IMPORTANCE GRAMMAR IN WRITING

          Grammar is important because it is the language that makes it possible for us to talk about language. Grammar names the types of words and word groups that make up sentences not only in English but in any language. As human beings, we can put sentences together even as children--we can all do grammar. But to be able to talk about how sentences are built, about the types of words and word groups that make up sentences--that is knowing about grammar. And knowing about grammar offers a window into the human mind and into our amazingly complex mental capacity.

People associate grammar with errors and correctness. But knowing about grammar also helps us understand what makes sentences and paragraphs clear and interesting and precise. Grammar can be part of literature discussions, when we and our students closely read the sentences in poetry and stories. And knowing about grammar means finding out that all languages and all dialects follow grammatical patterns.

Grammar. Is it important? In school, we are taught that if the use of proper grammar is always important in your writing, but now that you are a writer you might be have a little more leeway in your grammar usage. It can all depend on the type of writing you are doing.

For non-fiction, proper grammar is always important. With non-fiction, you are telling your reader facts and information they need to know. you are most likely doing this in some of article format. If your grammar is poor, then the reader is left with thoughts of whether or not you really know what you are talking about. If you can't write properly, how can you really the subject matter you are writing about authoritatively. So, yes, in this instance good grammar usage is important.

Now it is with fiction that the writer can have more fun with grammar. The rules still apply, but they can be bent a little. Fior example, say you have a character that does not speak proper English. There are many reasons why this character speaks this way, and if you are not true to this character's attribute and instead use proper grammar, then you will confuse the reader. So in this instance, it is okay to give those rules a little bend, and have the character speak the way they want.

Now, not every writer can write perfect grammar. Even after years of schooling where the rules are proper grammar are taught to you on a daily basis. Don't worry this is not really a problem. There are many resources available to the writer to learn grammar or to check grammar once you have written. Many word processors have grammar checkers built into the program. However, there are separate programs and books that you can find that will also help. In next week's article, I will discuss some of these resources.