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Grammar rules are pretty useless

Grammar is what we speak, but rules aren’t how we learn it.

Our brains trick us. When we learn grammar rules, we think we’ll be able to use them as we write. But mostly, we don’t!


Our language use comes from a different place than conscious rules. And it’s often more natural and grammatical when we rely on our inner sense, like speaking.


(Also, the grammar rules are often vague or contradictory — their writers don’t truly understand them or use them consistently.)

We can use these ideas better when we explore them through real examples:

Featured cases & evidence

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Why reading our writing aloud improves our grammar (and our flow)

When we use speaking to test writing, so that every sentence feels and sounds “right”, the grammar tends to just work.

© 2024 by Joe Pairman

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