The Importance of Good Grammar
Standards of grammar in schools is dropping, but why? And what impact could this have on our children’s futures?
If you were part of the older generation, you will probably have been taught grammar in great depth, but it is unfortunately an area which most schools are neglecting in modern day teaching. If you were to enter a British primary school, you would see, of course, at least one hour of English per day (as instructed by British Government) but some of this is simply reading stories! Furthermore, by the time the children get to secondary school, English is taught even less! Children are taken from five hours per week to three hours in the lowest case, at the very time when their English should be getting more accurate and sophisticated. More and more schools are concentrating so much on the ‘high tech’ subjects on offer that there just isn’t enough time for the old fashioned English Grammar lessons.
Why is this such a bad thing?
Well, communication is the key to success. If you can’t communicate then you won’t be able to get very far along the career path you choose. If however, you can communicate well, then the sky is your limit! Good grammar can help you write speeches, letters and reports, meaning that you would be much more popular in your workplace and especially with your boss! Letters are important whether they are emails to your friends or a love letter to your partner. If you wanted a job in journalism, you would have to know what kind of words really attract the audience. Nobody wants to read a boring article from someone who knows nothing about grammar or how it works!
What can we do about it?
I personally feel that grammar should be taught in a much greater depth in schools from a young age. If a child is taught the basics of grammar right from the beginning of starting school then this would build the foundation for a promising future. Take my school for instance. By GCSE level, all we had been taught was the very simple ‘this is a noun’ or ‘this is a verb’ approach. It was only when I begin the A Level course that I realised just how much there was to learn about grammar and how important it could be.
How can I help?
Well, the simple way is to just spread the word! Spread this article to anyone you know who feels strongly and join groups and forums relating to this issue. I believe that if everyone were to pull together, something wonderful could be achieved, and a better world with better grammar could be created.
Wouldn’t that be an amazing world?
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19 Comments
ha ha!, posted this comment on Feb 3rd, 2009
“And what impact could this have on our children’s futures?”
Is that not poor grammar in itself?
‘Beggining a sentance with a conjunction is considered non-standard.’
LOL!
ha ha!, posted this comment on Feb 3rd, 2009
I eat my words. Pathetic attempt at the spelling of ’sentence’.
Apologies all round.
Author, posted this comment on Feb 3rd, 2009
I think you’ll find it’s perfectly acceptable if you’re trying to adopt a more informal tone, which I was.
Never mind sentence, ‘beggining?’ Double N single G would have been correct.
This isn’t supposed to be an argument about spelling anyway, so please don’t make it so.
I’m sure the point of the article is still clear.
Darla Smith, posted this comment on Feb 3rd, 2009
Yes, the school’s do need to start teaching better grammar.
Ben donovan, posted this comment on Feb 3rd, 2009
Well I would just like to say that the teen age trend of texting doesn,t help.
R J Evans, posted this comment on Feb 3rd, 2009
Completely agree with the sentiments expressed here!
Mervin, posted this comment on Feb 3rd, 2009
You are right on with this.
Blake Roberts, posted this comment on Feb 3rd, 2009
To: Ha Ha,
Good writer start sentences with conjunction all the time. You need to read Wilson follett, Henry Fowler, Justice hugo Black, Justice Robert Jackson(regarded by many as one of the best writer to ever sit on the Supreme Court)and the Washington post because they will tell you it is okay to use the conjunction “And” at the beginning of a sentence. What reference do you have to support your critique? Oh, one more reference: Whose Grammar Book Is This Anyway by C. Edward Good, page 156.
Before writing an article, you should consider your audience. If you are writing formally, than you should not use a conjuction at the beginning of a sentence, however, Gamma Rowlands chose wisely using a conjuction at the beginning of her sentence.
JR, posted this comment on Feb 4th, 2009
Totally agree with you but if this were to happen it would require effort and hard work for everyone: teachers, students and obviously the government, who would probably rather spend money on some new pointless health and safety scheme.
Aldrin A Wilding West, posted this comment on Feb 4th, 2009
Good article. I couldn’t agree more. No-one is perfect, as can be seen quite clearly by the responses above me, but I’d rather see near-perfect than atrocious any day of the week 
I’m all for reinstating a generation of children that can at least string a decent sentence together…
However…I fear that in reality…the powers that be have other ideas…and would like to keep us to a certain extent contained in our ignorance and servitude….
http://www.zeitgeistthemovie.com ….. this is the single most thought provoking couple of films you’ll ever watch….sorry to change the subject…
Lelah Kimball, posted this comment on Feb 4th, 2009
Like good manners, good grammar begins at home. My children hate me because I don’t allow the word “gots” and insist on their correcting themselves when they make mistakes. If you want to be thought of as educated, you must sound educated.
Anne McNew, posted this comment on Feb 5th, 2009
I agree with you. although sometimes new technologies (mobile phones) hinders the interest of others to learn better (especially in our place) because they just get contented of wrong grammar and spellings as long as they can convey the thought of the message.
Nice piece.
S A JOHNSON, posted this comment on Feb 5th, 2009
great article
Debra., posted this comment on Feb 5th, 2009
I totally agree with you. Grammar is an important part of a child’s education. I make my kids read, read and read because a lot of reading will help them improve their writing skills. Nice post, young lady.
God bless.
Patricia Hutchings, posted this comment on Feb 6th, 2009
I agree but its not just the children who need teaching but also adults. Every time the Curriculum is messed with it messes a lot with youngsters future.
It seems no one has looked into Multiple Intelligences, nor to teach the children how to learn.
It seems to me that mistakes are being made over and over again. My whole generation are known to be almost illiterate because of the schooling we didn’t receive. Excuse my Grammar, in 5 years at secondary school, I had a total of 15 hours on the subject.
Grammar is fundamental to language and communication, it should have a higher place within the educational structure and be taught daily.
Too much time is given to skills which have no relevance in real life instead of those that everyone needs.
Guffin Mopes, posted this comment on Feb 9th, 2009
The worst part is that people have come to think it’s “cool” to write incorrectly. Thank goodness for the internet.
C. S. Robins, posted this comment on Mar 23rd, 2009
That is true there is too much ignorance. Even the most commonly understood grammar rules are becoming harder to teach kids because no on epractices it. It’s a laziness and disrespect for out own language!
sheila, posted this comment on Jun 16th, 2009
for an ESL student it is absolutely necessary to know some of the basic rules about grammar.
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Sakuragi, posted this comment on Feb 3rd, 2009
you are absolutely right.