{"id":2122,"date":"2021-07-01T04:11:26","date_gmt":"2021-07-01T04:11:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/crysaniadangoor.com\/?p=2122"},"modified":"2021-07-01T18:23:17","modified_gmt":"2021-07-01T18:23:17","slug":"9-rules-of-grammar-we-all-should-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crysaniadangoor.com\/index.php\/2021\/07\/01\/9-rules-of-grammar-we-all-should-break\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Rules of Grammar We All Should Break"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rules of grammar often have good intentions, but writing is about conveying meaning, and that is a subtle art. It follows that our writing style will be best when we understand the rules, and artfully break them. While this may not be the best strategy in school assignments, there is hardly a published book that never ends sentences with prepositions or splits infinitives or all those other things that people rant about until they have to use them. Regardless of what you may have been taught, there are tons of conflicting sets of rules all created by different people. So I see grammar as a compass guiding my writing, and allow myself to take detours. It\u2019s evolving, co-created by the speakers and writers of a language, not dictated by some mysterious force. So what\u2019s correct is really up to us, the populace, in how we use our language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. \u201cIf it\u2019s not in the dictionary, it\u2019s not a real word.\u201d The only ways words have ever come into existence is by someone making them up. And unless they can time travel, the people creating dictionaries won\u2019t know about a word until people start using it. Anne Curzan said in her TED talk<\/a>, \u201cI\u2019m struck, as a teacher, that we tell students to critically question every book they read, every website they visit \u2014 except dictionaries.\u201d Dictionaries are created by fellow mortals with limited knowledge who are doing their best to record words as they are used. The fact is that language changes, and dictionaries are updated all the time. So if there\u2019s a word you just made up and used \u2014 congrats, it\u2019s real! \u201cPeople say to me, \u2018How do I know if a word is real?\u2019 You know, anybody who\u2019s read a children\u2019s book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it. That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an arbitrary distinction; it doesn\u2019t make a word any more real than any other way. If you love a word, it becomes real.\u201d \u2014 Erin McKean, lexicographer<\/li>
  2. \u201cDon\u2019t use sentence fragments.\u201d A sentence fragment is a group of words punctuated like a sentence but grammatically incomplete. Like this. (For it to be grammatically complete, it needs a subject and a verb, but you needn\u2019t worry about subjects and verbs at the moment.) Almost everyone uses sentence fragments, and they\u2019re often useful for dramatic effect.<\/li>
  3. \u201cDon\u2019t end sentences with prepositions.\u201d This rule only exists because someone noticed that it was a rule in Latin and decided it should be a rule in English too, and everyone went along with it. Well, English is not Latin. \u201cThis is the sort of errant pedantry up with which I will not put.\u201d \u2014 Winston Churchill (?)<\/li>
  4. \u201cDon\u2019t start them with coordinate conjunctions either.\u201d A coordinate conjunction is a word that relates two equal things (\u201capples and oranges\u201d), e.g. and<\/em>, or<\/em>, but<\/em>, etc. (not however <\/em>or which<\/em>, for example, because they place one phrase in relation to another). Why does this matter? It doesn\u2019t! Pick up any published book, and you\u2019ll probably find a sentence starting with a coordinate conjunction. And if not, here you go.<\/li>
  5. \u201cDon\u2019t split infinitives.\u201d An infinitive, FYI, is the verb form starting with to<\/em>, as in to be<\/em>, to have<\/em>, to floccinaucinihilipilificate<\/a><\/em>. (As far as I know, the last is only a noun, but it doesn\u2019t have to stay that way.) The only reason not to split them is that in Latin, they\u2019re one word so they can\u2019t be split. But English doesn\u2019t have to be like Latin, really! \u201cI have to somehow un-split my infinitive\u201d reads better than the alternatives (even if it\u2019s not true).<\/li>
  6. \u201cTwo independent clauses in the same sentence must be separated by a comma and a coordinate conjunction or by a semicolon.\u201d I fell asleep reading that sentence too, and I even like grammar. Basically, an independent clause is a grammatically complete sentence (having a subject and a verb). (Stick with me, because I\u2019m giving you more ways to break this rule!) That means if you have the independent clauses \u201cI was captured by a dragon\u201d and \u201cshe was quite reasonable about it,\u201d you would technically write \u201cI was captured by a dragon, but<\/strong> she was quite reasonable about it\u201d or \u201cI was captured by a dragon;<\/strong> she was quite reasonable about it.\u201d (In the latter, you could also use a dash or ellipsis, or put the second half in parentheses, but that\u2019s not the point.) Usually, this is the way to go. But! Omitting the comma (causing a run-on sentence) or the conjunction (causing a comma splice) can be used to much artistic effect, having the words flow elegantly \u2014 and a bit rebelliously \u2014 along with the smallest pause. My point is, do whatever sounds good (but on purpose).<\/li>
  7. \u201cHopefully <\/em>does not mean \u2018I hope.\u2019\u201d That is, people claim that it can only mean \u201cin a hopeful way,\u201d as in \u201cThe squirrel is watching my food hopefully,\u201d and not \u201cI hope,\u201d as in \u201cHopefully they won\u2019t steal it.\u201d Really, though, sentence adverbs (words that change the meaning of the whole sentence, like the second hopefully<\/em>) have existed for a long time, and both hopefully<\/em>s were in use until someone decided they didn\u2019t like it. (Note that sentence adverbs like thankfully <\/em>and unfortunately<\/em> were never questioned.)<\/li>
  8. \u201c\u2018It\u2019s me\u2019 and \u2018than me\u2019 are incorrect.\u201d In the first case, technically, yes, we should be saying \u201cIt is I.\u201d Except we shouldn\u2019t, because that\u2019s a really weird way to answer the phone. And in the second, the question is whether than <\/em>is a preposition or a conjunction. Typically, than <\/em>introduces another phrase, like \u201cthan I am,\u201d so people assume that the \u201cam\u201d was just deleted. But if you call it a preposition (a word like to<\/em>, for<\/em>, after<\/em>, above<\/em>, from<\/em>, etc.), there\u2019s no mysterious word being omitted, and the instinct to say me <\/em>was right all along. That, or it doesn\u2019t really matter because people will understand you anyway.<\/li>
  9. \u201cListen to the grammar people or else, mwahahaha!\u201d Grammar guidelines are helpful and exist for a reason (mostly good ones), but they\u2019re there to help writers, not to control them. So yes, listen \u2014 and think for yourself.<\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Rules of grammar often have good intentions, but writing is about conveying meaning, and that is a subtle art. It follows that our writing style will be best when we understand the rules, and artfully break them. While this may not be the best strategy in school assignments, there is hardly a published book that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"0","ocean_second_sidebar":"0","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"0","ocean_custom_header_template":"0","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"0","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"0","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"0","ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"off","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writing-tips","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crysaniadangoor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crysaniadangoor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crysaniadangoor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crysaniadangoor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crysaniadangoor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2122"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/crysaniadangoor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2127,"href":"https:\/\/crysaniadangoor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2122\/revisions\/2127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crysaniadangoor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crysaniadangoor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crysaniadangoor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}