Well, seeing as I haven't met my quota for the month, and the month ends tomorrow, and you have all expressed your concern, and Tuesday has three categorical options for blog posts, and I'm waiting at the airport for a few hours, I have decided (drumroll, please!) to post again.
*cheering gif that wouldn't paste in*
This post is about grammar. I like grammar. But I also like people. This post is about the lack of agreement between those two statements for many grammar-lovers.
See, some people are good at grammar. They've had good schooling, or good parents, or they like to read, and somehow they're good at grammar. Most people, however, aren't good at grammar. They know their language enough to use it, but maybe not enough to use it well. They know enough to use it, but they don't know how it works. Just like me and my iPhone (or computer or car or flashlight or pretty much anything technological), I can use it to get online or send a text, but I couldn't explain to you how the Internet or texting works. And if it were to break, I would guess one or two ways to make it work, but I'd be pretty much unable to fix it.
Most people have this relationship with grammar. But because language is our central method of communication, people continue to use and misuse it. Then the grammar-competent come across grammar mistakes and the people who make them. They berate them for their comma splices, split infinitives, and misplaced modifiers. They point out their lack of parallelism, hyphens, and Oxford commas. Their effect is to affect whether the person can weather their company and accept them except when they can't stop correcting.
Then the poor person who never learned the intricacies of the English language leaves having decided never to talk again, and the grammar-competent person leaves having corrected the injustice of the world. As they walk home, cheering peasants line the streets, throwing down their clothes to be walked on and singing the praises of their faithful hero.
What's wrong with this picture? I think it's priorities.
Just like in any appearance of pride, in this situation the grammar put their own knowledge and concerns above that of the person they spoke to. I think the reason they don't see it is because they told themself they are helping the other person.
But here's the thing I wish they understood. Conveying their importance helps people. Affirmation helps people. Loving words help people. Who is supposed to be cheered for? Who walked on cloaks and was worshipped? Jesus!
Jesus helps people, not grammar. Love helps people, not criticism! Words are powerful when used correctly, but they are more powerful when used affirmingly!
People's grammar loses its importance when people's salvation is brought up.
So to all those who notice mistakes in grammar: Nothing you teach people will be more important than that Jesus loves them and you love them.
Any way, I know their's alot but its worser then somethings.
