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Subject:Re: Is Grammar Important? From:Cassandra Lidgerding <clidgerding -at- PREMIS -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 21 May 1998 15:42:41 -0500
It is important for writers to know the rules of grammar. Grammar is the
foundation from which we build! I'm not saying we need to follow grammar to
the letter in everything we write. Sometimes it is much more user friendly
to write in the vernacular than to write with correct grammar.
A writer's understanding of grammar is like a chef's understanding of herbs
and spices. When a chef first begins to cook, she must learn which spices
and herbs blend together to make a pleasurable experience. As the chef
becomes more experience she can create dishes without thinking of the herbs
or spices to use. She intuitively knows what flavors go together and what
will make her audience happy.
As writers we must learn the basic building blocks of our language and
after awhile we know what works and what doesn't. We know who our audience
is and what type of writing will make for a pleasurable experience. That's
why we're the writers! We're good at writing! ;-)
Language is fluid. To carve out a set of rules and say we can never budge
from them is ridiculous. The world changes the way it speaks, so we must
change the way we write and be flexible. Continually educate yourself, so
you don't get stuck in a time warp rut, and never say never!
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> From: Diane Haugen <dhaugen -at- MEANS -dot- NET>
> To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject: Re: Is Grammer Important?
> Date: Thursday, May 21, 1998 11:38 AM
>
> Tony Markatos asked of all technical writers:
>
> >
> >Is good grammar important for effective technical communications? About
> >six months ago, I read a book on procedures writing that said "Numerous
> >studies have concluded that there is no correlation at all between
> >effective technical communications and grammar".
