But before one can communicate clearly, one must first think clearly. It is language that makes clear thinking possible. Most people think of language primarily as a means of communication. But before one can communicate clearly, one must first think clearly. It is language that makes clear thinking possible.
Language is the means by which one identifies and defines concepts clearly.
Language enables one to distinguish between concepts possessing subtle differences and to integrate concepts possessing essential similarities, which can be just as subtle. Language makes it possible for one to clarify and to grasp conceptual hierarchies, to apprehend contextual limits and to perceive the universality of fundamental principles and, then, to apply them. If language is the instrument of thought, then grammar is certainly the central mechanism by which that instrument operates. Grammar allows one to use that tool precisely and effectively, thereby giving one the ability to think more clearly and, as a consequence, to communicate more effectively. The fact is, grammar is an objective necessity, the goal of whose teaching is to train students to think with clarity and precision, so they can write with clarity and precision.