Happy National Grammar Day
Why should grammar be important to you and I as writers?
Let me count the ways. But really.
My dad, Martin J Tener was a english teacher. He emphasized the importance of it while we grew up. He might of easily made a list like this:
- Good grammar help make your writing clear, so that you’re readers do not misunderstand your meaning.
- Good grammar makes it easier to read your writing so that the words flow and it’s more enjoyable to read and less hard on your readers so that they don’t have to spend lots of time trying to figure out what you meant to say as opposed to what you actually wrote.
- Good grammar gives your credibility, poor grammar makes you look ignorant, lazy or careless.
- I’d be up to number 5 by now if I hadn’t of crammed so many reasons into number 2!
Email me your list of all the grammar errors you found in this post along with your mailing address. The first 5 people to identify 12 or more errors correctly will win a portable journal. And, nope, there is no period after the “J” in Dad’s middle name. Good guess, though.
How are you celebrating National Grammar Day? Share a grammar tip, story or a picture of your favorite grammar gaffe below. Journal prizes for great tips and pictures too, but please only post photos you took yourself, due to copyright law.
Note: A few of you made comments (rather than email), which is fine, but I will keep them pending (not approved) until the contest is over. Remember, send a full dozen to win!
Mistakes: 1) “you and I” should be “us” 2) But really is not a sentence. 3) Dad should be capitalized, 4) Comma after Tener, 5) an English teacher, not “a”, 6) English should be capitalized, 7) “the importance of it” should be its importance or the importance of grammar 8) Tense is wrong, should be “while we were growing up. 9) in #1: help needs an “s” 10) you’re readers should be your 11) #2 is a horrible run-on sentence that needs to be broken up. 12) in number 3, the word “writing” is missing. 13) Should be a period after credibility. 14) “Or” should be “and” 15) in #4, the word “of” before “crammed” is not needed. 16) Number 5 and 2 should be spelled out.
1. But really. – incomplete sentence.
2. In #1 it is your not you’re.
3. Change english teacher to English teacher.
4. Change Good grammar help make to Good grammar helps make
5. #2 words flow. It is more enjoyable to read – major run on sentence.
6. I would use Correct grammar gives you credibility, whereas poor grammar makes you look ignorant, lazy and careless.
7. Change the or to and careless.
8. Change less hard on your readers to less difficult on your readers.
9. Change the your to you.
10. I would change the 5 to five and 2 to two.
Hi Lisa, Just to let you know, in the “Write Your Book” email, its says , “Identify 10 grammatical errors and email me with those errors.” I think I found 10, not a full dozen 🙂
Whoops. Speaking of errors! Thanks, Judith. I have just allowed the comments from those who posted on the site and I’ll share my full list of edits shortly but these give you a sense of almost all of them.