Why grammar matters
Why does grammar matter? – Maci, 13, Indianapolis, Indiana
After 20 years of teaching academic writing to both native speakers and English language learners, I can attest that at some point, just about everyone asks me why, or even whether, grammar matters.
There is more than one way to define grammar. Linguists – the people who study language – define "grammar" as a description of how a language operates. Though some people use it to bully people for making mistakes, grammar is not a way to decide if language is right or wrong. Everyone makes mistakes, and the English language is amazingly flexible in how its pieces can be put together and understood.
That's because English is a "living" language, actively spoken by people worldwide. It grows and changes, picking up new words and new ways of constructing meaning all the time.
All kinds of factors influence the way people talk, including regional variations, age, ethnicity, education level and technology. People from Indianapolis use English differently than people from Alaska or Georgia. And American English sounds and works differently than the English spoken in England, Jamaica or India. But they are all still considered English...
...Studying grammar helps make communication between people clearer. Once you understand your own language and appreciate its patterns and varieties, you can more easily understand how other languages are constructed, making them easier to learn. Being able to understand across languages allows you to share your ideas and the ideas of others more broadly.
If you want to read more, go to reading theconversation.com