Grammar For Writers and Others

Today is National Grammar Day

Our nation has celebrated National Grammar Day on March 4th since 2008. The woman responsible for this day of recognition is Martha Brockenbrough who is an author and founder of The Society of Promotion of Good Grammar. But who celebrates the day and how? I imagine some teachers make a teaching example of good grammar on this day, and hopefully many other times, as well. 

The one group of people in our nation who should celebrate this day is us--the writers. We are expected to have good grammar. It's an undeniable truth that you aren't going to get very far in the writing world if you have poor grammar. Editors today aren't going to take the time to correct your grammar.

What is grammar? It's the organization of sentences, the way a sentence is put together. We cannot write helter-skelter, any way we feel like. Rules of grammar have been made, and those who are classified as good writers are expected to follow those guidelines. Grammar is the structure of sentences.

Under the general title of 'Grammar', we have several parts to clarify--parts of speech, tenses, objects, and subjects. One example:  There needs to be agreement between subject and verb. A singular subject requires a singular verb, while a plural subject requires a plural verb. It's amazing how many people are confused by this simple rule. One needs to learn the singular and plural versions of common verbs. 

In some parts of the country, certain grammar errors are common in the speech of the people. A friend in England told me that using a sentence like Him and Jordy are both good soccer players.is perfectly fine in the section of England where she was raised. It has become common usage here in the USA among younger generations, college-educated or not. It is still incorrect and I would never use it in your writing. Unless you are writing a story about people who speak that way, and it's a part of the character development. 

Do punctuation and spelling come under the Grammar heading? No, they fall in the Mechanics of Writing category. Are they important enough that you should learn the rules? Yep! 

Some whiz through grammar in school and find it easy to deal with while others find it a real problem when they write. I would suggest that those writers purchase a basic grammar book, read it, then keep it near their writing spot for reference during their proofreading/editing times. 

In the technology world we live in, it's easy to make sure you have correct grammar. Programs like Grmmarly are a real boon. Go to grammerly.com to learn more about it. They offer both a free and permium (paid) version. I use the free one and have been very happy with it. But there are many others that will give you immediate help as you write. Even if you are a good grammarian, good speller, it can be helpful. 

Few people are perfect grammarians, but we writers especially should always strive to be the best grammarians and spellers possible. Do I dare say March Forth on March 4th and give some serious thought to the importance of good grammar in our speech and what we write?