What is conventional grammar and when to use it? These are questions that a lot of people have been seeking the answers to recently. However, there are many different schools of thought regarding this and no one right answer. In this article, we will explore conventional grammar and discuss its pros and cons.
Conventional grammar is the set of rules that are typically taught in schools. These rules include things such as subject-verb agreement, proper use of adjectives and adverbs, and correct pronoun usage. While these rules can be helpful in some situations, they can also be restrictive. For example, many people believe that conventional grammar rules are too rigid and that they stifle creativity. What’s more, conventional grammar can be difficult to learn and apply, especially for people who are not native English speakers.
Benefits of Using Conventional Grammar
By following accepted standards, conventional grammar offers a number of advantages for both users and the targeted audience. These include:
- Minimizes potential misunderstanding and confusion
- Offers easy communication
- Breaks down language barriers
- Allows an expanded vocabulary
- Provides a range of presentation methods for passing on information
- Gives content longevity
- Increases audience engagement
Disadvantages of Using Conventional Grammar
There are several disadvantages of employing conventional grammar:
- Limits the use of local dialects, colloquialisms or idioms
- Potentially stifles creativity and impulsiveness
- Can hinder foreign language students, making English hard to learn
Despite its drawbacks, conventional grammar is still the standard in many situations. For instance, it is generally expected that business emails will be free of grammatical errors. Similarly, most academic papers must adhere to conventional grammar rules. In these cases, it is important to know the rules in order to be taken seriously.
While conventional grammar has its place, it is not always the best option. In some situations, it can be more effective to break the rules. For instance, if you are writing a creative piece of fiction, you might want to experiment with your sentence structure in order to create a more interesting effect. Similarly, if you are writing for a more informal audience, you might want to use contractions and other colloquialisms. The bottom line is that it is important to choose the right tool for the job. If you are not sure whether conventional grammar is appropriate for your situation, it is always a good idea to consult with a grammar expert.
Some Basic Rules of Conventional Grammar
1. Sentences should always begin with a capital letter
2. Avoid starting the sentence with a number – even if it is a year
3. Every sentence should end with either a full stop – or period (.), an exclamation mark (!) or a question mark (?)
4. Every sentence should have Subject – Verb – Object. The subject refers to the major roleplayer in the sentence. The verb is what action is performed, while the object is usually the target of the verb e.g.
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- Kurt (subject) plans (verb) to visit France (object)
- We (subject) are (verb) happy (object)
- The school (subject) is closed (verb) today (object)
5. Proper nouns should be capitalized wherever they appear in a sentence. Proper nouns are someone or something’s name e.g. Lizzie or Canada
Conventional grammar can seem hard to learn but once the basics are established, you’ll find the rest comes easily.