Grammar by Eng986

GRAMMAR, n. A system of pitfalls thoughtfully prepared for the feet for the self-made man, along the path by which he advances to distinction. Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914) US journalist, short-story writer The Devil's Dictionary, 1911 Unfortunately, many people are under the impression that grammar was invented for the singular purpose of providing English teachers with an excuse to mysteriously deduct points from students’ essays. This is due partly to the recent decline in teaching formal grammar in schools, but the continued grading thereof, which has made for very frustrated students. Even those who were brought up with schooling in formal grammar often find it to be creatively stifling. This begs the question, how important is formal grammar in writing? To answer this, let’s begin with the basics of communication. One person has an idea and wants another person to become aware of it. The problem is that ideas are abstract objects that exist in our heads, and cannot be directly transferred to another person. Therefore, we create the best physical representation of this idea, which can then be received by the other person’s senses of sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch, and finally interpreted by the receiver to create a thought in his or her head. We call this process communication. There are many vectors for communication, including music, graphic art, and language. Each method has its conventions that help people to know what will be best understood by others and how to interpret others. Let us take for an example the language of music. The transfer of ideas through music actually requires that this process be performed twice: the composer notates his or her ideas onto paper, which is then interpreted by the musicians and expressed through their performance, which is then interpreted by the listener. However, this process does not occur at random. In fact, music students in college study a branch of music called “Music Theory” ad nauseum, in order to better understand how composers, starting with J.S. Bach and moving forward, wrote what sounded pleasing to them, and how these developed into conventions of music writing. Each new generation of composers challenged and broke these so-called “rules,” but not without a firm understanding of what had come before them. In fact, the performers of jazz, which is probably the furthest removed from these “rules,” are some of the most knowledgeable about music theory. What does this have to do with writing and grammar? Everything! Writing started as a catalogue of the written word, and certain patterns emerged that corresponded to conventions in speech. This process was refined and improved until a clear set of grammatical rules for which words should go where and with what in between was established. Thus, the rules of grammar were laid down by the classic authors and subsequently broken by later authors. However, as Robert Graves said, “I believe that every English poet should read the English classics [and] master the rules of grammar before he attempts to break them.” A solid knowledge of the principles of grammar provide the necessary equipment for an author to ensure that he or she is finding the same meaning in the words on the page (at least the surface meaning) as the reader. If the author then feels that his or her purpose would best be served by a violation of these rules, then they are discarded. If you are interested in learning some of the details of formal grammar, an excellent place to start is William Strunk Jr.’s Elements of Style. Additionally, this site’s forums host a Writer’s school/resources forum. For interactive support with writing, including help ironing out matters of grammar and expression, there is no better place than the Service Station. In the end, we see that grammar is only a means of achieving clarity and pleasantry of expression. If this can be done without the use or knowledge of formal grammar, then an author need not bother him or herself with such details. A good way to tell whether you are achieving this goal is to have someone else read through your writing and give you comments. One outstanding place to find these “beta-readers” is at Perfect Imagination. I will leave you with the following quotations, which is how I find to best express my meaning: When I hear the hypercritical quarreling about grammar and style, the position of the particles, etc., etc., . . . I see that they forget that the first requisite and rule is that expression shall be vital and natural . . . Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) US essayist, poet, naturalist Journals, 1906, entry for 2 Jan 1859. When a thought takes one's breath away, a lesson in grammar seems an impertinence. Thomas W. Higginson (1823 - 1911) US clergyman, abolitionist, author Preface to Emily Dickinson's "Poems." Why care for grammar as long as we are good? Artemus Ward (1834 - 1867) US humorist Pyrotechny. Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar. E. B. White (1899 - 1985) US humorist, essayist, novelist

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