Why is Grammar Important?
Grammar helps us to make sense of all written and spoken material. Without it, text appears jumbled and confusing. Read these instructions on how to make a cup of tea and see how poor grammar can make a fairly simple process, difficult to understand:
Filled the kettle up with water and left to boiling. Put tea bag in cup or three tea bags in teapot. When kettle is boiling, pouring the water into the cup or pot. Leaving to stand for a minute or two, took the bag out of the cup or poured the water from the teapot in the cups. If you want to, add milk and sugar.
The problem with the grammar in this extract is that the writer has written most of the verbs in the wrong tense. The first sentence, Filled the kettle up with water and left to boiling…makes the sentence look like it has been written about something that has already happened, instead of something which is being done in the present tense (which is how most sets of instruction are written).
Using the wrong grammar, in a set of instructions, can also give the reader misleading and dangerous information. Take, When kettle is boiling, pouring the water into the cup or pot…which suggests that the reader should pour the water out while the kettle is still boiling. Ouch! The meaning would be clearer and safer had it been written as, When the kettle has boiled, pour the water into a cup or pot.
It is very important to ensure that your meaning is clear and good grammar is vital in making that happen.
Why we don't write the same way that we speak.
Using grammar and punctuation together.