grammar rules in creative writing

So Wrong It's Right: Bending Grammar Rules in Your Fiction Writing

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Introduction

Mastering the rules of grammar is a long, difficult process. You know what's even more difficult than learning the rules? Learning how to break them. Breaking grammar rules in fiction writing is tricky: How do you know which rules are breakable and which are nonnegotiable? Luckily, the experts at Scribendi have some information to help you learn how to use grammar in fiction to enhance your story, characters, and narrative voice.

Recent Developments in Descriptive Grammar

Descriptive grammar remains an essential tool for general writers seeking to understand and effectively use language in their writing. Descriptive grammar focuses on describing how language is used by speakers and writers in real-life contexts, rather than prescribing rules for how it should be used. 

Here are some recent developments in descriptive grammar for general writers:

• Emphasis on Linguistic Diversity: Descriptive grammar acknowledges the diversity of language usage across different regions, communities, and social groups. Writers are encouraged to embrace the grammar apocalypse  and understand the sociolinguistic factors that influence language use, such as dialects, slang, and language contact.
• Digital Language Analysis Tools: Advances in technology have led to the development of digital tools and resources that facilitate descriptive grammar analysis for writers. These tools, such as corpus linguistics databases and text analysis software, enable writers to analyze patterns of language use in large datasets and gain insights into common usage trends.
• Interdisciplinary Applications: Descriptive grammar intersects with various disciplines, including linguistics, education, psychology, and communication studies. Writers are increasingly drawing on insights from descriptive grammar research to inform their writing practices and contribute to interdisciplinary discussions on language use and communication.
• Continued Research and Scholarship: Scholars continue to conduct research on descriptive grammar, exploring new theories, methodologies, and applications in both academic and practical contexts. Recent publications in descriptive grammar cover a wide range of topics, including syntax, morphology, discourse analysis, and language variation.

Bending Grammar Rules in Character Dialogue

If there's any acceptable place to play around with grammar, it's in your characters' dialogue. This can include first-person narration and internal dialogue, where staying true to your character's voice is more important than staying true to your Strunk & White .

In character dialogue, you can be flexible about the use of colloquialisms, contractions, sentence fragments, ellipses, and sometimes—though you must be very careful about this last one—commas. Contractions, slang, and ellipses can be used to create more natural-sounding speech, as we see in this line from Cody, a high school student having an intense conversation with his mother:

"What? Where was I last night? Oh . . . uh, well, you know . . . I wasn't at that party at the town pool, if that's what you're asking about."

If we were terribly concerned about Cody's use of formal grammar, the above sentence would look more like this:

"What is it that you are asking me? Do you want to know where I was last night? Oh, well, I was not at that party at the town pool, if that is the matter about which you are asking."

The first sentence obviously does much more to communicate Cody's manner of speaking, which makes it a better sentence. It's perfectly fine for Cody to use contractions, stutter, and end his sentences with prepositions. He's not a PhD candidate completing his thesis on molecular biology—he's a 16-year-old boy lying to his mother.

While learning the nuances of natural language versus correct language is an important part of writing dialogue, this casual usage must be accompanied by intelligent and thoughtful punctuation.

Using Purposeful Sentence Fragments

Many writers play with grammar in fiction by using sentence fragments. However, some authors depend too heavily on such fragments to establish their distinct writing "style." They see the freedom of fiction writing, and they get carried away! That's how some books end up with openings like this:

The wind on her cheeks. Firewood burning. Smells, sights, sounds. Her past, her future, her life. And now? Nothing. All of it. Like her. Gone .

This overuse of fragments creates many questions for the reader, and maybe even some frustration. Instead, strive for balance, like this:

The wind on her cheeks, firewood burning . . . all the smells, sights, and sounds of her life seemed to come together at once. She once had a past, she thought—maybe she had even had a future. And now? Nothing. All of it, like her, just . . . gone .

If sentence fragments aren't used purposefully, they're not contributing to your story; indeed, they're likely taking away from it. Instead of trying to use grammar in fiction to create your own style, focus instead on writing your story —your writing style will come through on its own. Don't try to force it with fragments.

Playing with Punctuation

The first rule about playing with punctuation? Do not play with punctuation before you understand punctuation. The second rule of playing with punctuation? Do not play with punctuation before you understand punctuation!

If you think commas are required only when one would take a breath or semicolons and colons are pretty much the same thing, then you're simply not ready to start breaking grammar rules in fiction writing.

If you're an adept punctuator, here are some basic guidelines: You can't get creative with semicolons or colons, but you can play around a bit with commas, dashes, and periods. You can also see what happens when you neglect punctuation altogether, though this technique should be used sparingly and for a very clear purpose. For example, if your protagonist is enduring emotional turmoil, and your story is being told from their perspective, you might omit some punctuation to reflect a state of mind during a key event:

I looked everywhere for him, but he had disappeared. "Jesse?" I called, my voice wrought with the desperation and helplessness I was trying not to feel. "Jesse? Where are you? Jesse?" Before I knew what I was doing, I was running up and down the aisles of the store, my sandals slapping the cold tile with each pounding step, and I was yelling—no, screaming—for my son. My mind was racing, my breathing hard. Oh God what have I done where is he my son please God I can't have lost him oh God I lost him I lost him I lost him.

As you can see, there's a lot to learn about breaking grammar rules in fiction. You won't master it overnight, and it's certainly not something you'll conquer without a bit of help . The key to playing with grammar in fiction is being flexible and open to others' opinions. After all, your goal isn't to be the only one who likes (or understands) your work!

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How grammar can deepen creative and literary experiences

By Sara Snelling

06 Feb 2023

In this article:

How knowledge of grammar can unlock creativity

Developing a deeper understanding of the world, enjoying the written word on a deeper level, writing creatively and playfully, how bedrock nurtures this link between grammar and creativity in its learners.

Grammar is a set of structural rules with the power to unlock creativity. It can deepen our understanding of the world, make reading a richer experience and unlock creative writing skills.

In this article, we focus on grammar’s role as a mechanism for meaning-making through literacy experiences.

Grammar describes the patterns we use to combine words to make meaning. As with most patterns, there is scope for creativity.

From a structural perspective, grammar rules define how we put together words to form phrases, clauses or sentences. When everyone uses the same rules, it’s easier to understand each other, through the written and spoken word.

Looking beyond its function as a form-making, structural tool, grammar also plays a prominent role in creative meaning-making. As children develop through primary education, they gradually make this association. They are first formally introduced to grammar in its form-based guise through SpAG instruction, and later move on to understanding the creative impact of grammar and vocabulary choices and how they can deepen literary experiences .

It’s this understanding of the link between grammar choice and effect that can inspire creativity. A playful approach to experimenting with form and structure demonstrates grammar’s potential – paving the way for deeper understanding and giving writers access to a universal tool to create and share meaning.

Here are a few examples of grammar that can be used creatively:

• Contractions can create urgency in how someone speaks, building pace and suspense.
• Prepositions and conjunctions feed into literary techniques, such as the simile’s use of ‘like’ or ‘as’.
• Punctuation can add irony or hyperbole to a sentence.
• The comma is a hugely versatile punctuation mark that can direct the reader’s attention to key pieces of information, illustrate relationships between words, phrases and clauses, and add emotion and tone.
• The traditional subject-verb-object word order of sentences can be turned on its head. The writer and director George Lucas famously used this in his ‘Star Wars’ series for his Yoda character. The ‘object-subject-verb’ word order in many of Yoda’s sentences – “Much to learn you still have.” – identifies him as a character of mystery who stands apart from the other characters.

Some researchers point to the wider knowledge-related benefits of teaching grammar. These include understanding how language works, deepening understanding of the human mind, and facilitating students’ reasoning and stimulating critical thinking skills .

There is ongoing research and discussion around the merits of non-literacy-related reasons for teaching grammar, but most would agree that literary experiences themselves help develop a deeper understanding of the world around us. Literacy elements, such as grammar, help unlock that literary experience.

In this context, literary-related outcomes can be achieved by using grammar and other literary devices to open up new worlds, provide intellectual insight, and create a roadmap for thought.

Take J.B. Priestley’s play, ‘An Inspector Calls’, as an example. It is a moralistic play set in 1912 that highlights the inequalities of society and conveys the author’s socialist views.

It features the Birlings, a powerful and wealthy family from the higher classes. Their status is evident through the self-assured speeches of the patriarch, Mr. Birling. Priestley used long, complicated sentence structures to reflect Birling’s position of privilege and his expectation that people would listen and make the effort to extract his intended meaning.

Following are examples of Mr Birling’s long-winded sentences:

• “Why, a friend of mine went over this new liner last week – the Titanic – she sails next week – forty-six thousand eight hundred tons – forty-six thousand eight hundred tons – New York in five days – and every luxury – and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.”
• “But the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.”
• Inspector Goole is the character through whom Priestley delivers his moral message. In contrast to Birling, he speaks plainly and bluntly in short, simple sentences. This gives him an air of authority and power over the other characters.

Following are some examples of quotes from Inspector Goole:

• When he describes the victim’s death by drinking disinfectant, his speech is harsh and to the point: “Burnt her inside out, of course.”
• In response to Birling’s affront at being questioned about his actions, he asserts his position of power: “It’s my duty to ask questions.”
• He knocks back Birling’s daughter’s belated wish that she had helped the victim: “It’s too late. She’s dead.”
• The contrasting grammar structure between the Inspector and the Birlings throughout the play helps subconsciously embed the class divide of the time. It gives power to the Inspector, who is used to convey the author’s views on the upper classes and capitalism.

Grammar is the glue that joins words, sentences and paragraphs together to create meaning. Understanding grammar helps learners access that meaning, and results in a deeper literary experience.

Grammatical structures and punctuation create cohesion of ideas, signposting key information, and softly pointing out other relevant details that contribute to the inference process (I’m looking at you, embedded clause). When a reader reaches fluency, they’re reading with accuracy, automaticity and prosody , and grammar knowledge contributes to each of these skills.

Understanding grammar, therefore, leads to a more rewarding literacy experience during which readers access deeper meaning. For example, they can:

• Find the internal logic of a novel or poem through patterns of language use
• Understand a situation from different characters’ perspectives.

Mark Haddon’s book, ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’, is an example of how grammar knowledge can give readers an understanding of a character and experience the world from their perspective.

The book is written in the first person, with the protagonist Christopher Boone also the narrator. Fifteen-year-old Christopher is autistic. This is not explicitly stated in the book but is conveyed through Christopher’s narration of his interactions with the world as he investigates the murder of his neighbour’s dog.

Some sentences are very short and precise, reflecting Christopher’s matter-of-factness and frank manner. Others are long and rambling and have a childlike quality. Many begin with a conjunction, such as the repetitive use of ‘and’ in the quote below, reflecting his dry style of communication and logical reporting of events that might be expected to elicit more emotion.

And Mrs. Alexander said, “Your mother, before she died, was very good friends with Mr. Shears.”

And I said, “I know.”

And she said, “No, Christopher, I’m not sure that you do. I mean that they were very good friends. Very, very good friends.”

The flow of the sentences shows us that Christopher is reporting in a detached manner and misses the key connection between Mr. Shears and his mother. The reader, on the other hand, is left in no doubt.

Grammar usage throughout the book cleverly takes the reader through the story from Christopher’s perspective, while facilitating coherence and inference that goes beyond Christopher’s perception of events. The reader experiences the story from and beyond the narrator’s point of view.

Research links creative and meaningful teaching of grammar with enhanced writing skills.

The key to unlocking the creative writing benefits of grammar is to teach it within a writing context, not as a separate topic. Professor Debra Myhill and the team at the University of Exeter talk about introducing young writers to ‘a repertoire of infinite possibilities’ . This involves explicit demonstration of how choices in sentence structure and word usage generate different possibilities for meaning-making.

Playing with different grammar structures demonstrates the possibilities and can help young writers find a distinctive voice. It can help them:

• Avoid cliches by having the grammar knowledge and confidence to explore their voice and style of writing.
• Improve imagery by understanding how descriptive language and grammar interact; for example, through interesting sentence structure, use of strong nouns, verbs and modifiers, and careful selection of punctuation.
• Think deeply about word choice and how to place their chosen words within sentences in such a way as to create their desired effect (or as Yoda might say, Meaning they will make! ).

Michael Rosen, poet and Professor of Children’s Literature, suggests that ‘imitation, parody and invention’ are great ways of using grammar to improve writing. With this in mind, exposing learners to examples of grammar within creative texts demonstrates its potential and provides the basis for imitation and parody.

Charles Dickens is an example of a writer who used grammar creatively and with a distinctive voice. ‘A Christmas Carol’ is a lively text bursting with strong imagery. Written in the Victorian times, when reading aloud was common in families, there is a musical pace to the ‘Carol’ and throughout its ‘staves’.

In the opening line, he makes innovative use of well-placed punctuation to build curiosity - Marley was dead: to begin with . The order of the sentence and the pause in the middle grabs the reader’s attention from the start and hint at the supernatural theme to come.

Shortly after this, he uses alliteration through repetition of the adjective ‘sole’ to hit home the extent of the solitary life Marley had lived.

• “Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend, and sole mourner.”

Conventional writing instruction might suggest students refrain from over-use of adjectives and focus on strong nouns, but as this example shows grammar can be used cleverly, creatively and unconventionally to great effect in writing. We must master the rules in order to break them.

Creativity and gamification are great vehicles to reinforce literacy skills in learners, whether they are in primary or secondary education. However, providing sufficient creative resources to learners to ensure grammar skills are mastered can be time-consuming and tricky to maintain.

Bedrock teaches its explicit grammar curriculum through creative tasks, teaching videos and bespoke texts . We recognise the importance not only of equipping learners with the skills to understand and recreate grammar rules, but also to think creatively and critically about how grammar is used. Learners experience grammar embedded into real texts and situations, and are encouraged to analyse the purpose of certain grammar techniques.

As well as this, these grammar techniques are taught alongside explicit Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary , giving learners the skills and the confidence to express themselves through literacy.

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10 Oct 2022

To Break or Not To Break: Breaking Rules in Writing

A new blog series on why rules exist, when writers shouldn’t break them, and how writers can break them effectively

Welcome to my new blog series! The series is dedicated to helping writers understand how they can break writing rules to achieve certain goals.

The art of writing is often seen as a means to communicate ideas effectively, and rules — from grammar rules to genre conventions — are usually regarded as the backbone of clear communication. However, writers, particularly creative writers, often break grammar rules deliberately, using them as tools to create unique and effective writing styles. While haphazardly breaking grammar rules can lead to negative consequences, breaking them creatively can enhance readers’ experience and understanding.

The saying “Know the rules so you can break the rules” (attributed to the Dalai Lama XIV)  holds true for grammar as well. A similar quote (attributed to Pablo Picasso) is “Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist.” Understanding the rules helps writers break them effectively, and this is especially true for creative writers. Some of the most memorable and impactful pieces of literature have been written by authors who have broken grammar rules with intention and skill.

But when creative writers break these rules haphazardly and without understanding the reason for the rule in the first place, one or more negative consequences might occur: The intended meaning of a sentence might be obscured. The writer might reveal their ignorance of a rule and damage their credibility and competence as a writer. Readers might be turned off.

There are readers greatly familiar with rules who will always be turned off by broken rules, perhaps because they have deeply internalized those rules, along with the idea that a writer who breaks such rules is a “bad” writer. Other readers who are less familiar with rules might not even realize when a rule has been broken, and those readers might get nothing out of a cleverly broken rule, despite how “clever” the writer was. Then, there’s the sweet spot: the readers in the middle who understand that a rule has been broken and see the broken rule as a clever creative writing strategy. In those cases, the reader feels rewarded by the broken rule, and the writer reaps the rewards of their readers’ appreciation. 

Various spheres of writing exist, including academic, professional, creative, and social. These spheres can and do overlap. Writers might be able to effectively break rules in one sphere but not another. 

In academic and professional writing, for example, the ultimate goal is usually clarity : making ideas as clear as possible to readers. This is why the need for grammatical correctness in these spheres of writing is more important than it is in creative writing. 

While clarity is important in creative writing, other important goals exist, as well. These include creative goals, such as the goal to entertain, the goal to create authentic character voices, the goal to affect the reader in a certain way (through atmosphere, tone, etc.), the goal to inspire a new wheel, and more. Modern-day social writing shares some of these goals, along with other goals, such as the goal to rebel against the norm (a goal often seen in social writing of younger generations). Understanding the spheres of writing can help writers to determine which rules they can break and in which circumstances.

Some writers are going to have more difficulty grasping and understanding rules, particularly grammar rules. Writers whose first language isn’t English and writers of certain upbringings can struggle more with grammar, and those writers should not be punished for grammar errors or deterred from their own creative writing pursuits. In a perfect world, those writers wouldn’t be punished by readers, but we don’t live in a perfect world, and writers are, unfortunately, shamed by their readers when they demonstrate misunderstandings in the field of which they are meant to be “experts.” 

The content of this blog series is not intended to shame those writers who struggle with grammar (or other writing conventions); rather, I hope this series can serve as a tool for those writers as much as it can for other writers for whom writing concepts might come more easily. 

This series includes descriptions of rules, real-life examples of broken rules, and discussions of how breaking those rules hinders or enhances a reader’s experience or understanding. 

It is important to realize that rules are always evolving, and rules vary across languages, places, dialects, disciplines, genres, and style guides. (This series will focus specifically on American English grammar rules, in addition to other writing rules, such as commercial-genre writing rules.) 

Also, if a writer succeeds in getting published, their publisher/editor might have more sway than they do regarding which writing rules can be broken. However, if the writer can make a strong case for why they want to break a certain rule, the editor is more likely to be receptive to the broken rule.

On the other hand, if you are self-publishing, then your creative decisions are your own, which means that your responsibility to break rules strategically requires even more thought. 

Language is always evolving, and grammar and other writing conventions evolve along with it. There will always be people who hang on to the past and who believe that traditional rules—no matter how outdated they are—should still be applied. There will always be certain readers who look down on writers who break certain rules, even when those rules are broken effectively. This is why it is essential for writers to understand that they can’t please everyone. They should try to focus on their intended readership. 

I hope you enjoy this forthcoming series! If you have any specific writing rules you’d like this series to cover, please drop a comment below. Feel free to share your own approaches to breaking rules in writing. Stay tuned for our first post!

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5 ways to teach the link between grammar and imagination for better creative writing

PhD Student, School of Education, Curtin University

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Brett Healey does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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Fiction authors are pretty good at writing sentences with striking images, worded just the right way.

We might suppose the images are striking because the author has a striking imagination. But the words seem just right because the author also has a large repertoire of grammar.

Read more: Writing needs to be taught and practised. Australian schools are dropping the focus too early

As writing teachers, we often neglect one of these skills in favour of the other. If we inspire students to write creatively at length but don’t teach them how to use the necessary grammatical structures , they struggle to phrase their ideas well. If we teach students about grammar in isolation, they tend not to apply it to their stories .

But research shows it’s possible to teach grammar as a way to strengthen students’ writing.

My research with year 5 students examined one method of teaching grammar for writing. We can teach students how to imagine the scene they are creating, and then teach them which grammatical features help turn their imagination into text .

Read more: 4 ways to teach you're (sic) kids about grammar so they actually care

I found five effective ways to teach the link between imagination and grammar.

1. Set up the imaginative tripod

Most of the stories students brought to me lacked a clear sense of perspective. I taught students to imagine their scene like a film director – they had to decide exactly where their camera tripod should be set up to film their scene. Placing it above, close, far away from or beside the character creates different images and effects.

Then I showed them how careful use of adverbs, verbs and prepositions creates this perspective in writing.

This is done in Philip Pullman’s novel, Northern Lights , to place you right beside the character in the room.

“The only light in here came from the fireplace”

Read more: Why does grammar matter?

2. Zoom in on the details

Young writers often need help adding detail to their stories. A film director might zoom right in on a character’s hand pulling the trigger on a gun to intensify the action of shooting. A writer does the same. I taught students to imagine significant details up close, which helped them select specific nouns to place in the subject position of the sentence.

In Aquila , by Andrew Norriss, specific nouns of body parts are the actors in the sentence.

“As his feet searched for a foothold, his fingers gripped the grass.”

3. Track the movement

It is common for students to write about movement in rather static terms, such as “she ran home”. In a film, a director might choose to follow the movement by panning the camera, using a dolly, or filming multiple shots to allow us to experience the full path of movement.

I taught students to imagine watching the movement in their stories through a series of windows – first, second, third – and choose which parts they wanted to include. This helped them choose which verbs and prepositional phrases to use.

In The Fellowship of the Ring , by J.R.R. Tolkien, we watch Bill the pony galloping off through three windows, each with a prepositional phrase.

“Bill the pony gave a wild neigh of fear, and turned tail and dashed away along the lakeside into the darkness .”

I also taught students to describe how much space an object takes up using the same movement grammar, such as stretched along and rose from .

In The Graveyard Book , by Neil Gaiman, we pan across the perimeter of the cemetery.

“Spike-topped iron railings ran around part of the cemetery, a high brick wall around the rest of it.”

4. Focus the attention

When we read a novel, there is always something standing out in our attention: a thing, a description, a feeling, an action. I taught students to think about which part of their scene stands out in their mind, and then use “attention-seeking” grammar to focus on it.

Read more: To succeed in an AI world, students must learn the human traits of writing

One way to make things stand out is to use grammar that deviates from conventional use, like placing adjectives after nouns. Another way is to use repeated grammatical structures.

In Tolkien’s The Return of the King we get both of these at the same time to contrast the physical states of the orc and Sam.

“But the orc was in its own haunts, nimble and well-fed . Sam was a stranger, hungry and weary .”

5. Convey the energy of action

Many of the students wanted to create action scenes in their stories, which they did using the previous strategies. However, they lacked the energy felt in an action-packed novel. I showed them a sentence like this one from The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands.

“A musket ball tore at my hair as it punched into the window frame behind me, sending out a shower of splinters .”

The students could see how energy transfers across the clauses, like dominoes, from noun to noun. In this case, the energy starts with the musket ball , and transfers to hair , window frame and finally the shower of splinters , carried by the action verbs.

I asked the students to imagine how a chain of action might appear in their stories and select the appropriate nouns and verbs to do the job.

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Why You Should Break Grammar Rules On Purpose

by C. Hope Clark | 21 comments

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Critique groups are banes or blessings, depending upon your experiences. I've endured both, but in the long run I consider a critique group an asset in a writer's toolbox. They come with their good points and bad, their strong writers and weak, the arrogant and the fearful. And invariably you'll find the one who deems himself the grammar police.

Photo by Vectorportal

He (or she) will don a green, red, or other colored pen and commence to circling passive voice, noting Oxford commas, crossing through the use of HAD and THAT, underscoring your split infinitives, and chastising you for beginning a sentence with AND or BUT. Heaven help you if you end a sentence with OF, TO or AT.

And invariably a writer will stand tall and profess that he writes from the soul, the heart, or some other part of their body, and that strict adherence to grammar rules handcuffs a creative spirit.

Grammar is Not a Cage

Pontificating about creativity is worthless if you don't understand the structure of the English language. On the other hand, once you know it well, you can use your imagination to play those rules to your advantage in designing brilliant dialogue and narrative.

At a recent conference, I attended a basic writing class, thinking I'd relax between the sessions I was presenting, and would outline some blog ideas. Instead, I caught myself taking notes.

I learned that splitting infinitives was never taboo. You can end a sentence with a preposition. You can begin a sentence with a conjunction, and you are allowed to use double negatives. Since the Hemingway days, writing has become less personal, more communicative, and preferred in a crisper, clearer, more precise manner. Grammar is a framework for your writing, not a cage.

However, until you understand the ins and outs of grammar, you can't manipulate it to your advantage. Lay your hands on a copy of The Chicago Manual of Style and keep it at the ready as you write.

Grammar Checklist

As I edit my manuscript drafts, I keep a list of words on a notepad. Some of these are my repetitious shortcomings, but others remind me of grammar rules. One I reach the end of a draft chapter I've reread painfully and thoroughly, I go back in a “search and find” mode to remind myself what may need attention. For instance, my current list contains:

Adverbs – just, suddenly, nearly, finally, now, very, almost, really Telling Verbs – seemed, felt Passive Verbs – is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been, has, have, had – the derivatives of TO BE and TO HAVE Body References – look, stare, glare, breathe, breath, sigh, nod, shrug Empty Words – some, almost, beginning to, began to The Ambiguous Noun/Verbs – there is, there was, it is, it was, that is, that was

My repetitious words in the current book consist of – new, crap, traffic, arm, knew. This list will grow throughout the current novel, and the list in my next novel will contain different words. In amusement, I noted that the words PISS, HELL, and ATTITUDE appeared a few times too many.

Obviously, my protagonist has her hands full in book two of The Carolina Slade Mystery Series .

What words prevent your writing from shining its brightest?

Choose a work-in-progress. Read only one page for fifteen minutes , solely to hunt for grammar issues.  Make a list of grammar and word weaknesses and post what surprised you most here.

C. Hope Clark

C. Hope Clark. Hope is author of The Carolina Slade Mystery Series from Bell Bridge Books (Lowcountry Bribe, 2012 and Tidewater Murder, 2013 with Palmetto Poison due 2014). She is also founder and editor of FundsforWriters.com and its family of weekly newsletters. You can follow her on her blog, chopeclark.com or on Twitter (@hopeclark).

21 Comments

Purple, actually. That’s my pen-color of choice. I’ve had friends get stacks of critques back and in class eagerly flip through them saying, “I need to find the purple because I know Katie fixed my commas.” I am relaxing slightly in my old age. But not much because I work in academia.

Katie The comma police person in my writing group uses green ink. *wink*

Whether it be good grammer or bad grammer, I am writing in the moment. I do the best I can to express what is going on as I experience the thought of the moment. I hope that made sense.

ml – your life is blessed with your writing, you are living, truly living in the moment and capturing it – well done – you

Thank you, I need all the support I can get.

saw yr mess. I t’d, fb’d ,g+’d

I am old-school English grammar taught, 11 plus passed, Grammar School educated. I had relatives who would correct my spoken grammar – “Sean and I” not “me and Sean”. It was to be said in a plummy accent (English posh) which made my life in the poor end of town unbearable.

My written grammar was scrutinised, essays were written based on my errors. I am sorry, American friends, but you really have no idea how high the bar was surrounded by copperplate handwriting books and old maiden Aunt teachers. Woe to me if I failed a spelling test – a little impromptu fun or used I’ve instead of the correct I have. Presents were given of Ronald Ridout’s grammar books, they thought, bless them, they were being hip.

I have the rules in my head and I break them, in fact I don’t just break them – I smash them into a thousand smithereens. I love to use prose as poetry, it has to move in a rhythmic dance, and if it doesn’t, it ain’t my dance, my song, my revolution and it gets hacked to pieces.

Grammar if it is broken, must be broken for a reason, (as above), or not at all.

A dear friend of mine had to write a report on a conference. Every sentence began – ‘And then I went’. It was dire, it was so bad I couldn’t resurrect it for her and made up the conference report based on hearsay and the brochure. She got her promotion based on that work and we have a favour based relationship – I proof read and edit without mercy for her , she grooms my dog. Win-win.

As an aside – it took my five goes at spelling hearsay, I don’t think I have ever written the word and for some reason I thought it was “heresay”, which spellchecker didn’t like, it preferred heresy! So maybe breaking the rules of grammar is grammatical heresy but I learned to spell a new word today!

You rock on Suzie! 🙂

Hey thanks Yvette Rebel Suzie to the fore!!!

It always depends on my audience.

I spend the majority of my time deleting the word “that”.

James – mine is HAD.

I’m not sure about breaking grammar rules but I do know a writer should be sure she knows the definition of a word before she uses it. “Don” means to put on, as clothes. It does not mean to pick up, as a pen.

Appropriate name, Picky. But I practically wear my pen, so maybe it’s applicable?

The basic problem is that conversational English does not match up with classic literary English. Split infinitives are the most common incidence of this discrepancy. Does a writer want to identify with the man in the street, John Doe, by posing the question, “What’s the world coming to?” Or, does the writer want to satisfy the stodgy requirements of the (dead)King’s English?, by dutifully scribing this obsolete oddity: “To what is the world coming?” The other area of legibly persuasive communication that is often misunderstoood (or misused , depending on your point-of-view) is the predicateless statement, such as: “Been there, done that.” This phrase was popularized by a President of the United State, George H.W. Bush, because he wanted to make a statement as simply, as concisely, as possible to the American people. (God bless him.) Should he have declared, “I have been there; I have done that.” ? I don’t think so. He may have satisfied, by so stating, the requirements of his Yalie colleagues, but he would have thereby failed at really relating to the great huddled masses of his fellow-Americans who are yearning to be free. Grammarly oppression! Then there’s the problem of the comma versus the period when the writer (speaker) knows that there should be a conversational emphasis on what he has just expressed. The problem here is that the syntactical appendage at the end will reside in the sentence as just another syntactial component of the oh-so-properly-constructed sentence, diluting the dramatic impact of the statement. Boring! Grammatical liberation! That’s what the world needs. Right now!

R u ready for it?

When editing my latest book I found I’d used the word ‘all’ endlessly! Not sure why or how that happened. But I’ve got to say, looking at that list given above of ‘the grammar checklist’, wow I felt like I’d put on a straitjacket! It was stifling. I mean, if you take out that entire list, is there anything left?

Oh my yes. There’s so much more and BETTER left to work with. When I write, sanitizing my bad habits, makes me think twice about leaving one of them in, say, per chapter. I have to find other means to make my point, and it makes my writing deeper.

Hope, you’ve won me over. Perfect timing too, because I’m on the verge of major edits. I will apply these tips and see what unfolds….

I overuse the word ‘but’. But I’m working on that.

The rules I personally use are: 1) Clarity. If adhering to the rules of grammar make your writing appear confusing, then it’s okay to deviate from the rules. 2) Flow. If your reader needs to decipher what you mean, then their attention is distracted from the content of your writing. This can be caused by spelling and grammatical errors, but can also be caused in cases where strict adherence to grammar makes a sentence more awkward.

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10 Reasons Writers Should Master Grammar

by Melissa Donovan | May 4, 2021 | Better Writing | 51 comments

Should you learn good grammar?

Each writer has a different perspective on how accurate grammar needs to be.

Some are sticklers who insist on adhering to the highest standards of the literary order. Others are comfortable taking creative liberties and believe that breaking the rules is an art unto itself and a practice that should be embraced.

Me? I’m somewhere in the middle. I believe that a writer who is dedicated to the craft will take the time and invest the energy required to master the most basic tools, grammar being foremost among them. But I also believe there are situations in which it’s best to break the rules — as long as you know which rules you’re breaking and why.

Too many times I’ve heard aspiring writers shrug off grammar, saying they’d rather focus on plot or character, they’d prefer to use a natural, unlearned approach to keep the writing raw, or they will simply hire an editor to do their dirty work.

I have a hard time buying into those lines of reasoning. Refusing to bother with grammar is just plain lazy, especially for writers who yearn to be more than hobbyists.

10 Good Reasons to Pursue Good Grammar

Why should writers embrace grammar rather than make excuses for ignoring it? Here are ten reasons good grammar should be a central pursuit in your writing efforts:

1. Readability

If your work is peppered with grammatical mistakes and typos, your readers are going to have a hard time trudging through it. Nothing is more distracting than being yanked out of a good story because a word is misspelled or a punctuation mark is misplaced. You should always respect your readers enough to deliver a product that is enjoyable and easy to use.

2. Communication

Some musicians learn to play by ear and never bother learning how to read music. Many of them don’t even know which notes and chords they’re playing, even though they can play a full repertoire of recognizable songs and probably a few of their own. But get them in a room with other musicians and they’ll quickly become isolated. You can’t engage with others in your profession if you don’t speak the language of your industry. Good luck talking shop with writers and editors if you don’t know the parts of speech, the names of punctuation marks, and all the other components of language and writing that are related to good grammar.

3. Getting Published

How will you get that short story, essay, or blog post published if you don’t know the basics of grammar, spelling, and punctuation? Sure, some managing editors will go over your work and clean it up for you, but most reputable publishers have enough submissions that they can drop grammatically weak work into the rejection pile without thinking twice.

4. Working with an Editor

I love it when writers say they can just hire an editor. This goes back to communication. If you can’t talk shop with other writers, you certainly won’t be able to converse intelligently about your work and its flaws with a professional editor. How will you respond to feedback and revision suggestions or requests when you don’t know what the heck the editor is talking about? Remember, it’s your work. Ultimately, the final version is your call and you won’t be able to approve it if you’re clueless about what’s wrong with it.

5. Saving Money

Speaking of hiring an editor, you should know that editors will only go so far when correcting a manuscript. It’s unseemly to return work to a writer that is solid red with markups. Most freelance editors and proofreaders have a limit to how much they will mark up any given text, so the more grammar mistakes there are, the more surface work the editor will have to do. That means she won’t be able to get into the nitty gritty and make significant changes that take your work from average to superior because she’s breaking a sweat just trying to make it readable.

6. Invest in Yourself

Learning grammar is a way to invest in yourself. You don’t need anything more than a couple of good writing resources and a willingness to take the time necessary to hone your skills. In the beginning, it might be a drag, but eventually, all those grammar rules will become second nature and you will have become a first-rate writer.

7. Respectability, Credibility, and Authority

As a first-rate writer who has mastered good grammar, you will gain respect, credibility, and authority among your peers. People will take you seriously and regard you as a person who is committed to the craft of writing, not just some hack trying to string words together in a haphazard manner.

8. Better Writing All Around

When you’ve taken the time to learn grammar, it becomes second nature. As you write, the words and punctuation marks come naturally because you know what you’re doing; you’ve studied the rules and put in plenty of practice. That means you can focus more of your attention on other aspects of your work, like structure, context, and imagery (to name a few). This leads to better writing all around.

9. Self-Awareness

Some people don’t have it. They charge through life completely unaware of themselves or the people around them. But most of us possess some sense of self. What sense of self can you have as a writer who doesn’t know proper grammar? That’s like being a carpenter who doesn’t know what a hammer and nails are. It’s almost indecent.

10. There’s Only One Reason to Abstain from Good Grammar

There is really only one reason to avoid learning grammar: you’re just plain lazy. Anything else is a silly excuse. Like I said, I’m all for breaking the rules when doing so makes the work better, but how can you break rules effectively if you don’t know what the rules are?

No matter what trade, craft, or career you’re pursuing, it all starts with learning the basics. Actors learn how to read scripts. Scientists learn how to apply the scientific method. Politicians learn how to… well, never mind what politicians do. We are writers. We must learn how to write well, and writing well definitely requires using good grammar.

Share your favorite reasons why writers should embrace good grammar by leaving a comment. Feel free to recommend useful writing resources and grammar guides. And keep writing!

51 Comments

Amen. I’m somewhere in the middle, too. I think it’s important to KNOW the rules because then you can make an educated decision as to which you choose to ignore. Just like when I cook–if at all possible, I follow a recipe as written the first time I make it, to find out what it’s SUPPOSED to be. After that? I’ll leave things out, add things in, make substitutions … do what I want to make it mine. But, you need the base line of what it should be first … or how can you make educated decisions?

I do the same thing with recipes. It’s always good to have a foundation (the rules).

Hi Melissa – This reminds me of the Stephen King video you linked to on here. Writers need to read a lot, to learn what good grammar looks like. The problem is, if most of that reading is done on the Internet, they get used to seeing bad writing.

I still make a lot of mistakes. I use Strunk and White but sometimes I’m too lazy to grab it off the shelf.

Yes, I think it’s important to read offline or to be conscious about the material you’re reading online. There is definitely a lot of bad grammar on the web!

The first thing that came to my mind when I read the title was the readability issue, which you have listed here as the first reason. It would be really frustrating for the readers if the grammar issues keep getting in the way of the story or messages. The writers must remove these road blocks for the readers if they want to take the readers to a different place.

Yep. I catch typos and other mistakes occasionally when I’m reading a book and it always pulls me out of the story because I have to stop and check it a few times. Then I kind of giggle because I caught one that slipped past the editor! It definitely happens more frequently online. I don’t think very much material on the web, especially on blogs, goes through an editorial process.

Fundamentally the premise is sound. However it does presume the use of good grammar is recognised by the reader.

Bad grammar is increasingly common. Appalling grammar is heard in everyday speech, presumably the same mistakes are made in the written word, thus doesn’t the question of correct grammar depend upon which end of the market the piece is aimed at? What seems to writers to be grammatically correct may leap off the page as sounding completely wrong to a reader who habitually uses poor grammar.

No editor ever applauded a writer for being grammatically incorrect – any writer should use accepted English spelling and grammar.

Well, I’m not sure what field you’d be in if you were intentionally writing poorly for an audience that lacks grammar skills. I don’t like the idea of pandering to the least common denominator. I suppose there are instances when readers who don’t know proper grammar assume that a well written piece is wrong just because it’s not constructed the way they would speak or write, but again, I don’t know why a writer would write for an audience such as that. I suppose one could argue that an ESL audience wouldn’t have a good grasp on English grammar, but being lazy in writing for the ESL audience for that reason only impedes the audience from engaging with properly composed work, and that’s a pretty grave disservice to one’s readers. The argument you’re proposing seems to be “Well, the readers don’t know good grammar anyway.” I just think that line of reasoning is presumptuous and unjustified and possibly unethical.

“There is really only one reason to avoid learning grammar: you’re just plain lazy.” Amen. You made me remember an interview with Salvador Dalí I saw some time ago. He was asked if, as a surrealist painter, he considered anatomy an important discipline (seemingly, human anatomy is one of the hardest subjects for an art student). He replied something of the kind: that not learning anatomy was not a sign of genius but a sign of laziness. I think the same is true for the realm of words: you have to know the rules before you can break them. Otherwise you’re like the musician who plays wrong the song that everybody knows and defends himself saying that it was a “creative” (ahem) version.

Thanks, Nacho. I agree. I like the story you shared about Salvador Dali because it shows that no matter what creative field you pursue, there are certain things you simply have to learn, and they’re not all fun and creative. (Also, I’m a Dali fan.) There’s nothing wrong with having a lackadaisical approach to something if it’s just a hobby, but if you want to make a career out of it, I really think it’s essential to build your skills.

I am going to take this one more step by asserting that everyone should learn good grammar. Your natural language is a part of your identity and heritage, and it is difficult to comprehend why you not want to have command of your own language. I cannot speak to other countries, but I am appalled by native US citizens who offer excuses such as “I never liked English,” or “I’m not a good speller.” We have become far too cavalier about our language and I’d love to see a return to at least a basic grasp of grammar.

Here in the U.S., I swear there’s a wave of “I have no talent for that” excuses. These days, everyone seems to think “you either have it or you don’t.” People make comments like that about everything from the arts to mechanical or technical skills. I call BS! If you want to learn something, you learn it. If you want to be good or great, then you practice. That’s all there is to it. I agree with you that ideally, everyone would learn good grammar, but unfortunately, it’s not likely to happen anytime soon. I don’t know what’s going on in our country, but there really is no pride or respect in being knowledgeable or educated, which I find completely bizarre.

I agree. Mistakes (perhaps in dialogue or first person) ought to be deliberate. Unintentional errors are just embarrassing and shoddy. I find I go from liking to loving my novels when I edit them.

Yes, I’m always embarrassed when I discover an unintentional mistake. It happens sometimes here, on my blog. I’ll find a typo and get all upset about it. On the other hand, I get kind of excited when I break the rules on purpose and it makes my writing pop.

Wonder what James Joyce would say about your emphasis on “good grammar.” Wonder what you’d (note “you’d” instead of “you would”) say about James Joyce’s “Ulysses.”

Wonder if Bloom would ackle or hackle or cackle or..? You sure reason #11 ain’t hidden in there?

Personally speaking my dear, I found your article somewhat “limiting,” shall I say?

I, myself, always had the idea that “bad” grammar contributed to the development of a language; but then again, I may be wrong…

So, are you arguing that because it’s natural for a language to change and evolve over time and because such changes often come from the masses using the language incorrectly, that we writers should not embrace good grammar? I mean, that would be like saying, “Well, maybe in 100 years we won’t even use capital letters anymore, so I’m just not going to bother learning how capitalize properly.” Sorry dear, I find your argument somewhat “weak.”

Helen, I think you are referring to the technique of “writing in dialect” which is not using bad grammar.

Hi! I mainly wanted to tell you I absolutely LOVE your website! I love the colors, the accessibility… My first reaction was to bookmark it to return easily when I have lots of time to read. If your advice is half as gripping, I might never leave.

As for this post, I totally agree. English is not my native language (I’m Icelandic) but this is a) true about all languages, and b)very important. If you’re going to call yourself a writer, the very least you can do is write properly…

Wow, thanks so much for your kind words. I’m glad you like the site and I hope you do find the articles as engaging as the design. Thanks again!

Readability. I hear all of the reasons but especially that one! I will just stop reading if the author has obviously failed to take the time to fix obvious gaffs. Don’t bother helping me, the reader. I’m just gone!

Yes, I agree. I don’t mind an honest mistake now and then. It happens to all of us! But when it’s obvious the writer just doesn’t care enough to learn the basics or to proofread, why should I care enough to read it?

Thank you very much for a list that does much more than just reach a predetermined number of items. I’ve been saying at least 8 of these reasons for years and years, and it’s all I can do not to just swipe this thing. I’m gonna link to it on my Facebook page.

Thanks, Micheal. I almost stopped at eight, but two more ideas came to me and I ended up with ten.

I’ve been a submissions reader for a small press. Nothing will get a recommendation to reject faster than bad grammar. I can forgive it if it is a character trait (ala Huckleberry Finn), but in narrative it is death to getting a publisher to ask for more.

I always figure that anything you can do to improve your chances in a highly competitive field is worth doing. Thanks for giving us some insider insight.

What a great article. I wholly agree with all the points. Some people don’t like grammar because they say grammar doesn’t agree with their “creativity.” Thing is, they don’t know that we can and should break some grammar rules, but we should know why we broke them. Intentionally making grammatical errors immediately gives away the fact that you are an amateur.

However, grammar isn’t a must in every writing. Dialogue for example, rarely uses perfect and formal sounding grammar, simply because we must write how the character talks. And then there is poetry. I have read poetry which is excellent and grammatically correct , but I have also read poetry which isn’t. It depends on the content itself, rather than the grammar in that form.

Otherwise, good writing has to be grammatically correct. The #1 reason is simply that it increases readability!

Poetry is a constant exception in the world of writing, probably because it’s the most artistic form. It’s also the most magical, and many new turns of phrase are born through poetry, which is one of the many reasons I love it so much. So, we definitely have to be flexible with the rules when dealing with poems and poets. You make a good point about poor grammar giving away one’s status as an amateur.

Sometimes worrying about grammar can stop a writer from putting his or her work out there. Grammar is important, but it can get in the way of writing.

Online writing is suppose to be a conversation , with small paragraphs and a structure very different from print – just like design is different from web to print.

I would rather have the writer start the conversation rather than worry so much about grammar. Once the writer is engaged in the writing process for a while – then begin working on the grammar.

But not so much that the natural flow of the Internet conversation is inhibited.

I love what Michelle Pierce has to say about this on Copyblogger on her post, Three Grammar Rules To Break @ http://www.copyblogger.com/grammar-rules-to-break

Love your site –

I am in full agreement with Michelle Pierce’s “Three Grammar Rules to Break.” However, I’m not so sure that grammar gets in the way of writing. I think grammar makes writing easier. Once you learn grammar basics, you don’t stop so much to wonder if your sentences are structured properly or if you’re using words and punctuation marks correctly. In fact, I find that the more I learn about grammar, the easier it is for me to write.

Of course, there is a learning curve in the beginning, and I think when working through a first (rough) draft, it’s not necessary to pay much heed to technicalities (just get it written!), but I’m always wary of arguments against learning good grammar, even though some of them make sense on the surface.

I would also add that some grammar reference books are a bit archaic. There are times when writing should be modern, conversational, casual, and widely accessible. That’s when we might bend or break the (dated) rules to avoid sounding like eighteenth-century literary snobs.

In reality, “good grammar” has always simply been accepted grammar.Yes, knowing the rules is important, but that is so you can know what rules are worthless and what rules are good ideas. English was always a lesser class language, until the likes of Chaucer and Shakespeare added to it. Only through rule-breaking did the language ever become what we speak now. Only then could we speak of “good grammar.”

Grammar is important to know; it makes things simpler. But history is essential. We should also know why we write a certain way because grammar serves language, not the other way around. If you just write, then knowing the rules is good enough; but if you are a writer, you should know the rules to add to the language. No great anybody mindlessly practiced whatever they did.

That’s just my two cents.

Thanks for your two cents – they were definitely worth sharing. Good food for thought.

I get annoyed when I see poor grammar and spelling mistakes on websites. I’m a web designer, who works on a lot of different websites mainly for corporate and commercial companies, I never write the body copy for the websites because I know my English ain’t up to scratch. We have trained professionals who do the content writing and do a far better job than I could. I think to engage with your audience successfully you have to have the right tone of voice and clear concise break downs of what you do and can do for your clients. There is no more for in-proper English.

Rory, I couldn’t agree more!

Once learnt using the correct grammer can help with the understanding of a langauge and speed up learning and communication. I get annoyed when I see poor grammer too, but some people may not have been taught properly or it may have been an oversight.

That’s true. Everyone makes mistakes and not everyone has had the opportunity to learn good grammar, which is why I always point out that reading, writing, and grammar are not indicators of one’s intelligence.

My mom has taught us to speak properly. Unfortunately for us, it causes to have an attuned ear to spoken grammar. Forgive me, but I hope you used ‘once learnt’ to make a grammatical point. Isn’t it supposed to be “I once learned”? Or perhaps its a way of speaking that I’m just not familiar with.

And for me to get back on topic of the discussion, I personally watch my grammar as I type my books. It is a large part for me. Naturally, I will allow for characteristic grammatical errors. However, I would like to get an opinion: Is it considered socially acceptable to use broken. Up. Sentences? In a narrative? As in, first person, present tense? Like what I’m doing right now to show my (Character’s) thought process? I personally think that it adds to the first person character. But I want professional advice on that. If you need a hard core example, click on my link. That is my book blog. Let me know what you think, please! (And if you are willing, please comment on the blog! No one seems to want to give me real feed back on it.)

In America, we use “learned.” However, in Britain, they use “learnt,” so it is definitely correct and acceptable.

In first-person narrative, I think it’s acceptable to use broken-up sentences, but I would suggest doing so with great caution and to be selective about where to place the breaks. In that style, it’s easy to start using periods and commas to indicate speech patterns or to show where the character pauses and places emphasis in his or her speech. I would avoid doing that and instead focus on parsing the narrative into fragments. We do speak and think in fragments, so this style can lend a realistic edge to the writing. My suggestion would be to write a full chapter and then show it around to some friends who are well read and get their feedback on how it’s working.

Hi, Melissa. Great post! I think you’ve covered just about every reason. I don’t know about other people here, but I even find myself making sure I’m grammatically correct in text messages. To me, it’s all kind of a Zen practice in discipline and focus. Thanks!

I do the same thing with text messages!

Thank you, Melissa, for this very important post. It really saddens me to see our beautiful language, in all its subsets, mangled by ill-use. I have to try hard not to tear at what little remains of my hair when I see, once agin, the verbs ‘to lie’ and ‘to lay’ used incorrectly!

Grammar used to be a basic part of an English education, even in state schools; some were even known as ‘Grammar Schools’ but that is getting away from the point of your post and my comment.

It seems to me that, if you want to make anything worthwhile, you must start with the finest materials you can find and use the best tools available. As you say, there is no causal connection between intelligence and proper grammar but anyone who aspires to be a writer should, in fact must, avail herself of the basics to become one.

I know my fiction is pedestrian and uninspiring; I can, however, be satisfied that the grammar and spelling – and we should never put too much faith in spell-checkers, as marvellous they may be – in my stories is up to the job,

Thank you once again for your interesting and insightful blog on the wonderful language we share – in all its variety!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, opsimath. I find the lack of education in the language arts disappointing and the lack of interest in learning how to write properly a little annoying.

I completely agree, Melissa. I used to be apathetic about my poor grammar until I decided to write professionally and teach other how to write. It was then that I not only got the hang of basic grammar, but I actually enjoyed grammar. I used to think grammar was so boring in comparison to other aspects of writing, but it one in the same.

I was the same way. I couldn’t be bothered with it when I was younger, but the older I got, the more interested I became. I’m thankful that I find the study of grammar compelling!

Yes Melissa, there’s nothing that puts one off while reading a write up, than errors in grammar. You’ll see me nod to a good blend of grammar. Thanks for this topic.

You’re welcome, Okenna.

Hi Mellisa, I’m a stickler for proper grammar. I’m from the old school of thought on that so hearing how the beautiful English language is often trashed these days makes me cringe. Of course, there are exceptions when it comes to a character in a story. One thing I shudder at is when I hear a ‘so called’ educated person speaking on TV, etc. using a double negative like, “those ones” or “these ones.” Thank you, as always, for your wonderful posts.

Sharon, I don’t think it’s incorrect to say “those ones” or “these ones.”

Let’s say we are at a market, shopping for produce, and I say, “Which apples do you want?” You can point to some green apples and say, “Those ones” or you can indicate a nearby bushel of red apples and say, “These ones.”

However, I understand what you’re saying. There are poor uses of grammar that make me cringe too.

Thank you for your reply, Mellisa. I actually meant to say double plurals as aren’t ‘those’ and ‘ones’ both a plural and not necessary to use them together? But I’ll definitely take you comment into consideration.

Thanks, Sharon. I think it would actually require plural agreement, where the demonstrative pronoun must match (plural or singular) the noun to which it refers. But I think maybe you’re referring to the fact that “ones” might not be necessary at all? For example,

“Which books do you want?” “Those.” (As opposed to “Those ones.”)

Is that what you’re referring to?

Excellent points. Notes taken. As I read this I was reminded of something I read a while ago. See below. —

Student: I don’t understand why my grade was so low. How did I do on my paper?

Teacher: Actually, you didn’t turn in a paper. You turned in a random assemblage of sentences. In fact, the sentences you apparently kidnapped in the dead of night and forced into this violent and arbitrary plan of yours clearly seemed to be placed on the pages against their will. Reading your paper was like watching unfamiliar, uncomfortable people interacting at a cocktail party that no one wanted to attend in the first place. You didn’t submit a paper. You submitted a hostage situation.

This does not strike me as a positive or effective way to teach. In fact, I think it’s disrespectful to the profession. A teacher’s job is not to humiliate or insult students who are in the process of learning. I am of the opinion that treating people poorly because they haven’t yet learned something is unnecessarily cruel, ineffective, and unethical. I would say that teacher should be fired.

And to make matters worse, the teacher’s response is not particularly impressive in terms of writing skills. It’s packed with hyperbole, mixed metaphors, poorly constructed sentences, and other questionable constructs.

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Limitations of Grammar Rules (Creative Writing Hacks)

• by Team Experts
• July 2, 2023 July 3, 2023

Discover the Surprising Limitations of Grammar Rules and Boost Your Creative Writing Skills with These Hacks!

In summary , while language rules are important for effective communication , they can also limit creativity in writing. By learning various writing techniques, recognizing literary constraints, experimenting with grammatical barriers, embracing artistic freedoms, and following expressive guidelines, writers can break free from these limitations and create unique and engaging writing. However, it is important to be mindful of the potential risks associated with each approach to avoid confusion and misinterpretation.

What are the linguistic boundaries of creative writing?

What are the literary constraints that writers face when breaking grammatical barriers, how do expressive guidelines impact the limitations of grammar rules in creative writing, common mistakes and misconceptions.

Is Grammarly Good for Creative Writing? 6 Top Tips

Discover the answer to the question is Grammarly good for creative writing in this article based on our extensive tests using this grammar checker.

Grammarly is a popular grammar checker that many writers use to find and fix errors in their work. It’s also popular with people who use the written word as part of their day job, for example, writing emails, business cases, documents, etc. Grammarly excels at finding and fixing grammar errors and improving the readability of a piece of writing. But what about using it for creative work? Can you use Grammarly for your novels, short stories, and poetry? 

Yes, Grammarly can help you fix grammar and spelling errors for creative writing. However, if your work contains unusual character names, descriptive language, or literary sentences, either configure Grammarly differently or decide what to ignore or reject.

Creative Writing Traits

1. use a style guide, 2. change goals to creative, 3. turn off grammar checks for dialogue, 4. check your readability score, 5. decide what to accept and reject , 6. check for passive voice issues.

We tested dozens of grammar checkers, and Grammarly is the best tool on the market today. It'll help you write and edit your work much faster. Grammarly provides a powerful AI writing assistant and plagiarism checker.

Creative writing typically comprises novels, short stories, essays, poetry, and scripts. Each of these types of creative writing projects has different requirements. For example, a novel is tens of thousands of words in length, whereas poetry is several dozen words in length, or if a haiku, it could even be shorter. 

Creative literary writers use lengthy sentences to express themselves eloquently on the blank page and show what’s possible with the English language. A genre fiction writer penning science fiction, horror, or thrillers may use unusual character names for their stories. A fantasy author may have spells, magical systems, and so on that rely on invented words which aren’t found in a standard English dictionary. Similarly, a scriptwriter must format their work in a certain way. For help doing that, check out our Final Draft review .

Creative writers rely on literary devices and descriptive language more than writers producing a blog post, article, or business case. The specifics of a creative writing project and the medium dictate how writers can use Grammarly to find and fix grammar and readability issues in creative projects. With that said, here are some tips that can help you. 

Grammarly premium supports creating a style guide and custom dictionary. If you’re a creative writer who relies on unique character names, words, spells, and magical systems, it’s distracting to see these flagged as grammar errors.

Add them to your custom Grammarly dictionary and or style guide. That way, they won’t be flagged as errors. Grammarly will then identify if you spelt a character inconsistently. 

Grammarly offers several options that tailor its fixes, suggestions, and recommendations. To use Grammarly on a creative writing project, adjust the goals as follows:

• Set domain to creative
• Set intent to Tell a story
• Set audience to General 

These settings reduce the number of irrelevant errors and suggestions Grammarly proposes and offer a wider berth for creative writing projects. 

Often, a grammar checker flags dialogue as containing difficult-to-read words, imprecise language, etc. Changer Grammarly so that it doesn’t check dialogue for grammar errors. That way, your characters can talk naturally without these being flagged as potential issues. 

Thriller authors like James Patterson typically write short paragraphs that are a single sentence or perhaps two sentences in length. They don’t rely on complex sentences, words, or phrases. I put a short story extract from Patterson into Grammarly, and it got an excellent readability score. On the other hand, I tested some literary fiction, which was flagged as hard to read.

However, if you’re a creative writer who relies on literary devices, descriptive language, and long rambling sentences, ignore Grammarly’s suggestions to fix readability issues. That’s because it comes down to a question of style and not an error.

Grammarly is a writing tool that suggests rather than prescribes suggestions. A business writer may follow what Grammarly suggests closely. However, breaking some rules and ignoring recommendations is fine if you’re a creative writer. Best to know what they are first and then write consistently. Grammarly can help you with that by explaining the finer points of grammar.

Author Ernest Hemingway famously advocated against using the passive voice in stories and fiction. Grammarly is good at finding instances of the passive voice that seeped into first drafts, manuscripts, and creative projects. You don’t need to fix every instance. If you’re using the passive voice deliberately, then it’s okay to ignore these suggestions. 

Grammarly is good for creative writing projects if you want to find common grammar and spelling errors. Although not a replacement for a proofreader, it can help you improve the readability of a piece of creative writing and ensure consistency. However, creative writers must make more decisions than non-fiction writers about what suggestions to accept versus reject. By adjusting Grammarly’s settings, you can do just that. For more information, check out our Grammarly review .

AI Grammar Checker

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Wordvice AI Grammar Checker FAQ

Here are some common queries about our free grammar checker software.

• Why should I use a sentence checker for my documents? An AI grammar and sentence checker offers writers a quick and effective way to polish their writing, making it an essential tool for revising a variety of texts. These checkers do more than just identify and correct grammar and spelling mistakes–they also enhance the overall clarity and coherence of your writing. Employing advanced language models and natural language processing technology, a grammar check tool provides recommendations that can improve your writing style, making it more compelling and professional, regardless of content type. Whether you're composing a crucial email, an academic paper, or a college application essay, using an AI grammar checker ensures that your message is expressed clearly, precisely, and with greater impact, all while saving you valuable time.
• What is the best free grammar checker? The best grammar checker will offer comprehensive error detection, intuitive interfaces, and versatility in handling different document types. It's essential for such a tool to accurately pinpoint and correct grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors. Some grammar checkers, like Wordvice AI, go further by providing style enhancements, customizable correction modes, and explanatory feedback to explain the changes made. The Wordvice AI Grammar Checker employs cutting-edge language models to immediately rectify your writing's grammar, spelling, punctuation, and stylistic inaccuracies. It's adept at adjusting to various writing formats, including academic papers, admissions essays, business communications, creative writing, and online content.
• How does our English grammar checker app work? To access instant grammar checking for any type of text, simply sign up with Wordvice AI, input your text into the AI text box, and hit the "Check Grammar" button. Although the Basic plan offers limited checking modes and a restricted amount of text that can be checked, upgrading to a Premium plan allows full access to all revision modes and features of our AI tools and gives you nearly unlimited monthly submissions.
• Can the AI Grammar Checker replace a human editor? An AI grammar check tool can significantly aid but not entirely replace a human proofreader. Although Wordvice AI’s tools are proficient in spotting and rectifying grammatical, spelling, and syntax errors, they lack the nuanced comprehension of context and tone that human editors offer. While AI grammar-checking software is indispensable for quick, basic corrections, human intervention is essential for thorough, context-sensitive editing. If your document requires editing and proofreading beyond the initial drafting phase, consider Wordvice’s professional English editing services . Our academic subject experts will refine your writing, providing the nuanced human touch only experienced editors can ensure.
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• Is the AI Grammar Checker compatible with other programs? Wordvice AI is available as an MS Word add-in, and a Chrome extension is currently in development. The MS Word add-in enables users to correct text directly in their Microsoft Word documents, incorporating the same grammar check capabilities and commentary features found in our online platform. Learn how to install and use the Wordvice AI MS Word add-in .
• Do you offer expert proofreading and editing services? Alongside our free grammar-checking website, Wordvice also provides professional proofreading services for any document type. Whether you're preparing a manuscript for publication, crafting a statement of purpose for graduate school, or polishing a resume for a professional role, Wordvice is equipped to meet all your editing and grammar correction needs.
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• AI Plagiarism Checker : scans for plagiarism across documents and identifies AI-generated content