The 3 Proxies of Grammar
How you should view grammar rules
If you have now read every section of the findings from the Grammar Genius Word Worrier Segmentation Project (GGWWSP), then I doff my hat to you. Especially considering that to call it a ‘project’ is a bit of an overclaim. And to say they are findings, well…opinions is probably closer.
So I promise this will be the briefest of wrap-ups.
It’s important that we understand the role of grammar so we can use it for its strengths and discard its hindrances.
The rules of grammar are there to assist us. They are there to help us to share knowledge, and to learn and to teach. They are there to give structure for us to communicate love for one another, and to find ways of talking through our hate.
Most importantly, having a grammar helps us to make our intention understood. It’s what makes language so much better than the alternative; a series of grunts, points, and facial expressions. We need to have a common structure in place to enable mass social interaction.
That doesn’t mean we can’t be understood if we don’t follow every suggestion laid out by grammar. We don’t have a life of eternal damnation ahead of us if we veer from the scripture. Grammar is not yet another religion built on hopes and threats.
We shouldn’t use learned rules of grammar as proxies for the intelligence or class of people who do or do not remember them. The ability to recall the intricacies of rules memorised at school does not give one person authority over another.
The three grammar proxies
As I see it, there are three benefits of a shared, rule-based grammar:
1. It’s a proxy for a global language
Our world has many languages. It continues to shrink at pace. The need to communicate has never been more important.
For people to communicate across the globe, there has to be a way of mapping Language A to Language B. This mapping requires some structure of rules to map. Grammar provides that structure — much like the Highway Code provides a sensibility for drivers.
2. It’s a proxy for a level of care
When you demonstrate a fair understanding of grammar — not precise but to a fair standard — it doesn’t just show you can remember rules of right or wrong. It shows you have applied thought to your text before sharing.
It shows you care.
As humans, we mirror our environment, echoing the behaviour of those we meet. When we sense a personal investment in the words we receive, we instinctively up our game to maintain the standard being set.
We put more of ourselves into our interactions. We trust, support and enjoy each other more. Which — without getting weird about the word enjoy — just has to be the way to make life more satisfying.
3. It’s the proxy we know
What we have could be worse.
It could be better, but, you know, it’s here now and it does its job.
4. There is no number 4
Number 4 is not to help us judge others.
Number 4 is not to help us feel superior.
Number 4 is not to be enforced as a set of rules, held in place for all time.
Number 4 is not to say what is right or what is wrong.
There is no number 4.
1 Extra Word writes copy and develops content that humanises businesses to thank, help, reward — and generally flirt with — their customers, prospects, and employees. Whatever your brief, if you think people should enjoy your emails, socialise your social posts and have fun with your FAQs, visit 1ExtraWord.com
For freelance copywriting that turns bland content into brand content.
Originally published at https://www.1extraword.com on January 25, 2021.
