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08 March 2011

Thoughts on Grammar

The well-crafted sentence is a lost art. It seems like you need a dictionary and translater to read the texts, status updates and emails of today's youth.

In her book Reading Like a Writer: A Guide For People Who Love Books And For Those Who Want To Write Them, Francine Prose mentions a friend who compares grammar to inviting someone into your house: "The writer is the host, the reader the guest, and you, the writer, follow the etiquette because you want your readers to be more comfortable, especially if you're planning to serve them something they might not be expecting" (Prose 43). A reader will be delighted by writing based on a strong foundation.

I find the failure to use the established rules disheartening. The proper use of grammar, punctuation and spelling help the spread of information; how can we communicate with each other if we do not use the same language?

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