Grammar can be a guide that helps you write with professionalism and clarity. But sometimes rules just need to be broken to deliver your message better.
It doesn’t help that some grammar rules have weird exceptions, are outdated, or seem like straight-up nonsense. Let’s look at some grammar rules you can and should break.
Why You Should Break Grammar Rules
It’s embarrassing when people point out your grammatical mistakes, especially when you’re an adult. Grammar rules are there to help you communicate better and standardize the usage of a language.
For some, grammar is an element that people should never deviate from. It’s the rules so suck it up. But language is organic; its usage changes as people change. And as it changes, rules are naturally broken, altered, or forgotten.
This is the reason why some grammar rules just aren’t worth sticking to. Good writing doesn’t always need to be grammatically correct; the best writers know that.
Grammar Rules to Break
Here are some grammar rules you shouldn’t be afraid to break.
1. Don’t start a sentence with a conjunction.
School has taught you that conjunctions link clauses together. As such, they should not be used to start sentences.
That’s wrong, though. A conjunction will still show the connection between two separate sentences. A period won’t stop readers from making connections.
Breaking this rule is a good way of keeping the flow going without resorting to overly long sentences. It also helps keep the tone of your writing light and informal.
2. Singular pronouns for individual people.
When writing about individual people, you would usually use “he/him” or “she/her” as pronouns. “They” was specifically used as a plural pronoun.
However, that’s no longer applicable in this ever-changing world. Now “they/them” is perfectly fine to use for someone who prefers non-gender-specific pronouns. Also, both are great pronouns to use when writing about a singular person whose gender isn’t specified.
3. Don’t end sentences with a preposition.
Prepositions link nouns and pronouns. So old grammarians thought you shouldn’t end sentences with them as they leave a thought unfinished.
But this is an outdated rule. It’s quite ok to end sentences with a preposition as following this rule tends to make your writing too formal.
When was the last time you heard “From where are you?” instead of “Where are you from?” The second just sounds less stuffy and more natural.
4. No contractions
Formal English frowns on the use of contractions. However, they are perfectly acceptable in less formal situations. You use informal English way more than formal English anyway.
Usually, the only time you don’t use contractions in conversational English is when you want to emphasize a specific word. Such as saying “You WILL obey!” instead of “You’ll obey!”
5. Do not split infinitives.
In Latin, you can’t split infinitives as they’re usually only one word. This probably carried over to English which is why “do not split infinitives” became a rule.
However, it’s already widely accepted that adding a word between an infinitive (to + verbs) is ok. Writers have done it for a long time simply because it emphasizes the verb and sounds much better. So yes, Star Trek’s “to boldly go where no man has gone before” is perfectly fine.
6. Don’t use slang.
Slang should be avoided when doing formal writing. You purposely make your writing appropriate for everyone regardless of cultural and social differences.
But if you’re doing less formal work, don’t shy away from slang especially if the words you use have become widely known. What you need to pay attention to is whether you’re using slang in the right context and audience.
7. Never write with sentence fragments.
Sentence fragments—sentences without a subject or predicate—have long been frowned upon. But using them won’t necessarily lessen the quality of your writing.
See, sentence fragments can help you convey emotion, vary your sentence lengths, and create emphasis. It’s why they’re often used in conversation and creative writing. They’re also great for enumeration, such as in bullet points.
Just make sure to use them sparingly. Too many sentence fragments and you won’t be able to deliver a cohesive thought. Rather, use a series of complete sentences and then emphasize with a fragment.
8. Paragraphs should have three to five sentences.
Many have been taught in school that paragraphs consist of three to five sentences. It’s the perfect length! Heck, you might have even been told that a sentence can’t be a paragraph.
That’s no longer the case, especially in creative writing. Varying the length of your paragraphs can create rhythm. Shorter paragraphs are also easier to read, especially in this digital age where people often use mobile phones to peruse articles and read books.
One-sentence paragraphs are also common in digital marketing. They pack more punch, are easily skimmable, and are more helpful for SEO success. Just think of how many campaigns have short slogans.
9. Double negatives
You don’t usually see double negatives in standard English. Many grammarians have long seen them as rustic or uneducated.
However, some English dialects regularly use double negatives such as African American Vernacular English and Southern American English. Even outside these dialects, double negatives can be creatively used to emphasize meaning or create nuance.
And of course, if you’re writing about characters that use such dialects, it only makes sense to pattern your dialogue to how real people speak.
Conclusion
It’s important to note that formal writing places a greater emphasis on grammar rules. When working with formal language, it’s good to err on the side of caution and follow these rules as closely as you can.
However, you should keep in mind that people don’t really talk formally. You rarely see perfect grammar in conversations, dialogue, and other informal writing or speech. Clarity is the goal, not technical correctness.
Don’t disregard these rules outright, though. Study them instead. The better you know them, the better you can choose when and where to break them for your advantage.
What other grammar rules do you think should be broken? Share your thoughts below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- Starting Sentences with Conjunctions: Is It Ever Okay?
- Grammar Basics: Types of Sentences By Usage and Grammar
- What Are Articles in Grammar? 7 Tips on How to Use Them Correctly
- 10 Grammar Software Tools and Punctuation Checkers
Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
