11
OPINION
Break these rules
Grammar rules are useful tools, but writers should prioritize clarity and reader engagement over strict adherence to them.
W hen it comes to grammar, we’ve bashed our heads against a brick wall made of clauses, colons, and commas. For decades, even centuries, people have insisted that writers adhere to archaic grammar rules because “That’s the way it’s always been done.” Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been known to thump my fingers on a few grammar handbooks. But my decade of experience teaching writing to college students, graduate students, and professionals in the workplace has shown me that clinging to the ways of “proper grammar” can do more harm than good.
Elizabeth Preston, Ph.D.
Before you grab your metaphorical (at least I hope they’re not literal) pitchforks and torches, hear me out. Grammar, as with so much in life, is a tool to get you to a goal. If a grammatical “rule” helps get you to that goal in your document, great. Use it. If it doesn’t help or causes awkwardness or confusion in your writing, break that grammatical rule with a sledgehammer. Here are five grammatical rules, the logic behind them, and when you can (and perhaps should) break them: 1. Always use active voice. The clinginess to active voice stems from the idea that active voice is more immediate and gets to the point faster than does passive voice. Some people also consider active voice more forthright since the actor is clear and present in the front of the sentence.
In contrast, passive voice consists of having the past form of “to be” plus a verb with a past participle ending, as in “The document was written.” The actor could be hidden or revealed as in: “The document was written by Bob.” What to do instead: The key to knowing when you use active or passive is if the actor matters. If the actor matters, use active voice. If the actor doesn’t matter, use passive voice. Your intent for your sentence and the document’s overall purpose should be the ultimate determinants of whether you use active or passive. 2. Never start a sentence with “and” or “but.” After dutifully researching and tracing back this rule’s origin, I’ve concluded the following: There is no
See ELIZABETH PRESTON, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER DECEMBER 2, 2024, ISSUE 1563
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker