What is grammar?
- Grammar is the system of a language.
- It is the study of the way words are combined to make sentences.
- Different languages have different sets of rules.
How do people learn grammar?
From birth, native-speakers of any given language naturally learn the patterns of their language by speaking and listening to it.
If speakers learn language naturally, why do so many native speakers have to study grammar?
- In the 19th century, literacy rates increased around the world and newspapers became more popular. Also, higher education became more available.
- For the sake of consistency, languages became more systemized, and the rules of usage were set up.
- The systemization was a way to separate the educated from the uneducated.
Who decides the rules of proper English grammar?
What is deemed proper grammar is decided by usage within a community. Over time, as the community changes, the language, grammar, and channels of communication change.
Example
I emailed you the report last week.
The word “email” simply did not exist 50 years ago. Fifty years ago you could not have sent an email because the technology did not exist.
To spell it “e-mail” or “email” is still being debated today.
Different communities, different grammar
Users often email friends like this:
Hey do u wanna go over the report on tues.?
or this
wanna go over the report on tues.?
Users in a business context would craft the same email like this:
Would you like to review the report on Tuesday?
or this
Can we review the report on Tuesday?
What is appropriate in a business context today?
Written correspondence should be
- audience focused,
- precise, and
- concise.
Grammar should include
- correct sentence structure,
- appropriate word choice and tone, and
- correct punctuation.
Grammar in the English-speaking world
English is spoken in many countries around the word. Therefore, spellings and word choice may differ.
Write for your audience. Use language suitable for your audience.
For instance, in routine emails and memos, contractions are deemed appropriate. However, contractions are deemed inappropriate for formal reports.
I didn’t receive the report. versus I did not receive the report.