I listened to an interview with Steven Pinker the other day. Pinker is a psychologist who specializes in communication. He's written a number of books on the topic and is known world wide.
Pinker's latest book deals with effective communication. Guess what? He says throw out the rules. So I assume that means toss the grammar.
Now a couple of bloggers I follow have from time to time written about good writing and the rules that guide us.
I started to think about his proposition. As a blogger, I rarely think about the rules. I like to spell things correctly and my friend, the spell check is a great assistant. I like to be able to write something that will make sense to the reader. If it doesn't make sense people will not read me and not follow me. I do go back over what I've written to see if it makes sense. I add more information to give the reader a fuller picture of my topic. But I don't really think of the rules. I don't think about sentence structure. I don't watch my punctuation. I've forgotten what dependent and independent clauses are. I end many sentences with prepositions.
Now to make an admission. I was a Middle School language arts teacher. I thought grammar was important and spent much time trying to teach it. I taught grammar every year until I retired. It got harder and harder because they stopped teaching it in elementary school. All my colleagues stopped teaching grammar. And now I've forgotten most of what I taught! So Pinker's proposition got me thinking.
Now I look around at the blogs I follow and enjoy. They get their point across and describe something interesting or present an interesting idea. I follow some awesome photographers. They don't just let their photos do the talking but they add great descriptions and discussions. If I was to consider the writing abilities of different bloggers I would soon quit blogging. The fun part of blogging is to have something to say and be able to pass it on in a meaningful interesting way and have readers respond.
So do you think the rules should be rigidly applies?
well, that makes me feel better, red. i used to be an excellent English student. i knew proper sentence structure, punctuation, spelling, etc. my bosses used to have me proof or write their memos for them. since i left the work arena a few years ago and began blogging, it has gone to he** in a handbasket. as you can see, i stopped capitalization when i type comments and emails. (i have to remind myself to use capital letters in my posts.) i catch myself using 'thru' instead of 'through' or other 'lazy' alternative words. i would doubt if i could properly punctuate a paragraph if my life depended on it. :) since you were a teacher and taught it all those years, hearing you've forgotten or relaxed the rules makes me feel relieved. :)
ReplyDeleteWe are all victims of shortcuts on the internet. The internet has allowed us to write much more.
DeleteYou listen to people talk today, and it's sometimes impossible to follow them! And these abbreviations for words amazes .... I have no idea what they mean! For one, I don't have a cell phone, so I don't text....
ReplyDeleteThrowing out the rules for blogging is OK in my book!
Cheri
I don't have cell phone either but I can see that someday I will have to get a cell phone.
DeleteThank you for this blog. I know that I am a horrible grammar person. I tend to write the way I am talking but I tend to get ahead or behind when I am writing. I do try to proof read and I do use spell check or I will google it to make sure I spelled it right and the meaning of it.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the blogs where people write like they talk. It's a different style of writing.
DeleteYes and no. Poor grammar still bugs me. I do strive to achieve proper sentence structure and punctuation. What has gone to hell is my spelling. I just let spell check take over.
ReplyDeletePoor grammar bugs me depending on the style of writing. If writing is to be formal, rules should be followed.
DeleteOh gracious! No! I only follow first grade grammar rules since that's what I taught. :- )
ReplyDeleteYou really get of lucky as I don't think they taught grammar to the little guys.
DeleteI do my best to edit some sense into my ramblings. I usually know what I mean.
ReplyDeleteYou writing always makes sense.
Your ramblings are rather well written. You're a great reader and reading influences writers.
DeleteI think about it and I don't. I just start writing - I do check my sentences to see if they make any kind of sense to anyone other than myself reading them and sometimes rewrite. I never really worry too much about it. Apparently neither do college graduates. Most of them cannot write, let alone spell, with all the shortcuts they have available online today and more and more "homework" is done online. Whatever will they all do one day, when the search tools are gone....ooooh, back to school to learn how, eh.
ReplyDeleteWith the electronic world things change very rapidly. The technologies that are here now are mind boggling. What will come next will be fast and very different. We'll still be here to see it.
DeleteI can still hear some of my former teachers and parents correcting me. I bend a lot of rules.
ReplyDeleteWe did have a lot of grammar police when we were kids. We can bend rules but always have to consider what we are saying and that it makes sense.
DeleteThere are a few errors in grammar that bother me, but I've noticed that since I've started blogging, they bother me less. It's probably because of what you said, the authors get their point across, and who cares if it's not perfect? My "inner stickler" has grown mellow with age. :-)
ReplyDeleteThere certainly are expressions used that are ridiculous and do not add to the meaning.
DeleteI think it's fine to break rules so long as you understand them and do so as a conscientious decision. Grammar is a tool and it can be adjusted to serve your needs. I wasn't very good at grammar in school and I'm a terrible speller. Mrs. C. was an English major and she's kind enough to check my posts before I publish them. I do fear what's happening to our language with all the texting going on these days. English is too beautiful to be reduces to a few symbols.
ReplyDeleteNow you've thought about the language and have a great appreciation of it. You're lucky to have your own editor. My daughter edited a few posts for me. She knows the language and the rules and was a stickler.
DeleteI think a middle ground is fine. I don't think we should be obsessed with perfect grammar, but I do think we should spell properly, and use the right words (too, to, two and your, you're and there, they're, their, etc.). But I'm not bothered by how bloggers write their posts. If I enjoy a blog, I enjoy it...bad grammar/spelling or not.
ReplyDeleteI've found that what bloggers say is most important. However, they have to say it in a coherent manner so that i know what they mean.
DeleteI think for bloggers, grammar is not important as long as they are able to convey their ideas and make sense to the reader. But for newspapers and other professional blogs, it is very important. I think most bloggers who write for fun make more sense and are thought provoking than the so called journalists and newspapers.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the purpose you have for writing dictates the style of writing.
DeleteRules are important for clarity and writers should not get too sloppy, but I always fear my writing could use a good editor.
ReplyDeleteI had my daughter for an editor for a while. She was tough but she knew her stuff.
DeleteI try to avoid being rigid about anything but that's a poor excuse for being slack when it comes to grammar. And I have to admit I thoroughly enjoy ending a sentence with a preposition. As a child I was too scared to displease Sister Mary Veroncia so I now take delight in imagining her turning in her grave as I sin. However, I do worry a bit about how my descendant will speak when I am gone and not here to chastise them to speak to me clearly and in sentences if they want my attention. I cannot abide mumbling. Good grief I sound like SM Veronica!!
ReplyDeleteI think that if it's important to the blogger, he or she should apply good grammar. If it's important to someone to only read good grammar, they out of luck because even some of the finer publications are slacking off considerably. I do what I feel is right for me and I simply enjoy what others have to share.
ReplyDeleteI think we should endeavour to be accurate, and say what we mean, in as clear a way as possible. I agree we shouldn't be slack, though. Good speakers make good writers, make good readers, though. It's all practice and modeling. I try hard to self-edit carefully, even though it is the hardest thing of all!
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