John McIntyre worries that National Grammar Day will bring out the “‘the language mavens,’ the strident, self-appointed guardians of language and judges of everyone else’s speech and prose.” And he should be worried – because no one except these folks will pay much attention to it.

If we need another special day, it should be the National Clarity Day when we pay more attention to all that it takes to express ourselves more clearly. Perfect grammar—whether written or spoken—never solves a problem (except the problem of imperfect grammar ). It doesn’t make a person more creative or a better thinker. It can’t turn a bad idea into a good one, or an unclear thought into a clear one. It doesn’t guarantee that we will be understood.

The absence of eye-stopping grammar errors (and what stops the eye depends on the intended readers) is just one of many requirements—such as a clear idea, appropriate structure, relevant details, and appropriate style, tone, and word choice—for effective expression, and failing to meet any of these requirements can doom the attempt.

The blogosphere shows that an exchange of brilliant ideas can take place with less than perfect communication skills, and I’d much rather read interesting ideas imperfectly revealed than drivel dressed with grammatical exactitude.

So my advice remains the same. Learn enough grammar to eliminate the most obvious errors, but spend most of your time making sure your ideas are clear and figuring out the best way to express those ideas for your readers, listeners, or audience.

Still, if National Grammar Day becomes a national holiday and the schools are closed, I’ll be sure to discuss the subjunctive mood and dangling modifiers with my kids.

Communication, grammar errors, John McIntyre, language mavens, National Clarity Day, National Grammar Day, Writing

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