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Bedtime Shadows
Take it away Jenny!
Grammar – Who Needs It?
Some years ago I saw a television interview
with a professor of English from a British university and was appalled when he
maintained that it is not necessary to teach grammar because everybody knows
their own language and knowledge of grammar does not enhance either their
reading or writing skills.
Well. Let's just think about this for a
minute. Saying that nobody needs to learn grammar because everyone knows their
own language is not dissimilar to saying that nobody needs to learn geography
because everyone knows their own home town.
Of course everyone knows their own
language, but grammar isn't just about your own language. It is about all
language. It is, for example, virtually impossible to become fluent in a
foreign language without a proper understanding of grammar. Oh, sure, you can
learn all the words, but you'll never know how to put them together.
If words are the bricks and mortar of
language, grammar represents the tools with which it is constructed. Knowledge
is power, and knowledge of grammar gives you not only an enhanced understanding
of what you read, but it gives you a fast track to learning foreign languages
and, perhaps most importantly, a much greater ability to communicate.
If we fail to equip our children with these
basic tools, we are sending them into the world ill-prepared. And, to return to
our first metaphor. If teaching geography is important for understanding the
world we live in, how much more important is teaching grammar, which helps us
understand language, the fundamental way human beings communicate with each
other.
And what about those who later wish to
write professionally? Would you employ a builder who had no qualifications, did
not understand how his tools worked and did not even know the names of some of
his tools? Of course not. So why would you pay good money for a book written by
someone who doesn't know the difference between a verb and a noun?
Some people have an immediate and
instinctive grasp of how grammar works, usually people who read a great deal.
Most of us could do with a little help. We certainly cannot assume that we will
just pick it up.
I have spent a lot of time in the last year
or so reading and reviewing recently published authors and one thing that is
quite apparent is that the majority do not understand how language works. The
social networks are full these days of authors discussing the pros and cons of
sticking to one point of view, stripping out unnecessary words, etc. There
seems to be no discussion about the efficacy of good, grammatically correct
English.
Good use of language is powerful and
beautiful and all the creative writing classes in the world will not replace
it.
Whenever I went off at a tangent and rather
lost track of what I was supposed to be doing, my boss used to say, “Back to
basics, Jen.” Maybe that's what we all should be doing now.
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21 comments:
Great post, Jenny.
I can't believe that a professor of English would say something like this. It's as good as saying his job is obsolete!
Just imagine, many generations from now-if we follow his logic-we will be reduced to the grunts of a caveman as way of communication, because the downfall might start with grammar, but surely more will follow.
*RANT OVER*
Bedtime Shadows is a wonderful book that will definitely satisfy many tastes. Get a copy, you can't go wrong with it :-)
I was raised by the female equivalent of Henry Higgins. "Lay" versus "Lie?" Get it right in our house or die! Okay, not that dramatic, but yeah, I'm in total agreement with you. Excellent post!
Need grammar? If I had money for each and every grammatical error I see in the books I review (and I know people get tired of receiving e-mails from me correcting the mistakes they make in posting...apologies, everyone!) I'd be rich and wouldn't have to live on food stamps. A night doesn't go by that I don't hear the same errors in dialogue on TV. There's a difference between having a character deliberately say something wrong to denote a lack of education, etc., and doing it because the writer doesn't know the difference. I've made mistakes, also,and I admit it, but I profited from those mistakes, and there are many times I've gotten out my grammar books and looked up something because I was unsure of it. The same goes for spelling. Homonyms are the worse. Publishers need to make sure our copy editors and proofreaders know what they're doing as well as their writers.
Go back to basics, Jen? Oh, YES, please!!! I remember my mother having a knock-down-drag-out fight with one of my English teachers who insisted that usage determines correctness. WHAT??? I do hope we're not going through another of those periods, but fear that we are. Keep holding the line, please.
Very much agree with you Jenny!!!
Don't forget to leave your email addresses all! :)
Su, You have made my day! How right you are. Love your RANT
Jenny
xxx
Hi Dana. Your family is right! Love the poem. I shall steal it immediately!
Love
Jenny
xxx
Toni, Hear, hear! I agree with everything you say. How wonderful this is, meeting like-minded souls. I'm going to rant more often. You might like Wednesday's blog as well.
Love
Jenny
xxx
Hi Miriam. We must stick together on this. There has to at least be a standard from which people can depart and it is the media, including professional writers who should be maintaining that
Yey!
Jenny
xxx
Oh,how I agree with this! Excellent post, Jenny. It should be read by ALL writers. Yes, there are times when the rules can be broken e.g. in everyday speech we often end sentences with prepositions, but unless you know the 'rules' you don't know which can be broken and which shouldn't. I've lost count of how many times I cringe at 'dangling modifiers'! I'm forever grateful that I had a good grounding in English grammar when I was at school.
Well said, Jenny, as always.
As a former teacher of English, poor grammar and language-abuse made me dream of early retirement. It's very difficult nowadays to instil a sense of pride in ones language (which means not abusing it) in the young. They know what they mean and they can communicate with their friends and family and that is all that seems to matter to youngsters today.
I agree that language is organic and should be open to change and even simplification where necessary, but bad grammar merely denotes ignorance and does our wonderful language no favours at all.
And what about 'verbing' nouns and/or using them as adjectives. Genius innit?
Great post, Jenny - could you ever write a bad one?!
Lyn
You've done it again, Mrs. T :)
Grammar is only necessary if you don't want to sound like a dolt. I think your professor must have slept his way to the PhD because his theory is preposterous.
I learned English when we still had to diagram sentences, and I think schools need to return to that structure/usage tool. Bad grammar and spell-check spelling (I'm sure you mean it... people having 'discrete' affairs, presumably in separate hotels) will make me stop reading in mid-chapter. I used to read books through no matter what, but life's too short to slog through 300 pages of awful.
I hope LOTS of people read this blog, though of course those who need it most will not.
Brava!
Hi Paula. I'm so pleased you agree. But I'm not surprised. Your own use of English is impeccable.
Love
Jenny
xxx
Dear Lyn. There's a whole new article there on exactly HOW the language is being abused. You should write it!
Love
Jenny
xxx
Thanks, Tara. Love you lots xxx
Dear Lee. It is so nice to meet you. Such a pleasure to find people after your own heart What a wonderful first sentence - "Grammar is only necessary if you don't want to sound like a dolt". I shall have to steal it at the next opportunity.
I've another blog coming out on Wednesday about writing rules and I'd be very interested in your opinion on that
Love
Jenny
xx
I am going to make my 13 year old read this.. she calls me the Grammar nazi -_- lol kids these days just do not care... *sigh*
Iceprincess552@aol.com
I can honestly say, i hated taking grammer in school. I used to get confused horriblely. The verbs, nouns, commas, etc. I sucked at it in school. I am not a smart one when it comes to this. :/ Thanks for sharing!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
Jessica. I KNEW we were twin souls. My kids call ME a Grammar Nazi, too. I would like to say, I'm proud to be one.
Love
Jenny
xx
Hi Shadow. I think it's like any other subject, some you like and some you hate. It only matters if you want to take it up as a job. Then it's important that you know how it all works.
Love
Jenny
xxx
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