Grammar Purists Versus Writers

Grammar rules are part of any language. But rules aren’t always helpful, especially in a world that is constantly changing.

All the tweeting, hashtagging, and texting has forced the English language to evolve accordingly. What used to be strict grammar no-nos are now acceptable forms of speech. Just spend a couple of minutes on social media … How many rules did you see broken? Loads, I bet!

But are these rules really being broken?

A lot of traditional grammar rules are considered more awkward than useful. Rules like “that VS which” don’t really make a difference in everyday speech. Forcing personal pronouns in a casual conversation sounds unnatural and clunky.

These days, grammar is about clarity, not formality. Even modern writers break these rules. Pick up any English book from the 20th century and you’ll find tons of ‘broken rules’. Starting your sentence with a conjunction (“and”, “but”, “because”) is now common, precisely because it sounds natural.

The Expert Editor rounded up some of the most famous rules and put them in today’s context. So, stop worrying about the proper use of whom VS who; it’s no longer the 19th century. Check out the 15 rules it’s okay to break infographic below, after the jump. Happy writing!

More On Grammar

Of course, it never hurts to brush up on your grammar and ‘rules’ … Even if you do end up breaking them! Here’s some other infographics and articles from this site on this subject.

How To Improve Your Grammar (Writers’ Cheat Sheet)

5 Top Writing Mistakes, From Grammarly

3 Killer Typos That Blow Writers Out The Water

In The Spotlight: Elmore Leonard’s Top 10 Writing Rules 

Top 10 Rules Writers Love To Hate

5 Reasons Why ‘The Rules’ Will Kill Your Writing Dead

Good Luck!