Don’t be a grammar snob

Every time I write about language or grammar I worry that people will think that I’m a grammar snob. You know, one of those nasty mean people who delight in pointing other people’s writing errors and mistakes.

I often correct errors in other peoples’ writing, but not because I’m trying to prove a point or to show that I’m somehow superior.

I do it because it’s part of my job and I like to think that I’m being helpful. But am I?

This is a question that troubles me greatly and I know there are times when it doesn’t matter and that I should just restrain myself. My husband is still annoyed about the time that he wrote a poem for me and I corrected the spelling. How awful of me.

People will judge you

I think it does matter when you are writing documents at work because it reduces your credibility if your documents are littered with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. It’s really just a case of looking as if you don’t care.

I’m fully aware that everyone makes errors when they are rushed or tired. I do it all the time and don’t expect to be humiliated or hauled over the coals for this. I’ve probably made an error somewhere in this post. I usually do…

I try hard never to be cruel or unkind when I’m reviewing documents. Most people are doing their best and want a bit of support, but I also don’t think it’s helpful to let obvious grammatical errors slip by. I figure that if people are asking for help with their writing then they really do want to learn.

I try not to be a grammar snob

I prefer to think of myself as a word nerd – a person who likes words and language in all its forms.

I don’t know that much about grammar actually. I often can’t remember what the parts of speech are called (subject, verb, object, adjective, adverb etc.) although I was pretty pleased with myself this morning when my husband asked me what the word ‘the’ was called and I knew it was a definite article. Actually, I was just guessing, but it turned out I was right. It’s the only definite article in the English language so it’s not that hard to remember.

My mother taught me everything I know

Most of what I know comes from having a mother who insisted that we spoke properly when we were growing up and this has been very helpful over the years. If I’m not sure about something, I just go with my gut feelings and this has been a pretty good policy. Keep in mind that there are also some situations where you can be technically correct according to the rules of grammar, but you will sound like a complete weirdo, so I suggest that you try and stick with the most common usage. Only a grammar snob will pick you up and quite frankly they should find something better to do with their time.

I’d be interested to know if there are aspects of writing that you find particularly challenging?