National Grammar Day – belatedly
Posted by So I guess I don’t have my finger on the pulse, because March 4th was National Grammar Day, and I had no idea it was happening until it already had*. The day, a chance to celebrate grammar and language in general, was started in 2008 by the founder of SPOGG (Society for the Protection of Good Grammar), and hosted by Mignon Fogarty (also known as Grammar Girl, who brings us the brilliant Quick and Dirty Tips).
Check out the National Grammar Day site for ways to celebrate and find out more about grammar and language, including links to some great cartoons, resources, e-cards and t-shirts. Let that grammar slacker in your life know it’s important to you (well, if it is, of course).
From the site, 10 grammar myths exposed:
- A run-on sentence is a really long sentence.
- You shouldn’t start a sentence with the word “however.”
- “Irregardless” is not a word.
- There is only one way to write the possessive form of a word that ends in “s.”
- Passive voice is always wrong.
- “I.e.” and “e.g.” mean the same thing.
- You use “a” before words that start with consonants and “an” before words that start with vowels.
- It’s incorrect to answer the question “How are you?” with the statement “I’m good.”
- You shouldn’t split infinitives.
- You shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition.
(Click here for more information about the list above.)
Did you celebrate the occasion? Do you think grammar deserves its own day?
*I think this is a failing of people who start ‘national’ days. They should really go big and go international. Grammar is important everywhere!