Okay. I’ll admit it. I’m a nerd when it comes to grammar. If you want proof, here it is. One of the best books I ever read is called When Words Collide: A Media Writer’s Guide to Grammar and Style.
I highly recommend it to the grammar-challenged and to other grammar nerds. It’s very readable and has the answer to almost any question you might have on the subject.
I’ll admit something else. I’ve been guilty of complaining about the seeming death of grammar in public discourse and in the written word. People kvetch about how the broadcast pundits mangle the English language and the newspapers are full of subject-verb agreement errors. I’ve been among them.
I have taught copyediting at the college level and have encountered students who readily admit they have had no training in grammar or punctuation. I have been in the communications industry for 30 years and have worked with many professionals who do not have a grasp of these writing essentials.
Not that I’m an expert. As a writer and editor, I constantly refer to When Words Collide, the AP Stylebook, the dictionary and other resources.
So, what’s the point? The point is that knowledge of grammar, punctuation and spelling is acquired. It doesn’t come naturally to most people. You have to learn it the old-fashioned way. And you must learn it because it’s the foundation of good writing.
If you’re a writer of any stripe – author, business writer, web content creator or whatever – make it a point to learn grammar basics. It’s an essential part of true professionalism as a writer.
Showing posts with label punctuation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label punctuation. Show all posts
Monday, June 21, 2010
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Crying over spilled grammar
It’s enough to make a Speechwonk shed a tear once in awhile. Listening to public discourse is not for the faint-hearted speechwriter. If it’s not a public speaker pairing the right subject with the wrong verb, it’s a pundit misusing a perfectly good word.
This is nothing new. As Ragan Communications’ Larry Ragan points out in a column he wrote in the 1960s, the English language has a troubled past.
One reason for this disturbing state of affairs is that the public schools don’t teach grammar any more. I found this out when I taught copyediting to a bunch of college seniors at a state university.
One student admitted to me that he had never had grammar in his K-12 years and that the entire subject was new to him. It was clear he was not alone in this predicament. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of trying to teach the class grammar basics. But in one semester, it was a lost cause. I would have been better off sticking to quizzing them on the AP Stylebook.
I live and write in Texas, where the teaching of grammar in public schools became the subject of great controversy among members of the State Board of Education in 2008. Many more traditional educators wanted to bring back a singular focus on grammar in English/language arts classes. Many, who were described as more progressive, preferred a more subtle approach which would incorporate grammar instruction into writing exercises.
This is a very simplified explanation of what turned out to be a long and very drawn-out and vigorous debate. In the end, the traditionalists won, and I’m glad. Call me old-fashioned, but the correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling is the nuts and bolts of the English language.
For the grammar-challenged, I recommend the excellent book When Words Collide: A Media Writer's Guide to Grammar and Style by Lauren Kessler and Duncan McDonald. It covers the subject nicely and in a very readable format.
This is nothing new. As Ragan Communications’ Larry Ragan points out in a column he wrote in the 1960s, the English language has a troubled past.
One reason for this disturbing state of affairs is that the public schools don’t teach grammar any more. I found this out when I taught copyediting to a bunch of college seniors at a state university.
One student admitted to me that he had never had grammar in his K-12 years and that the entire subject was new to him. It was clear he was not alone in this predicament. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of trying to teach the class grammar basics. But in one semester, it was a lost cause. I would have been better off sticking to quizzing them on the AP Stylebook.
I live and write in Texas, where the teaching of grammar in public schools became the subject of great controversy among members of the State Board of Education in 2008. Many more traditional educators wanted to bring back a singular focus on grammar in English/language arts classes. Many, who were described as more progressive, preferred a more subtle approach which would incorporate grammar instruction into writing exercises.
This is a very simplified explanation of what turned out to be a long and very drawn-out and vigorous debate. In the end, the traditionalists won, and I’m glad. Call me old-fashioned, but the correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling is the nuts and bolts of the English language.
For the grammar-challenged, I recommend the excellent book When Words Collide: A Media Writer's Guide to Grammar and Style by Lauren Kessler and Duncan McDonald. It covers the subject nicely and in a very readable format.
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