10/2014 - The Grammar-Us Blog - Grammar-Us

I know that not everyone is a grammarian. Not everyone is a rocket scientist, a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, a marketing executive, a sales clerk, a waitress, or a stay-at-home mom, either. Each of us has special talents that we bring to the table in our chosen fields. The common denominator in all walks of life, however, is that we must communicate with each other. The better we communicate, the more likely we are to make that connection with our fellow humans that we crave and that is necessary in order for us to get our needs met and make our desires known.  

There are three reasons why I believe that good grammar is an important asset to possess when making these connections:

1. CREDIBILITY: We are all products of our environment, and there are bound to be some slang, colloquialisms or commonly-heard errors that seep into even the most conscientious of communications. However, I do expect my doctor to be able to clearly and concisely communicate his instructions for my health care to me and other health care professionals. If his written diagnosis is rife with errors in grammar and/or spelling, I tend to question his ability and skills. If he didn’t learn basic English at some time during all those years of schooling, did he, perhaps, also not learn some of the key lessons that medical school was meant to impart? Similarly, I expect the attorney, to whom I pay $400 per hour, to write a brief on my behalf that not only states my position, but also does so in a manner which is clear and compelling. If he has not even taken the time to proofread it before it goes to the judge, then how can I feel confident that he has thoroughly researched the law behind it?

Recently, I received a letter from my former insurance company that read, in part, as follows: “As a result of your request to cancel your insurance coverage. Enclosed is a refund check.”  It was signed by the “Head of Service Operations.” This poorly written business letter, written by someone who supposedly is “head” of a department, only served to confirm to me that my decision to drop the insurance was the right one! It also caused me to question whether my refund was correct and prompted a reply from me, asking for an audit. The credibility of the “Head of Service Operations,” and her entire company, was called into question in my mind, simply because she could not take the time to write a decent business letter!

2. RESPECT:  I tend to equate really poor grammar and spelling (and I’m referring to consistently bad grammar and spelling, not the occasional error) with a lack of respect – both the self-respect of the speaker/writer, as well as the respect he may have for those with whom he communicates. Although perhaps not everyone will admit it, most humans do “classify” or judge people, based on their first impressions. Even if you, yourself, are not a grammatical genius, your subconscious no doubt does take note of anomalies in someone’s speech and places them in your own pre-defined categories.  

For better or for worse, when someone communicates with me using poor English, I cannot help but assume that they do not respect themselves enough to take the time to learn better communication skills, and they do not respect ME enough to consider that I might be offended!  One of the ways that a person can demonstrate both self-respect and respect for others, in my opinion, is to put on his/her “Sunday best” when trying to communicate.

3. DESIRE TO CONNECT: One thing that seems to be rampant in today’s society is the frustration people feel when they think their voices are not being heard. The answer is not to shout louder and longer in an effort to be acknowledged.  Instead, it is to be more articulate!  

If you are not getting the results you expect from your communications, perhaps it is time to take a second look at them. Are you stating your case in a manner which engenders interest and a response? Could you correct errors in grammar and/or spelling to make your communication clearer?

No one is perfect. We all make mistakes, and that’s just part of being human. However, I truly feel that the more we strive to communicate effectively, the better we will feel about ourselves, and the more credibility and respect we will garner from others.