Let's Talk Grammar -- Really

Before your eyes glaze over, note that I’m on your side. Yes, good grammar is important – very important, actually. An email containing a grammatical blunder has the power to make you the brunt of a joke – from your business associates, and even your friends. Executives who perpetually send out typo-laden emails can quickly lose the respect of their peers and employees. And that’s if they have managed to make it to the top in the first place. Face it, if your resume contains a typo or two, you might never get a look at an entry-level job, much less an executive spot.

I make my living writing and editing, and I’ve seen a lot of really bad grammar out there. But, contrary to the notions above, I generally respect the people for whom I’m working. Here’s why:

1. They know their limitations, and they’ve taken the time to ask for help. Bravo!
2. Grammar isn’t everyone’s “thing”; in fact, wordsmiths are in the minority. In part because of that, I feel a certain kinship when I meet someone who shares my love for the written word. I was one of the few people in high school who actually enjoyed diagramming sentences – I think they called us “nerds” back then – and I occasionally find myself doing it today (contrary to popular belief, I really am fun at parties … honest!).
3. The English language is complicated. Although I know a lot of grammar rules, I’m the first to admit I don’t know them all. Just the other day, someone pointed out the correct uses for “proved” and “proven.” I, like much of the world, was using “proven” as a verb (how many times have you heard that someone “was proven wrong”? Ouch!). After this mistake was pointed out to me, I vaguely remembered hearing this rule, way back when. Obviously, I hadn’t absorbed it. I know there are many more rules out there that I’m breaking (have you spotted any in this blog? Feel free to let me know!).
4. Again, the English language is complicated – and the rules keep changing. Although Webster’s tells us “following” can be used as a preposition, AP tells us “after” is actually preferred. Similarly, we’re told to use “more than” rather than “over” when talking numbers. “Over” should be used when referring to spatial relationships. And, as you know, those two rules are just the beginning of the grammar choices we make in even the smallest email or text …
5. Which leads me to my next point: I doubt if any of us knows every rule. If you were sick one day in elementary school, you might have missed the proper uses of “to” and “too” – or maybe you just didn’t “get it” when it was explained to you. Or, maybe your teachers did not share my love for the written word, and they just didn’t dive too deeply into grammar’s nuances.
6. Breaking the rules may actually be OK – sometimes. To make a piece a bit more conversational, I might start a sentence with an “and” or a “but.” I’ll split up a verb with an adverb. In an email – never in a formal document – I’ve been known to end a sentence with a preposition.  Sometimes these things just read better, right?
7. I can’t complete this list of excuses without mentioning our smart phones. Too many times I’ve typed in a “d” instead of an “s” – and my 50-some-year-old eyes just can’t see that tiny type! Also, don’t forget automatic spell-check. One communicator’s signature includes the line: “Typos courtesy of my iPad spell-check.” Enough said.

So, given all these reasons, it’s a bit silly for wordsmiths to snobbily look down their noses when they come across a grammatical error. These mistakes should make us all cringe, but not because we’re smarter. For the most part, the people I write for are smarter than I am; I work with a lot of engineers, and I can definitely say their IQs are higher than mine. Yet, grammar is not their thing – and most of them know it.

Thank goodness. I am truly grateful that we all have different strengths. If everyone loved grammar, there would probably be a lot fewer scientific discoveries – and I’d be out of a job.