Happy National Grammar Day!
Grammar is one of those things that can make grown men cry. I know because I’ve seen them in class. As a professional writer and educator, it is sometimes the bane of my existence!
But really grammar is just the way we put our language together. Everyone has his or her own grammar; the “rules” are an attempt to provide a common standard and prevent confusion – kind of like traffic laws. And just like traffic laws, particularly how to approach the yellow light, debate rages.
Grammar shouldn’t be a big, scary undertaking, so to make remembering the rules more fun, I’ve collected my favorite memes, including some I can’t use in class!
Why it’s important to know what words mean and that apostrophes create contractions:
Speaking of verbs, you need to use the correct form and tense. It’s good time management!
Prepositions indicate direction, but can be very idiomatic. There aren’t any rules for which to use when, just convention.
Some people claim that punctuation isn’t part of grammar, but actually it’s just a big enough part that it’s developed into its own category. (Check out all the apostrophes in that last sentence!)
Commas, in particular, act as the traffic signals in a sentence to tell you which ideas are most important. The correct comma can make a huge difference.
There are many more areas of potential confusion, but good grammar doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Becoming aware of what writing quirks you have and learning to proofread for them is an important, inevitable part of the writing process.
I’ll be guest-posting on ChickLitPlus.com in March on Proofreading. Follow me in social media for the exact date and some invaluable tips for your writing:
- twitter.com/kathybryson2
- facebook.com/kathybryson22
- goodreads.com/author/show/7163426.Kathy_Bryson
- plus.google.com/118438646025517720984
But to get you warmed up, here’s one last meme to consider. Many thanks to the creators of these memes for their helpful insights!
kathybryson 