Vs.

1© 2015 Karen L. Thompson Department of English University of Idaho

• How to understand the difference between prose style and grammar.

• How to check your writing for grammar errors that workplace writers will notice.

• Prose style is about the words you choose and how you arrange these words.

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• Grammar is about language rules.

*Strictly speaking, grammar names the entire system of language, but for our purposes, let’s just say it’s about rules.

There are Three Kinds of Grammar Rules

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1. Real Rules

2. Social Rules

3. Invented Rules

Adapted from:Joseph Williams’ StyleIt’s a great book. I recommend it.

Real Rules

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• These are the rules that define English as English.

• Speakers born into English do not think about these rules and violate them only when they are not paying attention (i.e. tired or distracted).

• Example of real rules:

– Mary and John sat by the lake.Not – in the lake or on the lake.

– She enjoyed the book.Not: She enjoyed book the.

Social Rules

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• Social rules distinguish standard English from nonstandard.

• None of us speak standard English. Not even English teachers ☺).

• Educated people, however, write standard English and observe social rules when and where appropriate.

Social Rules: Examples

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Standard Written English:

• We saw the accident.

• He had no money.

Many English speakers violate social rules of written standard English. These are not grammar errors because the speakers use a different set of social rules consistently.

• We seen the accident.

• He ain’t got no money.

Invented Rules

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• Invented rules are those rules that we think we should observe. These are rules we are taught in school.

• But…as Joseph Williams points out in Style, most of these rules date from the last half of the 18th century, and many of them are not worth stressing about.

Invented Rules continued

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• Robert Lowth (1710 – 787) wrote one of the most influential textbooks of English grammar. Lowth and other authors helped standardize English.

• Language, however, is dynamic and to view rules as static is a problem Lowth did not understand, but hey, don’t be too hard on him. He meant well.

Yes, I did mean well, and I worked very hard.

Example of an Invented Rule

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• Never split an infinitive (an infinitive is the “to” form of a verb--- to run, to play, etc) is an example of an invented rule.

• The writers of television series Star Trek broke this rule.

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To boldly go where no man has gone before!

Wrong! The correct wording is “to go boldly,” sonny.

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Honestly, grammar lady who on earth would prefer that syntax? And, hey isn’t that Karen’s 8th grade English teacher?

Star Trek’s writers broke this rule because it just sounded better.

Let’s vaporize grammar lady.

She’s not logical, but we can spare her for now.

Invented Rules

You Can Safely Ignore

• Never

– Start a sentence with and or but

– Start a sentence with because

– Start a sentence with a preposition

– Use a contraction

These are style choices. And it’s perfectly fine to start a sentence with and, but, or because and to use a contraction. But, if you start most of your sentences with and or butyour writing will lack sentence variation.

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Invented Rules

You Can Safely Ignore continued

• Keep in mind, though, that starting a sentence with because can place the stress emphasis (what readers look for to understand your point) in the wrong place – refer to Slidedoc 1 for more information.

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Invented Rules

You Can Safely IgnoreNever use the word I in an academic paper or report.

Never use like for as or as if.

Never use irregardless for regardless or irrespective.

Don’t use hopefully to mean I hope.

Don’t use finalize to mean finish or complete.

Don’t use impact as a verb.

Don’t modify absolute words such as perfect, unique, or complete with very, more, quite, etc.

User fewer with nouns you count, less with nouns you cannot.

Use since and while to refer only to time, not to mean because or although.

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Conclusion

As Williams says,

If writers we judge to be competent regularly violate some alleged rule, then the rule has no force.

In those cases, it is not writers who should change their usage, but gammarians who should change the rules.

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Also, invented rules can change.

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• In the 20th century, the official gate keepers of English those who produce the Oxford English dictionary, and who should never be sneered at, made it official that splitting infinitives was okay.

BUT.......

• Some die-hard members of the grammar police still hold onto this rule and find pleasure in trying to enforce it.

• When you meet one of these people, and they have power over you, make a decision about whether you will fight grammatical injustice or cave to power ☺).

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How to Check Your Prior

Writing for Grammatical Error

That Workplace Readers will Notice

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Not all grammatical errors are equal.

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Errors that readers notice and will reflect poorly on writer:• Run on sentences and comma splices • Fragments • Incorrect use of its/it’s and there/their/they’re• Typos and Spelling Errors

Errors that cause confusion in readers:• Missing comma for an introductory element• Ambiguous pronoun reference.

Errors that few readers notice:

• Different from vs. Different than• Using a contraction• Split infinitive (which we just learned is not an error)

Check your prior writing for the following errors workplace

readers will notice or that cause confusion.

• Run-on Sentences

• Comma Splices

• Fragments

• Incorrect use of its/it's and there/their/they're

• Missing comma for an introductory element

• Ambiguous pronoun reference

If you need help, use the grammar links on the project page.

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