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Is good grammar important?

The simple answer to this question is an emphatic YES. Why? Because errors of grammar can cause confusion and, in the worst case scenarios, they can completely change the meaning of a sentence! If you don’t know how to use good grammar it will make your writing very difficult to read. It breaks the flow of reading, annoys the reader and reflects badly on you. No-one wants to be jarred from a really interesting read by poor punctuation or glaring grammatical errors.

Annoying errors

I’m sure you’ve all come across the kinds of errors I’m referring to. But, if you’ve not, here are some examples. Can you can spot the mistakes (some sentences have more than one):

‘She was deeply effected by the death of her beloved pet.’

‘Its over their.’ She gestured to the large mahogany table slowly decaying in the corner.

Mary didn’t know weather it was time to go or not.

He bought milk when he should of bought bread.

(Answers are below)

See how they spoil the flow of your reading – annoying isn’t it.

Potentially Dangerous Errors

Whilst these errors may be annoying, essentially, the meaning of the sentence remains the same. However, when some elements of grammar are used incorrectly, commas for instance, the result can be very different. It can completely change the meaning of a sentence which could lead to a very unfavourable outcome. Consider these examples:

‘Let’s eat Mary.’ and ‘Let’s eat, Mary.

Can you see how this could end up with Mary being eaten for dinner?

Goats Cheese Salad – crispy lettuce, juicy tomatoes, cucumber, goats, cheese

Vegetarians are certainly going to be put off this salad when they realise it contains not only cheese, but goats!

My interests include cooking dogs, walking, reading and watching films.

Oh dear, those poor dogs.

I wonder who gets to eat the canine culinary delights created by this person?

Bad for business and bad for you!

When writing to a friend, it’s not so important to have good grammar. But when you are conducting business, it really is. If you send out letters with errors it will reflect badly on you or the business you are representing. Imagine sending a CV to a potential employer with the last example from above – My interests. Do you think they will be impressed? It’ll show them you don’t know how to use grammar correctly or, worse still, can’t be bothered to check your writing before sending it to them. That may then be interpreted as the way you conduct yourself in all aspects of your work. Not the impression you want to give. After all, checking online or in a book only takes a couple of minutes and when your reputation is at stake you really should make the effort.

So, it’s clear that grammar is important and spending a few hours learning how to use it properly is definitely time well spent. You’ll impress any potential employer or client with your professional, conscientious and knowledgeable approach to writing. Now isn’t that a better impression to give?

If you would like to improve you business writing skills we have several solutions. You can choose to study on our Comprehensive Business Writing course, our Business English with Spoken English course or our Advanced Business English course. Contact us for a prospectus now.

Answers:

‘She was deeply affected by the death of her beloved pet.’

‘It’s over there.’ She gestured to the large mahogany table slowly decaying in the corner.

Mary didn’t know whether it was time to go or not.

He bought milk when he should have bought bread.