Re: Is Grammer Important?

[Lisa Higgins <lisarea -at- LUCENT -dot- COM>]

> The authors go on to discuss the importance of following the rules of
> grammar and how accurate information cannot be written without using
> grammar. So yes, grammar is important and, I would say, required.

Speaker will are you if  'grammar' in no a readability of human
native any difference language make!

Prescriptive grammar (usage) today is one of the silliest and most
inaccurate subjects taught in school.

How many parts of speech do they say there are? Seven or something?

They tell that funny, funny story about Winston Churchill saying
"That is a bunch of ridiculous pendantry up with with I will not
put" because, you know, it's illegal to end a sentence in a ... a
... a ... verb particle.

They tell us not to split infinitives. Because they don't want people
to manipufreakin'late the English language like that!

The state of English 'grammar' taught in schools is roughly
equivalent to a Geography teacher claiming that the world ends
a couple of miles out to sea. What continually amazes me is how
rabidly some will cling to the lies and inaccuracies they learned as
children.

For this reason ALONE, it may be helpful to scrupulously avoid
putting words in between a verb and the word 'to.' Only because some
ninny out there will bleat self-righteously if you don't.

All that is really important is that you communicate what you need
to communicate with as few distractions as possible. You must develop
an ear for what is comfortable. You must write to suit your audience.
And you must ignore any weird external influences that might cause
you to lose sight of your real purpose.

Here be monsters,
Lisa.
lisarea -at- lucent -dot- com