When we speak casually with other people, we make lots of grammar errors. We say things like “I’m gonna go” and “lay down in bed” and “he got less cookies than me!”
But when we write, all of a sudden you’re supposed to write in a more formal way. Why?
I like to use a clothing metaphor:
When you’re in bed, you might wear pajamas…or nothing at all.
When you’re hanging around at home, you probably wear really casual clothes and don’t care much if they’re dirty.
If you go to a friend’s house, you might put on shoes or change into a clean t-shirt, but you probably aren’t going to make that much effort.
If you’re going to a formal event or someplace where people don’t know you, however, your parents might ask you to dress a little differently. Maybe they’ll ask you to wear a shirt with a collar instead of a t-shirt, or ask you to change out of your grungy sneakers.
Why? Well, for one, there are different expectations at formal events. There are rules that people are supposed to follow that show that people understand that it’s something special.
Another reason is that when people don’t know you, whether you like it or not they judge you partly on how you look. And if you arrive at church in dirty bare feet or at an interview with the press with messy hair and chocolate smeared on your face, part of how people will think of you will be determined by how you look.
So back to writing:
When you send your writing out into the world, it represents you. If your writing is full of grammatical and spelling errors, it’s like going to church in dirty old clothing. People won’t think as highly of you as they would if you took the time to polish up your prose and write in a nice way.
Like it or not, throughout your life you’ll be judged not only by what you say in your writing, but also by how you say it.
Some fun grammar links:
- TED-Ed has some great videos on grammar. Check them out!
- Weird Al’s Word Crimes is a bit crude, but very funny!
- Grammar Vids for Kids has lots of different videos about grammar.