Why I don’t worry anymore about English grammar

Well, grammar has always been the most dreaded subject in my school days. While I was good in creative writing and teachers and friends alike appreciated me for it sincerely, I used to get low marks in grammar. But I don’t remember why I lost marks in grammar. I just used to see the scores and heaved a sigh of relief that at least I got good marks in creative writing.

English Grammar and its big rules

As a content writer, my world has been so fascinated by grammar and rules that I strive to be good in both creativity and the dreaded grammar. Being a language editor for some time also increased that anxiety in me. But nowadays the scenario is different. After writing for a long time, my language has improved drastically, and it is not only lucid but also grammatically correct most of the times. What they taught me in language editing is what I already know, except for revelations in the usage of comma. Now I will give you certain tips in understanding English grammar so that you can succeed in your communication.

Don’t think too much about grammar after school days; go with the flow

School days are the best time to learn grammar. The way the English teacher looks at us with concerned anger will tell stories about how we fought with grammar in school days. Ensure that you have your foundation steady during school days. Even if you don’t get your grammar right, don’t be upset.  Keep writing and maintain that creative talent.  Grammar will follow soon. English grammar is such a beautiful concept that once it is learned efficiently, you will always have a grasp of it. Dear parents! Did I say it right? Your comments are welcome in the comments box.

Don’t be too much concerned about parallelism and redundant words

Yes, I know that parallelism is the balance between “two or more similar words, phrases or clauses” but I don’t think that it is a serious grammatical mistake at the beginning stages.  However, if you follow it, it would be definitely a benefit to your grammar skills. Your teachers too may forgive you if you make mistakes in it initially, but don’t make it a practice.

Example of parallelism:

To pray is affirming your trust in God.

Correct: To pray is to affirm your trust in God.

This is the same with redundancy which refers to the usage of two or more words that express the same idea. For example, free gift, past history, basic fundamentals etc., are redundant words. Redundancy is more of your child’s interest towards the language that they may emphasize it. So as a teacher/parent you can definitely forgive them! Over time, they will rectify it.

Commas and subject verb agreement

Instead of telling that noun, verb, articles, tenses are important I am just going to emphasize on the importance of commas and subject verb agreement. Even if you write an official email, make sure that you use commas properly. The provide unity and clarity in a sentence, so don’t underestimate these breaks in the sentence!

Subject verb agreement is also another powerful concept that English grammar has to offer. Just ensure that though people will understand what you mean, it would be embarrassing to make errors in subject verb agreement.

So friends, don’t fret about grammar! It all depends on your thinking whether it can be a rocket science or not! The more and more you are anxious about grammar, the more and more it will confuse you. Just keep practising, and you will gain excellence over time. But as I always do nowadays, make sure to run the spelling and grammar check in Microsoft Word. That would suffice! All the best!