Grammar Myths Writers Need to Stop Believing
By: Flynn Hannan
Tags: Writing, Writing Tips, Grammar, Writers On Medium, Writers On Writing

English grammar often confuses us as much as numbers and equations do. It even gets tougher when well-intentioned instructors pass down common English traditions or misconceptions we thought were right all along.

Nevertheless, keeping good grammar, written or verbal, always benefits us in all aspects. It’s time to break the spell and debunk some grammar myths every writer like you needs to know.

Using ‘a’ and ‘an’

A common misconception we usually get is using ‘a’ before words that start with a consonant and ‘an’ before words that start with vowels. However, we’re missing something here. Let’s emphasized the correct rule for this that ‘a’ should be used before words that start with a consonant sound. The same applies to ‘an’. So instead of writing ‘a honest guy’, we use ‘an honest guy’ since honest is pronounced as a-nest.

Ending sentences with prepositions

For a quick review, prepositions are words that indicate or describe a location of a noun or pronoun in space or time. For example: “She stands on the platform” or “Flowers were around her room”.

We were taught most of the time that ending your sentence with a preposition is a crime in English grammar. We agree that there are instances when it’s not okay to end your sentence with a preposition, however, if the preposition is the key to give meaning or emphasis to your sentence, it’s fine to end your sentence with a preposition.

Example: He stood on the side of the road as if he didn’t see me pulling over. What was he waiting for?

Rewriting that phrase into “For what was he waiting” completely does not make sense to your reader.

Beginning a sentence with a conjunction

For a quick review, the common conjunctions go with the following: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, and So.

Beginning your sentence with conjunction has been a persistent belief or observed as improper English usage. However, that’s not true. It is one of the grammar myths that was cheerfully ignored during the Anglo-Saxon era. In fact, starting your sentence with conjunction make it clearer and more natural.

Splitting Infinitives

You might not or might have known about the common rule or grammar myth about never splitting infinitives. As you all know, an infinitive is a basic form of a verb that goes with the infinitive phrase of “to + verb” (example: to run, to dance, to feel) that must never be split or be placed with an adverb or adverbial phrase in between (example: to swiftly run, to gracefully dance, to immensely feel).

Traditional grammar teachers will normally advise not to split infinitives, although, it is used most often in writing and even long before the 21st century. It strengthens, expresses more action, and adds clarity to your sentence.

Always keep in mind that one of your goals in writing is pulling your reader into the story, build connections, and maintain clear communication between you and them. There will always be times that you know when to break the rules or have the license to break a tradition just to get your message across to your audience. While it’s best to adhere to the grammar rules, it’s also best to educate yourself on the common grammar myths that are keeping you from delivering a vivid and sensible story.

Posts you might also like:

Writing a Book: Here’s How Many Words It Should Contain

5 Great Writing Apps That Every Professional Writer Should Use!

5 Things You Should Look out for When Writing Your Manuscript