National Grammar Day

Today is National Grammar Day. Is there a real point?

Now, I get as annoyed as anyone when I see horrible spelling, grammar or even text speak written as though it’s proper English. I’ve also been on the receiving end of some mean comments (on this very blog!) regarding my own grammar. I try my hardest…as do you, I’m sure. But every once in a while, we can all make typing errors or have a gap in our knowledge. English is difficult enough, with its nuances, irregular pronunciations and rules, without the internet grammar police out in force.

There IS a difference between correcting someone because they’ve made an error which may alter the intention of their sentence; and intentionally shaming people. What the latter achieves is… nothing. You may feel superior for a second after calling someone out, but the person who wrote the offending word, phrase or sentence will simply think you’re a bully and won’t necessarily learn anything.

So today, on National Grammar Day, take the chance to be constructive and genuinely help someone where they’ve made a mistake. Laugh, if you must. Just remember, no-one is word perfect!