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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Writing rules we rebels might just be able to break!

Good morning!

For the past several weeks my critique partners and I have been debating over various rules of writing. Grammar, sentence structure, how many spaces to put between sentences, all of these things have come up for debate.  English, I have always said, is a ridiculous language when you really look at it because English, especially American English, is sort of a soupy mess when it comes to rules of spelling, pronounciation, and grammar.  Hence, even well educated  (and yes, I am an English major with a degree in Education, so call me a geek) people such as my two lovely critique partners and I get mired in the muddle of our language.

So today I give you a really interesting article from my friends at Online Colleges.  I'm not saying this ideals are the final say in the debate, I'm just saying, Kelly and Linda, I think all of our pet grammar issues are listed!  Whoo hoo!

So, enjoy!

17 School Writing Rules You Need to Unlearn in the Real World

We have some good news for English class haters: some of the rules your teachers drilled into your brain are absolute hooey in the real world. Who really says “an historic”? And personally, we love starting sentences with “but,” “and,” and “or.” Read on as we explore these and 15 other school writing rules that really don’t have a place in modern writing. English teachers, you have our apologies.
  1. Writing endlessly to get your point across:

    As school progresses, we go from small paragraphs to 50-page papers in college, but more doesn’t necessarily mean better. In fact, in the real world, it’s much better to get your point across in a concise way.
  2. Sentences can begin with And, But, or Or:

    This classic English class rule has become obsolete, as people have ignored it so much that hardly anyone observes it anymore. It may not be completely professional, but it’s widely accepted and a great way to get your point across.
  3. Waiting for a prompt:

    In school, you’re handed assignment after assignment that spells out exactly how you should approach your writing, but in the real world, rarely do such prompts exist. Learn how to figure out what to write and find the confidence to decide what you want to put into it.
  4. Long paragraphs:

    Chances are, you were taught to construct paragraphs with topic sentences, supporting evidence, and small conclusions, but that’s just too long for the real world. You can better keep the attention of your audience by limiting paragraphs to three sentences at the most.
  5. Editing happens all at once, at the end:

    No one’s saying you can’t give your work a once-over before sending it along, but if you’ve got a lot of ground to cover, it might make sense for you to edit as you go, rather than all at once. Fixing problems and having clean copy to work from can make it easier to move on and write the rest of your work.
  6. Not ending sentences with a preposition:

    Sometimes, you just have to end your sentence in a preposition. A good rule to remember is if you can remove a preposition and the sentence still makes sense, you need to cut it out. If not, keep it. For example: “What did you step in?” needs “in”, but “Where is it at?” could stand to lose the “at.”
  7. Avoiding incomplete sentences:

    Sentences do not have to be complete. They don’t even always have to have a subject, verb, and object. Quick, punchy sentences can help add drama and make a point when used sparingly. Journalists violate this one all the time.
  8. Big words are better:

    In school, there’s a good chance you really wanted to show off your vocabulary, using the biggest words you could find. But in the real world, no one’s impressed. Simply use the best word for the job, and keep it natural. Big words that don’t fit naturally can make it sound like you’re overdoing it.
  9. An historic writing rule:

    The British came up with the rule to say “an historic,” instead of “a historic.” This is due to the Cockney accent that often drops the “h” sound and makes “historic” sound like “istoric,” a word that starts with a vowel and should be preceded by “an.” But in America, we say “historic,” and it sounds incredibly pretentious to put “an” in front of it.
  10. Avoiding first person:

    Schoolteachers are quick to point out that “I” has little to no use in formal writing. Without this rule, commonly self-obsessed teen writers with plenty of personal opinions are likely to use an endless string of “I”s. But in real life, “I” does have its place. You shouldn’t make yourself the subject of every sentence, but allowing yourself to come through in your style is occasionally acceptable.
  11. Slang is a big no-no:

    Although traditional grammar rules frown upon slang, everyone uses it. Informal communication is usually a perfectly fine place to use (tasteful) slang, but be careful to leave it out of more formal or official pieces.
  12. Don’t use adverbs:

    Adverbs have been so misused over the years that most grammar professionals encourage writers to avoid them altogether. But adverbs do have a place in writing, when used properly.
  13. Alright is not all right:

    This alternate spelling has been shunned in the grammar world, but alright is perfectly fine. Although the two different spellings may have different meanings to some people, there’s nothing wrong with using the word itself.
  14. Sentences can’t start with “however”:

    Despite what your ninth grade teacher may have told you, it’s perfectly fine to start your sentences with however, as long as you’re using it properly. If it’s followed by a comma, and meant to stand for “nevertheless,” however is acceptable at the beginning of a sentence.
  15. Possessive words ending in an “s” don’t need another “s”:

    This rule is somewhat controversial, as there are two style manuals that have opposite views. The Chicago manual requires an apostrophe and an s, but AP leaves off the extra s. The style that you follow can be modified to your personal preference or that of your business.
  16. Avoid contractions:

    In formal writing, contractions may seem out of place, but how often in normal conversation do you pass them up? When writing emails, blog posts, and other informal correspondence, contractions are perfectly fine to use.
  17. Avoid profanity:

    Another rule that just feels awkward in the real world, leaving out profanity can be a fun rule to break. Believe it or not, profanity does have its place in real world writing. Although professional publications are best left without cuss words, you’d never say “the excrement hit the fan.”

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