macrology...

“Everyone knows it is wrong to begin a sentence with a conjunction such as “and”. And a sentence cannot be grammatically correct without a verb. Ever.”

—

There is probably not a person alive who does not have some bee in his bonnet about the way other people speak and write. But where do such laws come from? (via theeconomist)

Grammar is essential because we need to be able to understand. Without good grammar it can be very difficult to decipher what someone wishes to say. I myself have average grammar; I understand the rules but often in my haste forget them. I communicate with several people whose grammar is so poor that their emails can, at times, take several of us to establish their meaning.

The truth is, however, that a great prose stylist can break all of the rules and be not only perfectly understandable but also beautiful. A bad prose stylist can stick to all the rules and be indecipherable and weak. The true genius of a good writer is knowing just when to break the rules. (And no, I don’t count myself as a good writer yet but one day, God willing, I will be.)

(via theeconomist)