Deciding Which Grammar to Learn

I n the Middle Ages, grammar meant the study of Latin, the language of choice for educated people. In fact, grammar was so closely associated
with Latin that the word referred to any kind of learning. This meaning of grammar shows up when people of grandparent-age and older talk about
their grammar school, not their elementary school. The term grammar school is a leftover from the old days. The very old days.

These days grammar is the study of language, specifically, how words are put together. Because of obsessive English teachers and their rules, grammar
also means a set of standards that you have to follow in order to speak and write better. However, the definition of better changes according to situation, purpose, and audience. I will show you the difference between formal and informal English and explain when each is called for. I also tell you what your computer can and can’t do to help you write proper English and give you some pointers about appropriate language for texting, tweeting, instant messaging, and similar technology.

I can hear the groan already. Which grammar? You mean there’s more than one? [Paid Recommendations^^: Using photo recovery to recover your lost photos.] Yes, there are actually several different types of grammar, including
historical (how language has changed through the centuries) and comparative (how languages differ from or resemble each other). Don’t despair; I deal with only two — the two you have to know in order to improve your speech and writing.

Descriptive grammar gives names to things — the parts of speech and parts of a sentence. When you learn descriptive grammar, you understand what
every word is (its part of speech) and what every word does (its function in the sentence). If you’re not careful, a study of descriptive grammar can go
overboard fast, and you end up saying things like “balloon” is the object of the gerund, in a gerund phrase that is acting as the predicate nominative of the linking verb “appear.” [Paid Recommendations^^: Using photo recovery for Mac to recover your lost photos on Mac.] Never fear: I wouldn’t dream of inflicting that level of terminology on you. However, there is one important reason to learn some grammar terms — to understand why a particular word or phrase is correct or incorrect.

Functional grammar makes up the bulk of English Grammar For Dummies. Functional grammar tells you how words behave when they are doing their
jobs properly. Functional grammar guides you to the right expression — the one that fits what you’re trying to say — by ensuring that the sentence is
put together correctly. When you’re agonizing over whether to say I or me, you’re actually solving a problem of functional grammar.

So here’s the formula for success: A little descriptive grammar plus a lot of functional grammar equals better grammar overall.

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