Do You Really Know the Rules?

Debunking Four Grammar Myths

 
by Kelle Campbell

 
The more you write, the more likely you are to find that the English language is a maze of grammar rules and pseudo-rules. I've consulted a few resources for the answers to some of the more common sources of confusion:

You Can't End a Sentence with a Preposition
Actually, you can. In fact, leave the preposition at the end if placing it anywhere else will make your writing awkward.

Ending a sentence with a preposition can give your writing a conversational feel. Since sounding conversational generally aids communication, feel free to use this tactic. The only time I'd avoid it is when writing "formal" material.

Don't Split Infinitives
The most famous split infinitive is probably "To boldly go where no one has gone before" from Star Trek. You could change it to "To go boldly where no one has gone before," but it doesn't have the same flair, does it?

In the past, "refined" English speakers didn't want their infinitives split because infinitives were never split in Latin (the foundation of refined English). This was very likely due to the fact that Latin infinitives are single words (e.g., disserere - to discuss), so you couldn't split them.

Splitting infinitives isn't bad grammar, it's just bad style. However, the authors of Elements of Style advise readers to split the infinitive if it will keep sentences from sounding awkward or stuffy.  If you  want to sound formal, rewrite your sentence.

Don't Begin a Sentence with "And" or "But"
The same general guidelines for the previous two apply here as well. Starting a sentence with a conjunction not only provides you with an easy transition, but also allows you to control where you place your emphasis. E.g., compare "This is a great deal. But you have to act now" to "This is a great deal, but you have to act now."

Use the Article "An" with Words That Begin with Vowels
Actually, you should use "an" with words that begin with vowel sounds. You'd write "a hotel" but "an hour" because the second word begins with a vowel sound. For the same reason, you'd write "a one-time event" but "an overbearing boss."  It's when you encounter different dialects that there can be trouble. E.g., people who pronounce "herb" with the "h" sound will use "a" before it, but others who drop the "h" are perfectly right to use "an."

Even if you can't keep all the rules and guidelines straight, you can polish your text easily if you read it aloud.  Imagine you're in a conversational or formal setting as you read, and you'll able to fine-tune your text appropriately.

Kelle Campbell specializes in freelance public relations writing for PR companies, businesses and nonprofit organizations. She has contributed several articles on PR, writing, small business and technology topics to print and online publications. For more information, visit http://www.kcwriter.com.

This article may be freely reprinted as long as the bio is included.

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