Quick review of why it is important to learn how to use correct grammar
SURELY grammar i s not a day- to- day discussion, but when discussed it is always the same: On one hand, we have the people who argue that good grammar is important, and on the other hand we have those who say it is not. Below is a quick review of the reasons for good grammar being important. The purpose of good grammar is to ensure that what you write is correctly comprehended and is easy and enjoyable to read.
The placement of a hyphen, comma, or apostrophe can completely change the meaning of a sentence. First example would be the hyphen. “There were 60 odd competitors.” You may wonder in what way were they odd? The thoughtful placement of a hyphen clarifies the dilemma. “There were 60- odd compet i tors.” The competitors were not really odd at all. Second example would be an apostrophe. “The girls room is very untidy.” You may wonder how many girls inhabit that room? An apostrophe can easily clarify this: “girl’s room” - one girl inhabits the room, whereas “girls’ room” - more than one girl inhabits the room. Third example is “ie” or “eg”. Confusing these two is a very popular error, but do you realise that if you use the wrong one you’re actually saying something quite different to what you wanted to say? “ie” is an abbreviation for the Latin “id est”, which means “that is”. “eg” is an abbreviation for the Latin “exempli gratia”, which means “for example”. So when you are referring to something specific, you should use ie, and when you are giving an example, use eg.
How many times have you read a sentence, been confused, and had to go back and re-read it to try and figure out what it meant? Does this interrupt your flow of thought and spoil the reading experience a little ( or a lot)? If the author had paid a little more attention to his or her use of grammar, it would probably have been easier to read.
Who cares if my grammar is bad? The important thing is that I am able to express myself!” Yes, it is important to be able to express yourself. But wouldn’t it be better if you could do so in a way that people would find easy to read and understand? Writing that is poorly punctuated and/or contains grammatical errors is difficult to read and sometimes impossible to understand. If the reader has to go back and reread a sentence several times because they are not quite sure what it means, it spoils their reading experience and they are quite likely to misunderstand the point or even to give up and not read any further.
“I ’ ve survived j ust f i ne without bothering about grammar.” Are you quite sure about that? Have you, perhaps, wondered why you did not get the job that you felt you were so well suited for? Or why nobody bothers to reply to messages you post on internet bulletin boards? Or why you didn› t get many responses to your personal ad? In applying for jobs, many employers are immediately put off when they receive a poorly written cover letter with a job application. Many will simply toss them into the big circular filing cabinet on the floor without even looking at the rest of the application.
Grammar can be just a minor thing, but it can help students with leap to the big things that will matter after graduation. As teachers, never take for granted this English l esson. ( Paid article)