison.

So why should you spend time and energy to learn correct grammar and ensure you use it correctly in written works or everyday life? Good grammar can help you become a stronger communicator.

Get your basic grammar skills right, and you won’t have to worry about your message being perceived badly for the wrong reasons. You can become a trusted professional and someone people consider well-educated.

Here’s the key takeaway about the importance of grammar today: Understanding the basics improves your communication skills. That can translate into more clients, jobs, readers, and even money. On the other hand, bad grammar is kind of like bad breath; it’s off-putting.

All that said, don’t let the  grammar nazis  deter you from putting yourself or your work forward. Find a balance between perfectionism and done. If it’s a text, who cares? If it’s a job cover letter, you probably should. Learn some  grammar rules  before you break them.

We tested dozens of grammar checkers, and Grammarly is the best tool on the market today. It'll help you write and edit your work much faster. Grammarly provides a powerful AI writing assistant and plagiarism checker.

Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006. She specializes in education content and real estate writing but enjoys a wide gamut of topics. Her goal is to connect with the reader in an engaging, but informative way. Her work has been featured on USA Today, and she ghostwrites for many high-profile companies. As a former teacher, she is passionate about both research and grammar, giving her clients the quality they demand in today's online marketing world.

View all posts

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

12 Grammar and Punctuation

Grammar and punctuation.

Learning Objectives

Upon completing this chapter, you should be able to

• rewrite grammatically incorrect sentences to clarify the meaning of messages,
• explain different ways that grammar might influence the meaning or reception of written workplace communications,
• demonstrate when to use different but appropriate punctuation marks in writing,
• explain the impact of using incorrect punctuation in workplace communication,
• rewrite sentences correcting punctuation errors, and
• apply proper punctuation to communicate the true meaning of messages.

Introduction

To ensure you are able to craft your messages clearly and correctly, you have the option of refreshing and practising your grammar and punctuation.

If you are already a grammar guru (or, if you have become one since using the optional grammar package), you can immediately dive into the next chapter to learn about five common workplace documents: standard business letters, fax cover sheets, memos, short reports, and emails.

Chances are, if you have ever read or commented about anything in an online comments section, you have probably encountered the “grammar police.” These are the folks who are quick to ignore the meaning of what you said and focus exclusively on whether or not you have done so in a grammatically correct way. For our purposes, the definition of grammar is “a set of actual or presumed prescriptive notions about correct use of a language.”

People whose native language is English may make grammatical errors all the time. Often, conventions of speech do not adhere to grammar rules. As long as everyone else around them makes the same mistake, it does not sound wrong, and there is no problem until they encounter people who have learned otherwise. From region to region, and even from workplace to workplace, there may be small but perceptible differences in how people use grammar, as the English language continues to evolve. Generally speaking, the rules of grammar serve to help us all understand how to use the English language correctly. As irritating or pedantic as learning and implementing grammar may seem, grammatical norms are important for effective and clear communication.

Similarly, punctuation is defined as “the marks, such as period, comma, and parentheses, used in writing to separate sentences and their elements and to clarify meaning.” Punctuation is sometimes taken for granted or used incorrectly, particularly in digital communication like text messaging and social media.

As a writer and communicator who intends to be clear and accurate, you may find a refresher on grammar and punctuation to be helpful, which is what this section will give you.

Grammatical errors can disrupt an audience’s ability to understand your message clearly, or can simply distract from your message. Further, grammatical missteps can often weaken the writer’s credibility, potentially causing your audience to not take your message seriously.

In this section we will give an overview of the parts of speech, types of sentences, and modifier errors. As a refresher, here are some basics about grammar:

Parts of Speech

“Parts of speech” are the basic types of words in the English language. Most grammar books say that there are eight parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections. We will add one more type: articles.

It is important to be able to recognize and identify the different types of words in English so that you can understand grammar explanations and use the right word form in the right place. Here is a brief explanation of the parts of speech:

If you would like to practise identifying the various parts of speech, you can try this interactive exercise:

Types of Sentences

When we refer to grammar, we are generally speaking about how language is formed at the sentence level. Words are the foundation of sentences, and in the previous section we learned about what types of words make up the main part of speech. Here we focus on how we put those words together to try to create meaning. In future chapters we will keep building on this to learn about paragraphs and how we then use those in various formats like letters, memos, and reports.

The first part of this review will focus on the three main types of sentences: simple, compound, and complex sentences.

Simple Sentences

Simple sentences contain one subject–verb pair and express a complete thought. They may contain more than one subject, as in the following example:

My wife and I got married in Japan.

Simple sentences may also contain more than one verb, as in the next example:

He cut the grass and put away the lawnmower.

Here are some other examples of simple sentences and their subject–verb patterns:

The movie wasn’t very interesting. (subject, verb)

My friends and I disliked the movie. (subject, subject, verb)

My friends and I cooked and ate the meal together. (subject, subject, verb, verb)

I might watch TV or read a book after dinner. (subject, verb, verb)

Compound Sentences

The second type of sentence, the compound sentence , consists of two simple sentences joined by a coordinating conjunction .

There are seven coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. A comma precedes a coordinating conjunction, which joins two simple sentences.

Do not be confused between a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence and a compound verb in a simple sentence. Study the following examples carefully.

My friend plays the guitar and writes music.

This is a simple sentence containing a subject (friend) and a compound verb (plays/ writes).

My friend plays the guitar, and he writes music.

This is a compound sentence—two simple sentences joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction. The subject of the first simple sentence is friend, and the verb is plays. The subject of the second simple sentence is he, and the verb is writes.

Complex Sentences

Clauses are groups of words that contain subjects and verbs. There are two types: independent (main) clauses and dependent (subordinate) clauses. An independent clause, in addition to containing a subject and verb, expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a simple sentence. A dependent clause on its own is just part of a sentence or fragment. It must be joined to an independent clause for it to make sense and present a complete thought to the reader.

There are three types of dependent clauses: adjective clauses, adverb clauses, and noun clauses. When you join dependent and independent clauses together, you create complex sentences. Study the examples below.

Complex sentence using a dependent adjective clause:

Complex sentence using a dependent adverb clause of time:

Complex sentence using a dependent adverb clause of reason:

Complex sentence using a dependent noun clause:

Comma with dependent adverb clause

If a dependent adverb clause is before an independent clause in a sentence, the two are separated by a comma. However, if the dependent adverb clause follows the independent (main) clause, no comma is used.

Use a comma when the dependent clause is first:

While we were eating dinner, someone rang the doorbell.

Do not use a comma when the main clause comes first:

Someone rang the doorbell while we were eating dinner.

When you are sure that you understand the lesson, you can continue with this exercise:

Agreement and Parallelism

You probably have a fairly well-developed sense of whether a sentence sounds right. In fact, that is one of the main reasons why you should get into the habit of reading your drafts aloud before you submit them for peer or instructor review. Or better yet, ask a friend to read your draft back to you. You will be surprised how many careless errors you catch just from hearing them.

One key aspect that can make a sentence sound incorrect is if the subject and verb do not agree. In properly written sentences, the subjects and verbs must agree in number and person. Agreeing in number means that a plural subject is matched up with the plural form of the verb. Although the plural of a noun often ends in -s, it is the singular of a verb that usually ends in -s.

The rabbit hops all around the cage. (singular subject and verb)

The rabbits hop all around the cage. (plural subject and verb)

Agreement in person means, for example, a third-person noun must be matched with the proper third-person verb. This chart shows first, second, and third person for a few present-tense verbs. As you can see, most of the verbs are the same in all columns except for the third-person singular. The verb to be at the bottom also varies in the first-person singular column. So to match subjects and verbs by person, you could choose, for example, to say “I am,” but not “I are.”

Present-Tense Verbs

It rattles when the wind blows. (third-person subject and verb)

I think I am a funny person. (first-person subject and verb)

Each of the following sentences represents a common type of agreement error. An explanation and a correction of the error follow each example:

Pete and Tara is siblings.

Explanation: A subject that includes the word “and” usually takes a plural verb even if the two nouns are singular.

Correction : Pete and Tara are siblings.

Biscuits and gravy are my favourite breakfast.

Explanation: Sometimes the word “and” connects two words that form a subject and are actually one thing. In this case, “biscuits and gravy” is one dish. So even though there are two nouns connected by the word “and,” it is a singular subject and should take a singular verb.

Correction: Biscuits and gravy is my favorite breakfast.

The women who works here are treated well.

Explanation : Relative pronouns (that, who, and which) can be singular or plural, depending on their antecedents (the words they stand for). The pronoun has the same number as the antecedent. In this case, “who” stands for “women” and “women” is plural, so the verb should be plural.

Correction: The women who work here are treated well.

One of the girls sing in the chorus.

Explanation : A singular subject is separated by a phrase that ends with a plural noun. This pattern leads people to think that the plural noun (“girls,” in this case) is the subject to which they should match the verb. But in reality, the verb (“sing”) must match the singular subject (“one”).

Correction: One of the girls sings in the chorus.

The data is unclear.

Explanation: The words “data” and “media” are both considered plural at all times when used in academic writing. In more casual writing, some people use a singular version of the two words.

Correction: The data are unclear.

The basketball players with the most press this month is the college men playing in the Final Four tournament.

Explanation: In some sentences, like this one, the verb comes before the subject. The word order can cause confusion, so you have to find the subject and verb and make sure they match.

Correction: The basketball players with the most press this month are the college men playing in the Final Four tournament.

I is ready to go.

Explanation : A subject and verb must agree in person. In this case, “I” is a first-person noun, but “is” is a third-person verb.

Correction : I am ready to go.

What we think are that Clyde Delber should resign immediately.

Explanation: Words that begin with “what” can take either a singular or a plural verb depending on whether “what” is understood as singular or plural. In this case, “we” collectively think one thing, so the verb should be singular even though “we” is plural.

Correction: What we think is that Clyde Delber should resign immediately.

Either the dog or the cats spends time on this window seat when I’m gone.

Explanation: The word “or” usually indicates a singular subject even though you see two nouns. This sentence is an exception to this guideline because at least one of the subjects is plural. When this happens, the verb should agree with the subject to which it is closest.

Correction: Either the dog or the cats spend time on this window seat when I’m gone.

Molly or Huck keep the books for the club, so one of them will know.

Explanation: The word “or” usually indicates a singular subject even though you see two nouns. An exception to this guideline is that if one of the subjects is plural, the verb should agree with the subject to which it is closest.

Correction: Molly or Huck keeps the books for the club, so one of them will know.

The wilderness scare me when I think of going out alone.

Explanation: When a singular noun ends with an -s, you might get confused and think it is a plural noun.

Correction: The wilderness scares me when I think of going out alone.

Each of the girls are happy to be here.

Explanation: Indefinite pronouns (anyone, each, either, everybody, and everyone) are always singular. So they have to always be used with singular verbs.

Correction: Each of the girls is happy to be here.

Pronoun agreement is another important aspect when composing sentences. Matching a pronoun with its antecedent in terms of number (singular or plural) can be tricky, as evidenced in sentences like this one:

Each student should do their own work.* (please see explanation on pg 19.)

Since student is singular, a singular pronoun must match with it. A correct, but rather clunky, version of the sentence is the following:

Each student should do his or her own work.

To avoid pronoun and antecedent problems, you should take three steps:

Identify the antecedent.

Determine if the antecedent is singular or plural.

Make sure the antecedent and pronoun match, preferably by making both plural if possible.

The use of the singular they/their is widely contested, and many writing style guides now consider it acceptable. The English language is always evolving, and we think that it’s worth pointing out that this construction, though not parallel or grammatically correct from a traditional perspective (pronoun agreement), is arguably more efficient than using traditional gendered constructions of he or she and his or her. Sometimes context will dictate what is more preferable to work with. In this particular module, we use singular they/their because the context causes us to refer to general designations of people, such as boss, employer, employee, student, teacher, writer, reader, etc.; using the traditional singular pronouns every time in sentences such as “Your boss may ask you to write a letter on his or her behalf” would have resulted in a tedious eText! So sometimes your writing context will affect the norms, conventions, and rules you adhere to—or bend!

Antecedent Identification

The antecedent is the noun that the pronoun represents in a sentence. When you see a pronoun, you should be able to understand its meaning by looking at the rest of the sentence. Look at the following sentence:

• The Smiths picked apples for hours, and they put them in large boxes.
• The antecedent for “they” is “the Smiths.” The antecedent for “them” is “apples.”

Read each of the following sentences and note the antecedent for each pronoun.

• Beth fell on the floor and found out it was harder than she thought.
• it—floor; she—Beth
• The women chatted as they jogged along with their pets.
• they—the women; their—the women’s
• When Abe lost his gloves, he backtracked looking for them.
• his—Abe’s; he—Abe; them—gloves

As sentences become more complicated or whole paragraphs are involved, identifying pronoun antecedents might also become more complicated. As long as pronouns and antecedents are used properly, however, you should be able to find the antecedent for each pronoun. Read the following sentences and note the antecedent for each pronoun.

Original: The ancient Mayans targeted December 12, 2012, as a momentous day that marks the end of a 5,126-year era. Today scholars speculate about what the Mayans expected to happen on that day and if they saw it as a time for celebration or fear. Some say that the end of an era would have been a cause for celebration. Others view it as an impending ominous situation because of its unknown nature. At any rate, you can rest assured that many scholars will be paying attention as the upcoming date draws near.

With explanation: The ancient Mayans targeted December 12, 2012, as a momentous day that marks the end of a 5,126-year era. Today scholars speculate about what the Mayans expected to happen on that day and if they (the Mayans) saw it (December 12, 2012) as a time for celebration or fear. Some say that the end of an era would have been a cause for celebration. Others view it (December 12, 2012) as an impending ominous situation because of its (December 12, 2012’s) unknown nature. At any rate, you (the reader) can rest assured that many scholars will be paying attention as the upcoming date draws near.

Singular versus Plural Antecedents

When you are writing and using pronouns and antecedents, begin by identifying whether the antecedent is singular or plural. As you can see by looking at the following table, making this determination is sometimes not as easy as it might seem.

Antecedent and Pronoun Matches

Antecedents and pronouns need to match in terms of number (singular or plural) and gender. For purposes of clarity, try to keep a pronoun relatively close to its antecedent. When the antecedent is not immediately clear, make a change such as rearranging the words, changing from singular to plural, or replacing the pronoun with a noun. Each of the following sentences has an antecedent–pronoun matching problem. Read each sentence and think about the problem. Then check below each example for a correction and an explanation.

The singer kept a bottle of water under their stool. Explanation: Since “singer” is singular, the pronoun must be singular. In this situation, to say “his or her” sounds odd, so the best choice would be to revise the sentence to clarify the gender of the singer. Correction: Angela, the singer, kept a bottle of water under her stool.

Each student should complete their registration for next semester by October 5.* (please also see explanation on pg. 19) Explanation: Often, as in this situation, the best solution is to switch the subject from singular to plural so you can avoid having to use “his or her.” Correction: Students should complete their registration for next semester by October 5.

Everyone should do what they think is best. Explanation: Indefinite pronouns are treated as singular in the English language even when they have an intended plural meaning. You have to either use a singular pronoun or revise the sentence to eliminate the indefinite pronoun as the antecedent. Correction: Everyone should do what he or she thinks is best. OR All employees should do what they think is best.

To compete in the holiday tournament, the team took their first airline flight as a group. Explanation: Collective nouns are singular since they represent, for example, one team, one crowd, or one family. Although the pronoun “it” is used for nonhuman reference, it can also be used to reference a singular collective noun that involves humans. Correction: To compete in the holiday tournament, the team took its first airline flight as a group.

Neither Cathy nor the Petersons wanted to give up her place in line. Explanation : In situations involving “or” or “nor,” the antecedent must match the noun closest to the pronoun, which in this case is Petersons. Since Petersons is plural, the pronoun must be plural. Correction: Neither Cathy nor the Petersons wanted to give up their place in line.

The dogs and the cat ate all its food immediately. Explanation: When joined by “and,” compound antecedents are plural and, therefore, take a plural pronoun. Correction: The dogs and the cat ate all their food immediately.

Each member is responsible for his own dues and registration. Explanation: Using “he,” “his,” or “him” as a universal singular pronoun is no longer acceptable. Either use both a masculine and a feminine pronoun as in the first revision or change the noun to plural and use a plural pronoun as in the second revision. Stylistically, pluralizing is preferable. Correction: Each member is responsible for his or her own dues and registration. OR Members are responsible for their own dues and registration.

Parallelism

Parallelism is the presentation of ideas of equal weight in the same grammatical fashion. This writing principle falls under the umbrella of grammar, style, rhetoric, and content. Parallelism is important in various types of sentences.

You may not realize it, but when we write, we often include lists. Lists need to be parallel in order for the sentence to be grammatically correct and for the reader to enjoy reading it. All the items in a list should be grammatically parallel. For instance, if your sentence lists a series of activities, all the items need to begin with verbs of the same tense and case.

After work, Logan bought groceries, made dinner, and watched TV.

Bought, made, and watched are all perfect past-tense verbs, resulting in a parallel list.

Remember, too, that when you join even two items with a conjunction, those two items need to be parallel. Parallel lists are especially important in well-written résumes. When you list your work duties under an employment entry, make sure that each item in your list begins with words that are parallel in part of speech, tense, and, if applicable, case.

However, achieving parallelism goes beyond the technicalities of a simple list. That congruence is something to keep in mind when your writing deals with deeper subjects or is designed to persuade an audience. Used well, parallelism can enhance your readers’ (and even your own) understanding and appreciation of a topic. The most famous line from John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address provides another example (a specific kind of reversal of phrasing known as antimetabole ): “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” You’ll encounter parallelism not only in politics but also in advertising, religion, and poetry as well:

• “Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.”
• “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
• “Some say the world will end in fire, / Some say in ice.”

Parallelism is essential to well thought-out, well constructed, and easy-to-read sentences and paragraphs.

Check Your Understanding

Indicate if the following sentences are parallel. In cases where they are not parallel, rewrite the sentence to make it parallel.

• You may respond to our survey on the phone, visit any one of our 10 locations, or write an email.
• This position is a fast-paced, challenge, dynamic, and customer-focused opportunity.
• The problem was in production, not in planning.
• Jeremy is receiving employee of the month because he is intelligent, cares, honest, and works hard.

Prepositions and Conjunctions

Prepositions.

Prepositions are words that show the relationships between two or more other words. Choosing correct prepositions can be challenging, but the following examples will help clarify how to use some of the most common prepositions.

Conjunctions

Conjunctions are known as “joiner” words. They join two words, phrases, or sentences together. This classic video illustrates the function of conjunctions, which are either coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet) or correlative conjunctions (both…and, either…or, just as…so, neither…nor, not…but, not only…but also, whether…or).

Modifier Errors and Split Infinitives

Consider this sentence: “For her birthday, Megan received an attractive woman’s briefcase.” The modifier “attractive” is in an awkward position. The person who wrote this sentence most likely intended to suggest that the briefcase was attractive. However, people reading it or listening to it might easily assume that the briefcase was intended for (or already belonged to) an attractive woman.

Three categories of modifier problems include misplaced modifiers, dangling modifiers, and split infinitives. These three categories, explained in the following subsections, are all similar because they all involve misplacing words or phrases. Understanding the differences between these categories should help you be on the lookout for such mistakes in your writing and that of your peers.

Misplaced Modifiers

The easiest way to clarify which word is being modified in a sentence is to place the modifier close to the word it modifies. Whenever possible, it is best to place a modifier immediately before or after the modified word.

Read the following example of a misplaced modifier, note the point of confusion, and review the correction.

The malfunctioning student’s phone beeped during class.

Misplaced modifier : “malfunctioning”

Modifying: “phone” (not “student”)

Point of confusion: The writer wants to say that the student had a malfunctioning phone that beeped during class, not that the student was malfunctioning.

Correction: The student’s malfunctioning phone beeped during class.

Dangling Modifiers

Often a dangling modifier modifies the subject of a sentence, but the placement of the modifier makes it seem as though it modifies another noun in the sentence. Other times, a dangling modifier actually modifies someone or something other than the subject of the sentence, but the wording makes it appear as though the dangling modifier modifies the subject. The resulting image conveyed can often be rather confusing, humorous, or just embarrassing.

Read the following examples of dangling modifiers, note the point of confusion in each case, and review the possible corrections. Note that there is often more than one correct way to rewrite each sentence.

The child was climbing the fence that always seemed adventuresome.

Misplaced modifier : “that always seemed adventuresome”

Modifying: “child” (not “fence”)

Point of confusion: The wording makes it sound as if the fence is adventuresome, not the child.

Correction: The child, who always seemed adventuresome, was climbing the fence. OR The adventuresome child was climbing the fence.

Reading in the porch swing, giant mosquitoes attacked me.

Misplaced modifier: “Reading in the porch swing”

Modifying: Implicit “I” (not “mosquitoes”)

Point of confusion: The wording makes the sentence sound as if the mosquitoes are reading on the porch swing, not the speaker.

Correction: While I was reading on the porch swing, giant mosquitoes attacked me. OR Giant mosquitoes attacked me while I was reading on the porch swing.

After being found in the washing machine, the dog eagerly played with his favourite chew toy.

Misplaced modifier : “After being found in the washing machine”

Modifying : “toy” (not “dog”)

Point of confusion: This sentence is supposed to say that the toy, not the dog, was found in the washing machine.

Correction: After the dog’s favourite chew toy was found in the washing machine, he eagerly played with it. OR The dog eagerly played with his favourite chew toy after it was found in the washing machine.

Split Infinitives

Splitting infinitives refers to placing a word between “to” and a verb, as in “Miss Clark set out to clearly define the problem.” Technically, you should not place the word “clearly” between “to” and “define.” This grammar rule came about in the eighteenth century when people held Latin up as the language standard. Since Latin did not have two-word infinitives, such as “to define,” grammarians wanted to preserve the unity of the two-word infinitives in an effort to make English more Latin-like. The use of split infinitives, however, has become increasingly common over the decades (e.g., “to boldly go where no man has gone before”—Star Trek, 1966). In fact, split infinitives are gaining acceptance in professional and academic writing as well. For your purposes, knowing what split infinitives are will help you know your options as a writer.

I’m going to quickly run to the store so I’ll be back when you get home.

Infinitive link: “to run”

Splitter link: “quickly”

Correction: I’m going to run to the store quickly so I’ll be back when you get home.

Helen thought Mr. Beed said to loudly sing, but he actually said to proudly sing.

Infinitive link : “to sing” (twice)

Splitter link: “loudly”; “proudly”

Correction: Helen thought Mr. Beed said to sing loudly, but he actually said to sing proudly.

Punctuation

Suppose you are presenting a speech. If you speak too quickly, your audience will not understand what you are saying. To avoid this, you stop and take a breath a few times as you read. But how do you know where to pause, where to change your voice, and where to stop? Punctuation, of course!

The concert begins in two hours.

Watch for oncoming traffic.

Question Marks

The question mark (?) is used at the end of an interrogative sentence, indicating that the sentence is a question.

Example: Is it snowing?

Exclamation Marks

The exclamation mark (!) is used at the end of an exclamatory sentence, indicating that the sentence is an exclamation. The mark could also be used at the end of an imperative sentence to indicate a command.

This is the best day of my life!

Stop what you’re doing right now!

One of the punctuation clues to reading you may encounter is the comma (,). The comma indicates a pause in a sentence or a separation of things in a list. There are many ways to use a comma. Here are a few:

• Introductory word (such as a sentence adverb) : Personally, I think the practice is helpful.
• Lists : The barn, the tool shed, and the back porch were destroyed by the wind.
• Coordinating adjectives : He was tired, hungry, and late.
• Conjunctions in compound sentences : The bedroom door was closed, so the children knew their mother was asleep.
• Interrupting words : I knew where it was hidden, of course, but I wanted them to find it themselves.
• Dates, addresses, greetings, and letters : The letter was postmarked December 8, 1945.

Commas after an Introductory Word or Phrase

This comma lets the reader know where the introductory word or phrase ends and the main sentence begins.

Without spoiling the surprise, we need to tell her to save the date

In this sentence, “without spoiling the surprise” is an introductory phrase, while “we need to tell her to save the date” is the main sentence.

Commas in a List of Items

When you want to list several nouns in a sentence, separate each word with a comma. This allows the reader to identify which words are included in the grouping. When you list items in a sentence, put a comma after each noun, then add and before the last item.

The pizza will be topped with olives, peppers, and pineapple chunks.

Commas and Coordinating Adjectives

You can use commas to list both adjectives and nouns. A string of adjectives that describe a noun are called coordinating adjectives. These come before the noun they modify and are separated by commas. Unlike with a list of nouns, the word and does not always need to be before the last adjective.

It was a bright, windy, clear day.

Commas before Conjunctions in Compound Sentences

Commas are sometimes used to separate two independent clauses. The comma comes after the first independent clause and is followed by a conjunction, such as for, and, or but.

He missed class today, and he thinks he will be out tomorrow, too.

Commas before and after Interrupting Words

In conversations, you might interrupt your train of thought to give more details. In a sentence, you might interrupt your train of thought with interrupting words . These can come at the beginning or middle of a sentence. When the interrupting words appear at the beginning of the sentence, a comma appears after the word or phrase.

If you can believe it, people once thought the sun and planets orbited around Earth.

When interrupting words come in the middle of a sentence, they are separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. You can determine where the commas should go by looking for the part of the sentence that is not essential.

An Italian astronomer, Galileo, proved that Earth orbited the sun.

Commas in Dates, Addresses, and the Greetings and Closings of Letters

You also use commas when you write the date, such as in cover letters and emails. Commas are used when you write the date, when you include an address, and when you greet someone.

If you are writing out the full date, add a comma after the day and before the year. You do not need to add a comma when you write the month and day or when you write the month and the year. If you need to continue the sentence after you add a date that includes the day and year, add a comma after the end of the date.

The letter is postmarked May 4, 2001.

Her birthday is May 5.

I registered for the conference on March 7, 2010, so we should be getting our                tickets soon.

You also use commas when you include addresses and locations. When you include an address in a sentence, be sure to place a comma after the street and after the city. Do not place a comma between the province and the postal code. Like a date, if you need to continue the sentence after adding the address, simply add a comma after the address.

We moved to 4542 Boxcutter Lane, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6H2.

After moving to Ottawa, Ontario, Eric used public transportation to get to work.

Greetings are also separated by commas. When you write an email or a letter, you add a comma after the greeting word or the person’s name. You also need to include a comma after the closing, which is the word or phrase you put before your signature.

I would like more information about your job posting.

Anita Al-Sayf

Another punctuation mark that you will encounter is the semicolon (;) . The semicolon indicates a break in the flow of a sentence, but functions differently than a period or a comma. When you encounter a semicolon while reading aloud, this indicates a place to pause and take a breath.

Semicolons to Join Two Independent Clauses

Use a semicolon to combine two closely related independent clauses when relying on a period to separate them into two shorter sentences would make your writing choppy, and using a comma would create a comma splice, or run-on sentence (joining two independent clauses with merely a comma is an error).

Incorrect : Be sure to wear clean, well-pressed clothes to the interview, appearances are important. (incorrect because of comma splice/run-on-sentence)

Choppy: Be sure to wear clean, well-pressed clothes to the interview. Appearances are important.

Correct: Be sure to wear clean, well-pressed clothes to the interview; appearances are important.

Here, writing the independent clauses as two sentences separated by a period is correct. However, using a semicolon to combine the clauses can make your writing more interesting by creating a variety of sentence lengths and structures while preserving the flow of ideas.

Semicolons to Join Items in a List

You can also use a semicolon to join items in a list when the items in the list already have their own commas (called “internal punctuation”—at least one of the items is itself its own list). Semicolons help the reader distinguish between the groupings of items.

Incorrect: The colour combinations we can choose from are black, white, and grey, green, brown, and black, or red, green, and brown.

Correct: The colour combinations we can choose from are black, white, and grey; green, brown, and black; or red, green, and brown.

The colon (:) is used to introduce lists, quotations, examples, and explanations. You can also use a colon after the greeting in business letters and memos.

Dear Hiring Manager:

To: Human Resources

From: Deanna Dean

Colons to Introduce a List

Use a colon to introduce a list of items. Introduce the list with an independent clause.

The team will tour three states: New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

I have to take four classes this semester: Composition, Statistics, Ethics, and Italian.

Colons to Introduce a Quotation

You can use a colon to introduce a quotation.

Mark Twain said it best: “When in doubt, tell the truth.”

If a quote is longer than 40 words, skip a line after the colon and indent the left margin of the quote by five spaces. Because quotations longer than 40 words use line spacing and indentation to indicate a quote, quotation marks are not necessary.

My father always loved Mark Twain’s words:

There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and

people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded.

Colons to Introduce Examples or Explanations

Use a colon to introduce an example or to further explain an idea presented in the first part of a sentence. The first part of the sentence must always be an independent clause; that is, it must stand alone as a complete thought with a subject and verb. Do not use a colon after phrases like such as or for example.

Incorrect: Our company offers many publishing services, such as: writing, editing, and reviewing.

Correct: Our company offers many publishing services: writing, editing, and reviewing.

Proper noun : We visited three countries: Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador.

Beginning of a quote : My mother loved this line from Hamlet: “To thine own self be true.”

Two independent clauses : There are drawbacks to modern technology: My brother’s cell phone died and he lost a lot of phone numbers.

Incorrect: The recipe is simple: Tomato, basil, and avocado.

Quotation Marks

Quotation marks (“ ”) set off a group of words from the rest of the text. Use them to indicate direct quotations or to indicate a title. Quotation marks always appear in pairs.

Direct Quotations

A direct quotation is an exact account of what someone said or wrote. To include a direct quotation in your writing, enclose the words in quotation marks. An indirect quotation is a restatement of what someone said or wrote and does not use the person’s exact words. You do not need to use quotation marks for indirect quotations.

Direct quotation : Carly said, “I’m not ever going back there again.”

Indirect quotation: Carly said that she would never go back there.

Writing in the Workplace

Most word processing software is designed to catch errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. While this tool can be useful, it has major limitations. Being well acquainted with the rules of punctuation is far better than leaving the thinking to the computer. Properly punctuated writing will convey your meaning clearly. Consider the subtle shifts in meaning in the following sentences:

The client said he thought our manuscript was garbage.

The client said, “He thought our manuscript was garbage.

The first sentence reads as an indirect quote in which the client does not like the manuscript. But did he actually use the word “garbage,” or has the speaker paraphrased (and exaggerated) the client’s words?

The second sentence reads as a direct quote from the client. But who is “he” in this sentence? Is it a third party?

Word processing software would not catch or flag this, because the sentences are not grammatically incorrect. However, the meanings of the sentences are not the same, but grammar-check software cannot discern whether the words on the screen convey intended meaning. When you understand punctuation, you can write what you mean, and, in this case, save a lot of confusion around the office.

Punctuating Direct Quotations

Quotation marks show readers another person’s exact words. Often, you will want to identify who is speaking. You can do this at the beginning, middle, or end of the quote. Notice the use of commas and capitalized words.

Beginning : Madison said, “Let’s stop at the farmers’ market to buy some fresh vegetables for dinner.”

Middle: “Let’s stop at the farmers’ market,” Madison said, “to buy some fresh vegetables for dinner.”

End: “Let’s stop at the farmers’ market to buy some fresh vegetables for dinner,” Madison said.

Speaker not identified : “Let’s stop at the farmers’ market to buy some fresh vegetables for dinner.”

Always capitalize the first letter of a quotation that is a complete sentence, even if that first word is not the first word of the original sentence. When using your own clarifying words in the middle of the quote, the beginning of the second part of the quote does not need to be capitalized.

“Regular exercise,” he added, “boosts your energy levels and improves your overall mood.” (Identifying words break up the quotation.)

“You should start reading simple books to your child as early on as possible—preferably during infancy,” the psychologist instructed, adding, “long before your child comprehends or speaks the language!”

When the quotation plays a grammatical role within the sentence (i.e., it is part of the grammatical structure of the rest of the sentence), the quoted part should begin with a lowercase letter. In other words, when the quoted material completes the grammatical makeup of the entire statement, including your own identifying or reporting words, do not capitalize that first letter. In most cases, that kind of quoted material is a sentence fragment (not a complete sentence).

My friend said, “Luigi’s serves the best lasagna in the whole city.” (Quoted material is a full sentence and does not play a grammatical role.)

My friend said that Luigi’s “serves the best lasagna in the whole city.” (Quoted material is not a complete sentence but is essential to completing the grammatical structure of the rest of the sentence.)

He told her, “Practise more, because practice makes perfect.” (Quoted material does not contribute to the grammatical structure of the whole sentence.)

He told her to “practise more, because practice makes perfect.” (Quoted material completes the grammatical structure of the rest of the sentence.)

Use commas between identifying words and quotes. Quotation marks must be placed after commas and periods. Place quotation marks after question marks and exclamation points only if the question or exclamation is part of the quoted text.

Question is part of quoted text: The new employee asked, “When is lunch?”

Question is not part of quoted text: Did you hear her say you were “the next Picasso”?

Exclamation is part of quoted text: My supervisor beamed, “Thanks for all of your hard work!”

Exclamation is not part of quoted text : He said I “single-handedly saved the company thousands of dollars”!

Quotations within Quotations

Use single quotation marks (‘ ’) to show a quotation within in a quotation.

Theresa said, “I wanted to take my dog to the festival, but the man at the gate said, ‘No dogs allowed.’”

“When you say, ‘I can’t help it,’ what exactly does that mean?”

“The instructions say, ‘Tighten the screws one at a time.’”

Use quotation marks around titles of short works of writing, such as essays, articles, individual blog post titles, songs, poems, short stories, and chapters in books. Usually, titles of longer works, such as books, magazines, albums, newspapers, and novels, as well as titles of websites, are italicized.

“Annabelle Lee” is one of my favourite romantic poems.

The New York Times has been in publication since 1851.

In many businesses, the difference between exact wording and a paraphrase is extremely important. For legal purposes, or for the purposes of doing a job correctly, it is  important to know exactly what the client, customer, or supervisor said. Sometimes, details can be lost when instructions are paraphrased. Use quotes to indicate exact words where needed, and let your coworkers know the source of the quotation (client, customer, peer, etc.).

Apostrophes

An apostrophe (’) is a punctuation mark that is used with a noun to show possession or to indicate where a letter has been left out to form a contraction.

An apostrophe and the letter s indicate who or what owns something. To show possession with a singular noun, add ’s.

Jen’s dance routine mesmerized everyone in the room.

The dog’s leash is hanging on the hook beside the door.

Jess’s sister is also coming to the party.

Notice that singular nouns that end in s still take the apostrophe s (’s) ending to show possession.

To show possession with a plural noun that ends in s, just add an apostrophe (’). If the plural noun does not end in s, add an apostrophe and an s (’s).

Plural noun that ends in s: The drummers’ sticks all moved in the same rhythm, like a machine.

Plural noun that does not end in s: The people’s votes clearly showed that no one supported the management decision

Contractions

A contraction is a word that is formed by combining two words. In a contraction, an apostrophe shows where one or more letters have been left out. Contractions are commonly used in informal writing but not in formal writing.

I do not like ice cream.

I don’t like ice cream.

Notice how the words do and not have been combined to form the contraction don’t. The apostrophe shows where the o in not has been left out.

We will see you later.

We’ll see you later.

Look at the chart for some examples of commonly used contractions.

Be careful not to confuse it’s with its. It’s is a contraction of the words it and is. Its is a possessive pronoun.

It’s cold and rainy outside. (It is cold and rainy outside.)

The cat was chasing its tail. (Shows that the tail belongs to the cat.)

When in doubt, substitute the words it is in a sentence. If sentence still makes sense, use the contraction it’s.

Parentheses

Parentheses ( ) are punctuation marks that are always used in pairs and contain material that is secondary to the meaning of a sentence. Parentheses must never contain the subject or verb of a sentence. A sentence should still make sense if you delete any text within parentheses and the parentheses.

Attack of the Killer Potatoes has to be the worst movie I have seen (so far).

Your spinach and garlic salad is one of the most delicious (and nutritious) foods I have ever tasted!

An   em-dash (—) is a punctuation mark used to set off information in a sentence for emphasis. You can enclose text between two dashes, or use just one dash. To create a dash in Microsoft Word, type two hyphens together, and the program automatically converts them into a dash. Do not put a space between dashes and text.

Arrive to the interview early—but not too early.

Any of the suits—except for the purple one—should be fine to wear.

An en-dash (–)  is used to separate items in a range. These could be ranges of numbers, ranges of dates or ranges of school grades (e.g., Grades 4–7). You would also use an en-dash when displaying scores (e.g., a 5–0 win), comparisons or between two elements that have a relationship (U.S.–Canada relations).

A hyphen (-) looks similar to a dash but is shorter and used in a different way.

Hyphens between Two Adjectives That Work as One

Use a hyphen to combine words that work together to form a single description.

The 55-year-old athlete was just as qualified for the marathon as his younger opponents.

My doctor recommended against taking any habit-forming medication.

My study group focused on preparing for the mid-year review.

*Note: Did you know that a noun+participle adjective before the noun it modifies should be hyphenated but should be left “open” if it comes after the noun? Examples: The medication is habit forming.

The habit-forming medication is too strong for over-the-counter use.

My doctor advised against taking taking medication that could be habit forming.

Hyphens When a Word Breaks at the End of a Line

Use a hyphen to divide a word across two lines of text. You may notice that most word-processing programs will do this for you. If you have to manually insert a hyphen, place the hyphen between two syllables. If you are unsure of where to place the hyphen, consult a dictionary or move the entire word to the next line.

My supervisor was concerned that the team meet-

ing would conflict with the client meeting.

In this section you went back to basics with grammar and punctuation.

In the grammar section you reviewed the types of sentences, such as simple and complex sentences. You went on to look at things like subject–verb agreement and parallelism. You then reviewed prepositions and conjunctions and finished off the section with modifier errors and split infinitives.

The punctuation section first reviewed some of the more common and correctly used punctuation marks like periods, question marks, exclamation marks, and commas. Then you delved a bit deeper into more challenging punctuation marks like semicolons, colons, quotation marks, apostrophes, parentheses, dashes, and hyphens.

Strengthening any weak areas in grammar or punctuation will put you on the path to becoming a better writer and communicator.

Learning Highlights

• Match pronouns and antecedents by number (singular or plural) and gender.
• Collective nouns and indefinite pronouns are both considered singular even when they appear to refer to multiple members or components.
• Turning a singular subject into a plural subject is often the best way to handle a number problem between a subject and a pronoun.
• Misplaced modifiers can cloud the meaning of a sentence due to poor placement of key phrases within the sentence.
• Dangling modifiers attribute a description to the wrong noun because of being placed in the wrong place in a sentence.
• Split infinitives are acceptable in many writing situations, but you should understand them so you can avoid them when you need to.

Further Reading and Links

If you would like to read more about grammar and punctuation, see the following site:

Study Zone, ELC University of Victoria

Grammar. (n.d.) In Oxford Dictionaries. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/grammar

Attribution Statement (Grammar and Punctuation)

This chapter is a remix containing content from a variety of sources published under a variety of open licenses, including the following:

Chapter Content

Original content contributed by the Olds College OER Development Team, of Olds College to Professional Communications Open Curriculum under a CC-BY 4.0 license

Parts of Speech, by Study Zone, English Language Centre, University of Victoria published at http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/parts.htm under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International license

Review of Sentence Types, by Study Zone, English Language Centre, University of Victoria published at http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/490/grammar/review-of-sentence-types.htm under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International license

Content created by Anonymous for Making Sure Subjects and Verbs Agree; in Writers’ Handbook, published at   http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/writers-handbook/s19-03-making-sure-subjects-and-verbs.html under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license

Content created by Anonymous for Connecting Pronouns and Antecedents Clearly; in Writers’ Handbook, published at http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/writers-handbook/s19-06-connecting-pronouns-and-antece.html under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license

Content created by Anonymous for Paralellism; in Writers’ Handbook, published at http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/writers-handbook/s20-04-using-parallelism.html under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license

Content created by Anonymous for Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases; in Writers’ Handbook, published at http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/writers-handbook/s25-17-prepositions-and-prepositional.html under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license

Content created by Anonymous for Modifier Errors and Split Infinitives; in Writers’ Handbook, published at http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/writers-handbook/s19-04-avoiding-misplaced-modifiers-d.html under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license

Content created by Anonymous for Punctuation in Writers’ Handbook; in Writers’ Handbook, published at http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/english-for-business-success/s06-punctuation.html under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license

Check Your Understandings

Original assessment items contributed by the Olds College OER Development Team, of Olds College to Professional Communications Open Curriculum under a CC-BY 4.0 license

Adapted quotation exercises created by Anonymous for Quotes; in Writers’ Handbook, published at http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/english-for-business-success/s06-04-quotes.html under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license .

Adapted parentheses exercises created by Anonymous for Parentheses; in Writers’ Handbook, published at http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/successful-writing/s07-06-parentheses.html under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license .

Adapted punctuation exercises created by Anonymous for Punctuation: End-of-Chapter Exercises; in Writers’ Handbook, published at   http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/successful-writing/s07-09-punctuation-end-of-chapter-exe.html under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license .

Professional Communications Copyright © by Olds College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

• March 8, 2020

Why Good Grammar is Important

Not everyone cares about good grammar. In fact, there are many who feel that pointing out incorrect usage of grammar is unnecessary because language is all about communicating. ‘You know what I mean!’ they will declare after their mistake has been highlighted! The idea amongst this group is that, as long as communication has been established, then the grammatical structure of that communication is irrelevant.

This is a practical approach to take.

Then there is another group of staunch grammarians who fight the corner of correct grammar application. Unfortunately, among this number are a small number of pedants who relish pointing out others’ mistakes, which only succeeds in adding more numbers to the first group mentioned. Fortunately, they are the minority, because within this grammarian grouping are people who realize that, although not a matter of life and death, good grammar symbolizes, and achieves, so much.

Your grammar says something about you

Like it or not, the way that we speak and the way that we write says something about us: it communicates an idea to the other person that can be hard to undo once established. Of course, our unique accent is a part of this, but unlike our grammar, our accent is part of our identity and is therefore not something we have chosen or something of which we should be ashamed.

But with grammar, whether it is on your resume, on a social media posting, or as part of your brand literature, sloppiness, or incorrect usage, is just a bad look!

President Trump, who is a serial Tweeter, has often fallen into the trap of using bad grammar…

‘It would be great for the Republican Party of Nevada, and it’s unity…’ (it’s = its) ‘How many hundreds of thousands of dollars was given to wife’s campaign…’ (was = were)

But President Trump is far from alone in that:

‘The Iraqis need to be very much involved. They were the people that was brutalized by this man.’ (George W. Bush) (was brutalized = were brutalized) ‘It’s just about impossible to find a matter of justice he hasn’t tackled and someone who isn’t more uniquely qualified to lead the FBI.’ (Barack Obama, who should have said ‘someone who is’, to avoid the double negative)

Urope (7 th President Andrew Jackson, attempting to spell “Europe”)

American presidents are a rarefied breed, but the importance of leaving a good impression is just as important for us everyday folk in more or less everything we produce. Speaking informally with friends is one thing, but having mastery over our grammar in formal situations does reveal us in a good light. History shows us that.

Good grammar fosters clear communication

Those who are rather lackadaisical about their grammar will often utter the words ‘But you know what I mean, don’t you?’ The problem is that the answer to that question is not always ‘yes’.

The fundamental point of using the correct language is that it is the best way to accurately convey your message. In a work context, there can be little space for misunderstanding. Indeed, misunderstandings can prove expensive. Hence, clear and succinct communication, delivered with the correct grammatical forms to aid understanding, is vital.

And you can certainly apply this message to marketing. Think about a marketing slogan that leaves the target audience wondering what the message is trying to say. Is that an effective means of marketing to somebody, if they are not sure what you are even trying to say?

That’s the confusion bad grammar causes. And here are some classic examples:

‘So fun, they won’t even know their learning.’ (A toy retailer, getting their ‘theirs’ and theres’ mixed up) ‘Perfection has it’s price.’ (a famous beer brand not having much luck with its ‘its’)

Language is worth using correctly

The final argument for good grammar is one that appeals to romance: the beauty of language. If the practical elements of using correct grammatical forms don’t persuade you that language is worth using correctly, then it is worth considering the gift that we have been passed down through the generations. It is a gift that makes us distinctly human after all.

The power of words has been the engine behind all of man’s historical achievements. Why take liberties with something so powerful?

More from Linguix Blog

Module 5: Grammar

Why it matters: grammar, why is it helpful to identify patterns of academic grammar and punctuation usage.

Take a moment and try to imagine a world without language: written, signed, or spoken. It’s pretty hard to conceptualize, right? Language is a constant presence all around us. It’s how we communicate with others; without language it would be incredibly difficult to connect people.

So what does this have to do with grammar?

Because language is how we connect with others, it’s also the way we often form our opinions about people. When you first meet a new person, the way he speaks (or writes or signs) is likely going to be your first impression of him. What if he used some of these phrases?

• I’ve got y’all’s assignments here.
• I might could climb to the top.
• They’re fixing to go for a hike.

If you heard someone say these (and say them with a drawl), you would assume he is from the South or Texas. You may use this assumption to then apply stereotypes about Southern people and customs to this person as well. This kind of judgement may or may not be fair, but we all make these kind of judgements every day.

You can’t control what other people think about you and your language usage, but you can control how you present yourself in different situations.

Code-Switching

One of the challenges facing college writers is that the language used for academic purposes is quite different in style, shape, and tone than the language we use in other settings: our home lives, our professional lives, our religious lives, our romantic lives.

You might have a feeling that the way you talk or write is “wrong.” That isn’t the case at all! All languages have their appropriate uses and settings. Your grandma would not be happy if you spoke in academic language as you’re sitting around the Thanksgiving dinner table. Likewise, your professors aren’t happy when you bring Thanksgiving dinner conversation styles into written assignments for their classes.

This is the idea of code-switching : that each of use moves between different variations of language in different contexts. Academic language is one variation, and it has a strict set of rules to follow. The rules of academic language will be explored in detail in this section.

About the Videos in this Module

You’ll quickly recognize a distinctive voice and format in the videos in this section of the course.  Our narrator guide will be David, Grammar Content Fellow from the Khan Academy. He offers charming insights and a straightforward, encouraging approach to understanding our language in all its quirks.

Get started with David, and with Grammar, here.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify the function of nouns and different noun types.
• Identify the function and structure of pronouns.
• Identify verb types and their correction conjugation.
• Identify adjectives, adverbs, and the differences between the two.
• Identify the function other parts of speech, including conjunctions, prepositions, and articles.
• Identify common punctuation marks and the rules for their correct usage.
• Identify common sentence types and common errors in sentence composition.
• Identify the active and passive voices, as well as the reasons to use both.

Contribute!

Improve this page Learn More

• Why It Matters: Grammar. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Conversation Balloons. Authored by : bartek001. Located at : https://pixabay.com/en/conversation-balloons-anger-545621/ . License : CC0: No Rights Reserved
• Code-switching. Authored by : Heather Coffey. Provided by : Learn NC. Located at : http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4558 . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Introduction to Grammar. Authored by : Khan Academy. Located at : https://youtu.be/O-6q-siuMik . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License

• AI Content Shield
• AI KW Research
• AI Assistant
• SEO Optimizer
• AI KW Clustering
• Customer reviews
• The NLO Revolution
• Press Center
• Help Center
• Content Resources
• Facebook Group

Importance of Effective & Good Grammar in Writing

Table of Contents

Every mistake in syntax or punctuation hampers a writer’s ability to communicate clearly and concisely. A grammatical error can confuse the person you are trying to communicate with, not just you. Most importantly,  good grammar  reflects the professionalism, competence, and erudition of the writer.

Why Is Good Grammar Important?

Good writing is about much more than just being accurate. It’s about clarity, making a strong first impression, and having a concise and clear message. The use of proper grammar and spelling are essential aspects of good writing. Good grammar creates a greater level of interest in your writing and makes it easier for the reader to understand your thoughts.

A reader may likely have lost their attention due to difficulty following the grammar when reading a piece of writing. Users often stop reading before finishing a piece of writing when the content is difficult to understand.

What Is the Purpose of Grammar?

Grammar is a system of rules that govern the English language structure. The purpose of grammar is to make sure that your written sentences are clear and precise to avoid confusion for the reader. Using proper grammar helps you communicate clearly in a way that readers or listeners understand.

Good grammar is essential for effective communication, but poor grammar leads to unexpected errors. Its goal is to create a link between what you mean and what the reader or listener comprehends. Strong grammar skills will help ensure that people understand your message even if English is not your first language.

What Does Good Grammar Mean?

Breaking up sentences, using appropriate punctuation, and using spellcheck may seem like a little too much work for some when writing. But it is vital to get it right if you want people to read what you have written. Good grammar will make your project more readable and professional, which can help you get your message across effectively. But how do you know whether you have strong grammar or need to work on it? Let’s take a deeper look at what makes grammar actually good.

Clear Communication Using Written Language

Grammar is more than simply punctuating a sentence correctly, though that is clearly a part of it. You can communicate effectively using written language if you have good grammar.

Good grammar will make it easier for you to entertain, inform, or educate your readers. To be understood, you must clearly communicate whether you are writing a blog post or submitting an essay for a college application. This can only be achieved when you know the grammar rules to communicate effectively. Good gr

Clear Communication Using Spoken Language

Grammar is essential not only in written communication but also in spoken communication. Even though speaking grammar standards are less rigid, grammatical errors in speech are nevertheless significant.

Too many grammatical errors and slang become bothersome. This makes it difficult for others to understand what you’re saying. However, it depends on the situation and who you’re talking to.

Understanding and Implementing Grammar Rules

Finally, “good grammar” refers to the capacity to comprehend and apply basic grammar rules in your written and spoken communication. While rules are not always strict, the fundamental principles are important to grasp and use correctly. The better your grammar is, the more understandable your writing will be to the readers.

Besides spelling and punctuation of your words, you also need to focus on the meaning of sentences to be clear and concise. It is equally important to have an eye for detail, so proofread your document for grammatical errors.

There are many rules in grammar, notably in the English language. Some are required to be followed, while others can be ignored depending on the situation. But how can you figure out which ones are the most important? Here are the three most important grammar rules to keep in mind as you work to improve your writing skills.

Proper Use of Commas

When punctuating a sentence, a comma should be used when a natural pause exists between the independent clauses. This rule is critical when sentences are longer than one clause. It’s also important to emphasize a clause by punctuating it between it and the previous independent clause.

Commas are the most underrated punctuation mark because they are used so often that they often go unnoticed. However, proper comma usage is vital in ensuring readability and understanding. Commas are used to separate sentences, clauses, and phrases but in different contexts for different purposes.

Subject-Verb Agreement

The number of subjects and verbs in a sentence must match and agree in number. Plural subjects require plural verbs and vice versa.This can be tricky in phrases where the subject does not come directly before the verb, so keep an eye out for it.

However, you don’t have to worry. A good grammar checker will readily detect and correct these errors in any piece of writing.

Pronoun and Antecedent Agreement

Pronoun antecedent agreement is when a pronoun agrees with its antecedent in terms of number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, or third). The antecedent is a noun or pronoun that another pronoun replaces.

Example: Jessy went to the mall because she wanted to buy a new dress.

In this sentence, she is a pronoun that replaces the antecedent “Jessy.”

Also, the number and gender of the pronoun and antecedent must match. They should also specify who or what they are replacing. The pronoun ‘their’ causes one of the most prevalent antecedent errors.

Incorrect: Each boy took their books and went to the library.

The pronoun ‘their ‘in the above sentence doesn’t agree with its antecedent. Though there is more than one boy, ‘each’ and ‘boy’ is singular in number, whereas ‘their’ is a plural pronoun.

Correct: Each boy took his book and went to the library.

Lack of grammar can result in miscommunication, leading to a poor writing experience. It is, therefore, essential to master the rules of grammar and use punctuation correctly.

No matter how good your content might be, if you don’t speak clearly, it will do a lot of damage. Correct grammar is vital to convey your message clearly and effectively to your target audience.

Pam is an expert grammarian with years of experience teaching English, writing and ESL Grammar courses at the university level. She is enamored with all things language and fascinated with how we use words to shape our world.

Explore All Grammar Checker Articles

How to write great dialogue that your readers will love.

As a writer, there are times you’ll have to write dialogue in your essays or fiction. In such a case,…

• Grammar Checker

Grammar Tips for Writers — Writing Compelling Content

Having a talent for writing, whether it’s writing academic essays or writing fiction is great. Talent will only take you…

Bad Grammar: Confusing Common Grammatical Errors to Prevent

As a writer, you can’t avoid errors due to bad grammar. However, making mistakes doesn’t make you a bad writer. What…

Possessives: boss’ or boss’s grammar

Boss’ or boss’s has been a topic of debate for a very long time. Schools typically teach that words ending…

“Were” Vs “Was”: Correct Use And Examples

Have you ever wondered which word fits into a sentence — were or was? You’re not alone. Were or Was:…

How to Improve Your Grammar By Speaking

Grammar can be confusing for many students learning English. Correct grammar is important to both your writing and speaking. Why…