Chapter 9 Introduction to Grammar
Why Is Grammar Important?
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 with 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 often 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.
However, there’s this thing called Standard (or Dominant) American English (SAE or DAE). This type of English exists the sake of communication across cultural lines, where standardized rules and conventions are necessary. How many times have you heard people of older generations ask just what smh or rn mean? This is where grammar comes in. Grammar is a set of rules and conventions that dictate how Standard (Dominant) American English works. These rules are simply tools that speakers of a language can use. When you learn how to use the language, you can craft your message to communicate exactly what you want to convey.
Additionally, when you speak or write with poor grammar, especially in academic or professional environments, 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.” The saying should be, “Do your best to follow all the rules and take criticism as helpful feedback to improve.” If you are the person doing the criticizing, do so with kindness and be constructive. Shaming people for how they write or speak does not benefit anyone nor improve skills.
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 2 buses drive past.”
The most important facet of code-switching is knowing when to use which variety. In formal academic and professional writing, standardized (dominant) English is the preferred variety to use. As you go through this module, remember that these are the rules for just one type of English, and there is nothing inherently wrong with different Englishes (or even other languages). Always keep in mind the context of your writing: audience, purpose, message, voice/tone, genre, etc. See Chapter 8 for more details about various Englishes.
Spelling and Grammar Checks
Assistance may often be found with the spelling and grammar check features in Microsoft Word (pay attention to red, blue, or green underlines) though always remember, the computer is not perfect either.
Red underlines:
These highlight potential spelling mistakes or words. This may include typos, words not found in the dictionary, or even correctly spelled terms used in the wrong context.
Blue underlines:
These are usually used to identify errors in spelling, or ways to make writing clearer and more concise. For instance, they may mark words that are spelled right but don’t suit the context, or suggest rewording for improved readability
Green underlines:
These point out possible grammar mistakes, awkward phrasing, or incorrect word usage. Examples include errors with subject-verb agreement, incorrect verb tenses, or suggestions for better word choice to enhance clarity and flow.
Sections of This Chapter
- Subjects & Verbs
- Verb Tense
- Subject-Verb Agreement
- Sentence Types
- Fragments
- Run-on Sentences
- Pronouns
- Comma Usage
- Punctuation
- Homonyms & Homophones
- Capital Letters
- Misplaced & Dangling Modifiers
- Parallelism
- Wordiness
- Active vs. Passive Voice
Attributions
This chapter, originally titled Why Is Grammar Important? Provided by: Lumen Learning is licensed under a CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0
Media Attributions
- Photo of Toolkit © Brian Ejar is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA (Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike) license
