Remember When? 6 Grammar Rules From the Past

Merriam-Webster defines grammar quite simply as the set of rules explaining how we use words in the English language. And as language itself has evolved over time, so have the rules of grammar. Given the speed with which written communication has adapted to life in the Internet era, even the strictest style mavens understand that some grammar conventions may no longer apply. Here are some grammar rules today’s writers can usually safely ignore.

Ending a Sentence With a Preposition

The English poet John Dryden proclaimed it “inelegant” to end a sentence with a preposition simply because it wasn’t possible to do so in Latin, the gold standard of the time. In fact, many early grammar rules were heavily influenced by the limitations of Latin. Today, most writers agree with Winston Churchill, who, when asked about the preposition rule, drolly replied, “This is the sort of bloody nonsense up with which I will not put.”

Splitting Infinitives

The rule against split infinitives is another relic left over from Latin constructions. In the past, strict grammarians would object to separating the infinitive with a descriptive word, insisting that to quickly run must be replaced with to run quickly. Now it’s universally understood that the writers are free to choose the style that best suits their needs.

Using Possessive Pronouns With Gerunds

Purists insist that writers treat gerunds as they would any other noun and precede it with a possessive pronoun. “Mother didn’t appreciate my singing during dinner,” is technically correct, but it is also acceptable to say, “Mother didn’t appreciate me singing during dinner.” In many cases, pronoun choice is more a stylistic choice than a strict rule of grammar.

Not beginning a Sentence With a Conjunction

The prohibition against opening a sentence with a conjunction is one of the most persistent grammar myths of all time. In fact, the “Chicago Manual of Style” estimates that as many as 10 percent of the finest sentences ever written began with a conjunction. Since this practice is accepted by all the major style guides, it’s safe to say it’s okay to start a sentence with a conjunction.

Avoiding Sentence Fragments

Fiction writers recognize the stylistic value of employing a sentence fragment to emphasize a point. In general, it’s still the rule to avoid fragments in formal and academic writing, but employed sparingly and judiciously, the sentence fragment is a powerful tool in prose. Of course, as with any subjective matter in writing, the danger lies in using stylistic tricks to disguise sloppy composition.

Using Gendered Pronouns

Throughout the history of written English, he was the preferred pronoun for generic writing. Today, this is no longer the case, a condition causing fits for the current generation of writers. English lacks gender-neutral pronouns, and it doesn’t seem as though a widely acceptable alternative to he and she will be available any time soon.

Since the major style guides caution against using a generic he, some writers have resorted to using they as a singular pronoun: “The student needs to understand that they are responsible for bringing lunch.” Since most editors are not as comfortable with that construction, it’s best to rewrite the sentence with a plural noun: “The students need to understand that they are responsible for bringing lunch.”

Of course, for the most formal writing, especially in academic situations, it’s best to adhere to strict grammatical constructions. But for other writing, especially where style, point of view, and dialect are important to give nuance to a piece, go ahead and ignore the archaic constraints.

Do you play loose with grammar rules in your daily writing? Which ones annoy or confuse you the most?

5 Alternative Ways to Say “Thank You in Advance”

You just got an email from Susie in accounting asking you to bring three dozen of your famous cupcakes for Dave the office manager’s retirement party. Which, by the way, is tomorrow. Susie signed her email:

Thank you in advance,

Susie

Your reaction to that sign-off will probably depend on the tone and content of Susie’s email. If she politely apologized for the short notice and begged you to please consider whipping up what has become an office favorite (because, really, who doesn’t like cupcakes?), you might get busy baking after work. If she was demanding and unapologetic . . . not so much.

“Thanks in advance” is a rather loaded sign-off. On one hand, a study by the email app Boomerang ranked it as the sign-off most likely to get a response. (Other forms of “thank you” also ranked at the top.) Clearly, gratitude is a solid way to end an email if you want to hear back from the recipient.

On the other hand, “Thank you in advance” can come across as presumptuous and even passive-aggressive. Depending on the context, it could make Susie sound as though she’s saying, “I expect you to do this.”

If you want to steer clear of the potential misunderstandings this popular sign-off might create, here are a few options to try.

1“Thanks”

There’s nothing wrong with a plain ol’ “thanks.” Taking “in advance” out of your expression of gratefulness removes the tone of expectancy and takes some pressure off the receiver. It’s a little vague, though, so if there’s any chance your recipient might find herself asking Thanks for what?, it’s better to . . .

2Use a call to action.

If you want your email to get a response, ask your recipient to do something after he finishes reading it. Let’s use Susie’s cupcake request as an example. After explaining what she hopes you’ll do, she might finish with a call to action (CTA) in the form of a question.

I know this is really short notice—I clearly wasn’t planning ahead! Do you think you’d have time to make us some of your awesome treats?

Susie

“Thanks in advance” can put the recipient in the awkward position of having to say no after you implied that you expected a yes. Using a CTA, however, gives the recipient options rather than expectations. That makes it both polite and effective. Here, Susie asked a direct question. She included a little mea culpa, and she didn’t make assumptions. How nice of her!

3I appreciate your help with ______.

This sign-off works best if someone has already lent you a hand. Or you can use it if you’re asking for assistance and you’re pretty sure the recipient is going to say yes because you’ve had an ongoing dialogue or your working relationship is already cooperative.

4Thanks for considering my request.

This sign-off can work well because it doesn’t presume that the recipient will do anything more than give some thought to what you asked them to do. Pro tip: It’s best to use this type of sign-off in conjunction with a CTA. Otherwise, all the recipient may do is consider your request . . . without ever getting back to you.

5Thanks for your attention. I’m looking forward to your reply.

This one is more businesslike and direct. If you do indeed expect a reply, it conveys a tone that’s firm and insistent. This one’s probably best used by managers communicating with people they supervise. When used by colleagues on the same tier, it could come across as bossy.

Email Request Example

“Thank you in advance” can be useful when you know the recipient is going to do what you’re asking of them, and you want to express gratitude up front. But more often, it’s likely to be misconstrued as demanding, even if you don’t mean it to be.

Your best bet is to explain what you’re hoping the recipient will do, include a CTA, and offer a quick thanks. Using that format, Susie’s cupcake request might look like this:

Hi Joe,

Dave, our office manager, retires tomorrow. I’ve been busy planning his send-off party. I noticed you RSVP’d to the invite—thanks!

This morning, someone asked me whether you’d be bringing your famous cupcakes, and it dawned on me that I completely forgot to ask you about them. We’d need about three dozen for the party.

I know this is really short notice—I clearly wasn’t planning ahead! Do you think you’d have time to make us some of your awesome treats?

Susie

Because Susie was polite and played her cards right, there’s a good chance of cupcakes at the party tomorrow. Huzzah!

Watch Your Words in the Job Search!

The Grammarly team collected 500 active job postings, including marketing and engineering jobs, from the top 100 most profitable companies in the United States. We then assessed how each company used language in these listings to express hiring priorities.

• Hiring companies do not want someone who views a “job” as “work”
• “Experience” is more highly valued by hiring companies than “skills”
• Job seekers should use their cover letter and resume to talk about instances of teamwork vs. individual contributions
• Hiring companies still prefer candidates with a degree versus relevant experience

 

We’ve summarized our findings using this handy infographic:

Watch Your Words in the Job Search

To embed our infographic into a blog post, paste the following HTML snippet into your web editor:

When applying for a new job, choose your words wisely. Your cover letter and resume are excellent places to show off your understanding of the job requirements.

The Importance of Providing Books in High Poverty Classrooms

Guest post by Debra Hannula, J. D. Bookmentors.org

As the daughter of two retired public school teachers and an attorney for thirty years working on behalf of and representing the poor, the lack of proper books in high poverty schools is an issue that is near and dear to me.

Research shows that the amount of books students read affects their reading levels and their ability to perform well on standardized tests.

Studies repeatedly affirm that access to print materials directly relates to students experiencing life in a positive way—behaviorally, academically, and psychologically.

There is a constant supply of fantastic children’s and young-adult literature and numerous authors with the creativity to inspire and charm young readers! Yet, many classrooms are relegated to old, tattered, out-of-date books—not ones that students want to read, or teachers want to teach from.

With budget cuts across the country, access to books in high poverty classrooms continues to be a growing problem. The ratio of books to children in middle-income neighborhoods is about thirteen books per child, while the ratio of books to children in lower income neighborhoods is approximately one book to 300 children.

Esther Patrick, a close friend, social worker, and BookMentors.org donor, says:

I grew up in nothing but ‘high poverty schools’ with few books at school and none at home. I grew up without the ability to read well, which still haunts me. My home-life was marred by domestic violence as a kid — how I would have loved to escape in a good book, like I do now as an adult.

Some well-intentioned donors and organizations attempt to help the problem by donating piles of used books. However, these used books are often not relevant to the teachers’ curriculums — with new Common Core Standards, teachers often need text sets of related titles, like a whole group of books on the Civil War. They are often also in mediocre shape or worse, and with titles and subject matters that are old-fashioned or unengaging. Schools have come to call these “book dumps.”

New not-for-profit organizations are attempting to remedy this by providing new books chosen by the teachers for their students with titles that are funny and engaging. For reluctant readers, a bright new book, specifically chosen by a teacher for them can make a huge difference to motivation.

One teacher I know hit the nail on the head: “It just takes one just right book to hook a student as a reader for life.”

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Debra Hannula is the co-executive director of BookMentors.org, a site that uses micropatronage to solve book access problems in high-poverty schools. BookMentors connects teachers, librarians, and students in need of books with donors supporting literacy, reading, and education. Debra has worked as a public defender, a Judge Pro Tempore, and as the Director of Legal Services for a battered women’s shelter. She is also the chair of the Kelly Ann Brown Foundation of the Marin Community Foundation.

Offline and Online, Poor Spelling “Spells” Trouble for Men Looking for Love

Is grammar a game changer for people who are looking for love?

Imagine you’re sitting at a bar and an attractive stranger passes you a hastily scribbled note on a napkin. In addition to that person’s phone number, the note includes one of the following messages:

Its destiny that we met.

UR my soul mate.

Your beautiful.

Their isn’t a doubt in my mind that we will spend the rest of our lives together.

Although we’re generally fans of the handwritten letter, the Grammarly team is sticklers for spelling. So, we asked nearly 650 of our Facebook fans for their opinion on which of the mistakes above would be the most offensive on a bar napkin love note. Can you guess which spelling slipups are the worst?

Prefer to avoid the bar scene? New research from eHarmony and Grammarly suggests that poor spelling is also detrimental to men who are looking for love online:

• Spelling errors in a man’s online dating profile damage his prospects significantly. Poor spelling by a woman, on the other hand, does not seem to have any impact on her chances of a positive love match.
• Women are sloppier writers in their online dating profiles. Women make nearly twice as many grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors per 100 words than men in their online dating profiles.
• Men don’t “sell themselves short” in online dating profiles. While men are usually the more succinct writers, they tend to be wordier than women in their responses to questions in online dating profiles.

Check out our recent press release about this data for a full methodology.

Has an unfortunate spelling mistake ever cost you an otherwise promising relationship? Share your story in the comments!

Introducing Grammarly Insights

Stats. They are everywhere. They are in your sports, your weather forecast, and now they are being used by Grammarly, too. Unlike that statistics class you took that one time, Grammarly Insights are designed to provide you with useful information about how you write.

Some of you may have noticed that we started sending you a weekly progress report via email each Monday. Many Grammarly users spend more time writing online than they may realize. Think about it. Between emails, blog posts, and status updates, our users are writing the equivalent of a novel each month, on average. That’s a lot of words! But what does that mean for you? Well, read on to find out.

This progress report is an analysis of your writing with Grammarly and provides insights that may help you to become an even better writer. Your progress report looks at three main components of your writing: activity, mastery, and vocabulary.

ACTIVITY

Activity measures your total word count for the week and also shows how often you used Grammarly compared to all Grammarly users. Our most active users are those who are utilizing our free browser extension in addition to our web-based Editor (or Grammarly for Microsoft(R) Office). Hey, all those status updates and emails really start to add up!

 

MASTERY

Mastery analyzes how many (or how few) mistakes you corrected with Grammarly as it relates to total words written. The fewer mistakes you need to correct with Grammarly, the more accurately you write. You can also see how well you did compared to all Grammarly users.

VOCABULARY

Vocabulary examines your lexicon and word usage. This section will show you how many unique words you’ve written throughout the prior week. The percentage shown lets you know how dynamic—meaning, how varied and diverse—your vocabulary is relative to Grammarly users.

TOP GRAMMAR MISTAKES

Everyone makes mistakes. This section is designed to prevent you from making the same mistakes twice— or 17 times. This is where you’ll find the exact term for your three most frequent grammatical errors corrected with Grammarly.

SPELLING ADVERSARIES

From time to time you’ll notice this section of your report. Your Spelling Adversaries points out the word you most frequently corrected with Grammarly within the previous week.

OVERUSED WORDS

This section highlights the words you tend to use the most in your writing. Beneath each overused word, we suggest five synonyms you can use to enhance your vocabulary and perfect your writing.

 

 

Lastly, Grammarly Insights starts each week with a helpful writing tip. We include these tips each week to help guide your writing.

Have you received your Grammarly Insights digest yet? If not, sign up for Grammarly today and see a difference in your writing. We are constantly refining Grammarly Insights and looking for more ways to keep our writers engaged. We hope this new weekly email will be insightful for you! If you have any questions about Grammarly Insights or if you have suggestions for making it better, feel free to reach out to us via email: support@grammarly.com.

5 Email Habits to Keep Your Inbox (and Coworkers) Happy

It’s that rare, beautiful Monday when you make it to the office early. Your commute wasn’t as vexing as usual, your coffee’s still hot, and no one is around yet. Your heart races at this delicious opportunity to get some actual work done without the usual distractions.

You peel open your laptop only to discover twenty-seven unread emails. Your shoulders slump in despair. How many of these even matter? Do any of them? What if one does and you miss it? Better start sifting.

Your frustration rises as you realize a dozen of these don’t concern you at all—someone from another department decided to “loop you in” on their discussion of an article their acupuncturist forwarded. Scrolling down, that was before, let’s see . . . six others chimed in, reply-all style. Argh. Deep breaths.

The gaucheries and perturbations of email are many, but we’ve noticed a few that are especially reviled—the kind of mistakes a paragon of email etiquette such as yourself would never make. Lead your colleagues by example: here’s our countdown of sound email habits to keep in mind.

5Avoid CC overcrowding

Chet, your company’s new copywriter, is drafting a few words for Pauline in the design department to use. Pauline’s deputy, Brandon, will be filling in for her on Thursday, so Chet copies him as well. Gotta be thorough.

Chet’s also not certain he’s accurately summarizing Gwyn’s explanation of their next release, so why not copy her, too, for clarification? Gwyn said something about the wording needing a legal review, so, Chet reasons, better loop those guys in. And Mia, the project manager, hates not knowing what’s going on, so, well, you see where this is headed. Back away from the send button, Chet.

A relatively small task can rapidly balloon into an all-staff inbox nightmare if you’re not judicious. And even if you mean well and have good reasons, otherwise decent humans sometimes do indecent things with the reply-all button. Are you willing to risk it?

If it’s vital to send an email to a lot of people at once, consider putting their addresses in the BCC field, so those who respond won’t clog dozens of other inboxes.

Another solution for Chet might be to break this task up into smaller pieces: update the designers in one email, check in with Gwyn in another, pop by the legal corral and ask when they can talk, and apprise Mia at this afternoon’s planning meeting. Speaking of which . . .

4Know when and when not to email

Email is a fine tool, but it’s often a poor substitute for real-time conversation—particularly the kind where you need room to ask or answer follow-up questions and clarify as you go along. Some examples:

• Consulting with HR about your new insurance plan? An exhaustive email explanation sounds like a chore to read, let alone write. Grab a notepad and talk it through.
• Querying an expert about a complex technical matter? Some back-and-forth conversation might help you grok the particulars more quickly than email.
• Discussing sensitive details with the payroll department or the company lawyer? Your Sent folder might not be the best repository for such tasty secrets.

The flip side of this balancing act is knowing when you should send an email. Sometimes the matter simply doesn’t merit a full-on conversation. Moments like these are when email shines.

If the issue is urgent—as in, today, now urgent—you might be better off sending a message, rather than waiting for recipients to check their inbox.

3Don’t forget the subject line

Not everyone empties their inbox daily, or perhaps ever.

A reporter who gets a hundred emails each day, some crucial and others inane, might triage which ones seem worth her time to even open. Such quick judgments hinge on the subject line. Assuming you don’t want your correspondences with busy people to go forever ignored, you have to make clear why you’re writing, and that it matters.

Also, keep it brief. There’s no need for your subject line to resemble a micro-poem of your email’s contents.

Pro tip: Some veteran emailers, wary of potentially firing off a half-written note, don’t put a valid email address in the To line until they’re ready to mash Send. Instead, they temporarily paste the recipient’s address in the subject line, where it will be easy to find and move once the time comes. This last step can be a useful reminder to fill in that subject line.

2Neither a “+1” responder nor an over-forwarder be

Respecting people’s inboxes means taking ownership over what your sent folder says about you.

A colleague who writes a thoughtful, lucid email that brightens your day deserves better than a thumbs-up emoji back. This kind of “+1” response is akin to saying “cool beans” and changing the subject when a friend offers you a ride to the airport. Don’t you want to show a bit more in the way of appreciation, or at least acknowledgment?

Similarly, a tangled thread of to-dos, follow-ups and maybe-someone-in-finance-can-answer-that uncertainties is rarely made better by sharing it with still more people. When you become part of the forwarded-message juggling troupe, constantly shunting messages in random directions with little regard for what it means or to whom, it implies nothing you’re writing or sharing really matters. You can do better.

1Don’t ambush people by casually threading in their boss

Suppose you’ve been emailing back and forth with someone, telling them something they don’t want to hear. You’ve managed to keep things relatively polite up until now: “No, I’m sorry, that timeframe isn’t realistic,” you’re saying. “Yes, I understand your concern, but the legal team says we can’t change that wording.”

Then comes the bombshell in their next reply: they’re CC-ing your manager. Apparently, this person is unhappy with your responses and has decided an escalation is in order. Oof.

There are plenty of times when it makes sense to add someone’s boss to a thread, but this isn’t one of them. This kind of sneak attack leaves people feeling burned; your next interaction with them will likely fall short of cordial. In other words, it’s not a good look. And it risks burning bridges the next time you have to work together.

Fortunately, this one is easy to avoid; all you have to do is not blindside people by trying to use their boss as a cudgel.

Thanks for reading this far, and please refrain from hitting reply-all in your response.