Grammar Basics
The importance of grammar can not be understated in the career of the proficient writer. Grammar and punctuation are the tools that assist you to communicate correctly. You use them regularly, when you speak and when you write. So, it makes good sense that learning about the basic principles helps you to write more clearly.
How often do you read something, especially now days on Facebook or Twitter, or anything that's written online, and it doesn't work due to minor grammatical mistakes? These apparently minor errors can entirely change the meaning of what you are trying to say. The authors don't pay attention to grammar or punctuation, but rather on the nouns and adjectives of what they are writing. It can often leave them looking not only silly, but misunderstood.
Anytime you are speaking and writing, you construct phrases and paragraphs that contain several common elements. The parts of speech and the grammatical elements that make up a sentence are necessary to creating a good story. You need to bring readers into your world, so meaning should be conveyed clearly, while also keeping it in context.
When suggesting you keep it in context, I'm referring to the way writing has changed over time, and many things that are technically not 'grammatically correct', are in fact perfectly acceptable. The focus on grammar has shifted. Often the correct version can sound old fashioned or mistreated, and this will turn the reader off as readily as incorrect grammar can. Running through this page, a traditional grammar fanatic could detect several things that are not entirely 'grammatically correct', however to convey meaning to you, my audience, I want to communicate in a way that you not only understand, but also wish to continue reading.
Punctuation is vital to communicating clearly, not only in terms of conveying meaning, but also to impart rhythm and tone. Misplaced punctuation invites ambiguity so it is very important that it makes the meaning obvious by showing the relationship between the different aspects in written work.
Would it take time to concentrate on grammar and punctuation if we do this from the beginning? No. Make it a habit to quickly search the correct word, spelling, or punctuation as you write. There are several tools at our fingertips nowadays, we have built-in thesauri in our Word Processors, we have dictionaries we can access in an instant. Make a habit of utilize these simple tools as you write and it will distinguish your story as polished and professional. Your agent, editor or reader will focus more on your book, if you initially make the effort to concentrate on sentence structure!
How often do you read something, especially now days on Facebook or Twitter, or anything that's written online, and it doesn't work due to minor grammatical mistakes? These apparently minor errors can entirely change the meaning of what you are trying to say. The authors don't pay attention to grammar or punctuation, but rather on the nouns and adjectives of what they are writing. It can often leave them looking not only silly, but misunderstood.
Anytime you are speaking and writing, you construct phrases and paragraphs that contain several common elements. The parts of speech and the grammatical elements that make up a sentence are necessary to creating a good story. You need to bring readers into your world, so meaning should be conveyed clearly, while also keeping it in context.
When suggesting you keep it in context, I'm referring to the way writing has changed over time, and many things that are technically not 'grammatically correct', are in fact perfectly acceptable. The focus on grammar has shifted. Often the correct version can sound old fashioned or mistreated, and this will turn the reader off as readily as incorrect grammar can. Running through this page, a traditional grammar fanatic could detect several things that are not entirely 'grammatically correct', however to convey meaning to you, my audience, I want to communicate in a way that you not only understand, but also wish to continue reading.
Punctuation is vital to communicating clearly, not only in terms of conveying meaning, but also to impart rhythm and tone. Misplaced punctuation invites ambiguity so it is very important that it makes the meaning obvious by showing the relationship between the different aspects in written work.
Would it take time to concentrate on grammar and punctuation if we do this from the beginning? No. Make it a habit to quickly search the correct word, spelling, or punctuation as you write. There are several tools at our fingertips nowadays, we have built-in thesauri in our Word Processors, we have dictionaries we can access in an instant. Make a habit of utilize these simple tools as you write and it will distinguish your story as polished and professional. Your agent, editor or reader will focus more on your book, if you initially make the effort to concentrate on sentence structure!
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