How to Write Better Copy That Drives Grammar Police Crazy
Here’s a tale about Dizzy Dean — a Hall of Fame pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals…
…who was a country boy and…
…not as educated or polished as the city-slicker reporters who covered the team.
When a reporter accused him of corrupting language students with his lousy grammar and diction, Dizzy replied, “A lot of people who don’t say ain’t ain’t eatin’.”
Amen, Dizzy! Ain’t that the truth!?
Here’s the point: You may get an A+ on that Grammar and Composition exam…
…but that doesn’t mean you’ll ace business or sports or whatever your life’s pursuit may be.
That’s the case for Dizzy Dean on the baseball diamond.
That’s the case when you write marketing emails, social media posts, or blogs.
My seventh grade English teacher, Clara Fieselman, may be turning in her grave. But I gotta say it:
It’s OK to start a sentence with “But.”
And you can start a sentence with “and.”
Sentence fragments? No problem.
Contractions aren’t evil.
And if you’re walking down the sidewalk and begin cursing and scraping some brown goo off your shoe…
I’ll ask, “What did you step in…?” not “In what did you step?”
Yeah, I know. Ms. Fieselman and your English teacher told us not to end sentences with prepositions.
But…
Grammatically “correct” ain’t always the same as easy to read.
I’m not urging you to break grammar rules just to be a rebel. I’m urging you to write clearly.
Try writing like you talk, rather than like you’re trying to ace an English exam. If you break a few grammar rules along the way, no big deal…
…as long as you’re clear.
Don't go away yet..
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