How important is correct grammar to you?

[sayitwell]

It has become less important to me over time.  When I was a student, grammar and punctuation meant a lot to me.  Since I left the academic realm it has lost its importance to a large degree as I see how few people have proper grammar outside of academia.  I still try to maintain proper grammar as much as I can (remember).

[limon]

It has become less important to me over time.  When I was a student, grammar and punctuation meant a lot to me.  Since I left the academic realm it has lost its importance to a large degree as I see how few people have proper grammar outside of academia.  I still try to maintain proper grammar as much as I can (remember).

Well that's something too, isn't it. Correct language is very important in certain settings, like a business environment, academia, or journalism. But in another context, like a pop song, it's not just less necessary put potentially detrimental since it can impede spontaneity and flow.

[xlzqwerty1]

Grammar and punctuation meant a lot to me, regardless of language. What's the point of learning a language and knowing the general layout but not knowing how to properly use it? Grammar is like building a do-it-yourself project using an instruction set. Use the instruction set wrong and you get the wrong result.

[terryse]

As in all forms of writing and communicating, proper and correct grammar is important. It is an essential part of any good writing and ensures that whatever you write is easy to read and understand.

[Alfonso]

In speaking a language I've found being able to get my point across is much more important than being grammatically correct.  My experience living in foreign countries for more than 13 years is you are given respect for trying to communicate in the native language.  I internally cringe when I know I'm slaughtering verb tenses but the shining smile I receive for trying eases the cringing.

As for writing, grammar is important.  The advent of chat and texting is throwing all that right out the window even in my native English.  If I'm writing a business proposal I triple check my grammar while writing a Facebook post I'm much more lax.  Circumstances dictate more my inner grammar police than anything.

That's tricky business, you won't know if your getting your point across accurately since most people will just nod their head indicating they understand you even if they don't, or they may understand you but not in the exact way you intend them to. Good grammar will get your point across accurately without making you look funny.

[leahcim132]

Correct grammar is very important to me. I think it is important because it is part of the English language. With poor grammar, it can change the meaning of the sentence.

[thekernel]

As a native English speaker it isn't hard to understand someone if they have bad grammar. Most people have imperfect grammar as it is, and there is usually enough context to not be confused.

As someone with bad Spanish, I can see how it would be hard to communicate ideas in that language.

[Cuppycake]

Correct grammar is very important to me, in all languages. It may take some time to get it right, but I feel incorrect grammar makes a person seem a little uneducated.

[mh57]

Just wanted to add a thought from today's browsing online:

If you run a business, make sure that your site has been looked over by someone who knows the difference between your, you're, there, their and they're!!!

[thekernel]

Just wanted to add a thought from today's browsing online:

If you run a business, make sure that your site has been looked over by someone who knows the difference between your, you're, there, their and they're!!!

Oh, you'll find those errors all the time browsing just English websites. You'd be surprised how many people don't know how to differentiate between "it's" and "its". I kind of just laugh and move along, but if I were running the website I would find it unacceptable.

[MyDigitalpoint]

Correct grammar is important not just when learning a second or new language, but also your own.

If you can't spell correctly your own language and realize about grammar and style of your written words, you may find hard to achieve writing properly any other language.

To me grammar is truly important in my own language and the second one because much of my job depends on writing correctly words, phrases and sentences.

[wander_n_wonder]

When I first started learning a foreign language at school , there was a lot of emphasis put on getting the right grammar, and it would take up so long that after a couple of lessons you could say one sentence, and you could say it properly in all tenses and so on, but at the end of the day you only knew one sentence. I think that conversational skills are much more important than getting the grammar right the first time. I think that you should learn to talk the language , and then all the pieces will fall in place. I think that this is something of a controversial opinion so I was wondering, what do you guys think about this?

I learned the English language since I was a young child.  Naturally from this, there is a very high expectation that you will be able to write and speak in correct grammar mainly because you've known the language for such a long time.  In my country, poor grammar is linked to lack of intelligence or laziness to learn.

[wander_n_wonder]

As a rule, I try to practice decent grammar whenever I can, yet I'm somewhat laid back with others. It's up to the individual whether or not they decide to use proper grammar, but I do believe it gives a better impression of someone when they make the effort.  However, I do get somewhat annoyed when establishments such as schools, hospitals, or government offices fail to use proper grammar, punctuation or spelling, etc. They really should know better...

When learning a new language, though, I do believe grammar should take a back seat, so to speak. If you spend all your time trying to speak perfectly, you will no doubt lose all motivation, and give up before you are fluent. Plus, once you have learnt a certain amount, it will begin to come naturally; you will know when you say something "no, that doesn't sound right", at which point you can look up the grammar and perfect it.

I think it's more important, when learning a new language, to simply make yourself understood. If your grammar is good enough that native speakers of the language can understand you, then you're doing well. There's no point boring yourself, learning every little rule, until you just don't feel like learning any more. It has to stay interesting...

Yeah, I agree that when it comes to other people, it's really up to them if they want to use proper grammar or not.  I tend not to be judgmental when it comes to that.  It depends also on how they were trained at home or in school.  Personally, I might be more particular about my own grammar, but I wouldn't apply that rule to others.

[ashishkashyap25]

Grammar is the most important think to take care specially while writing. I did't pay considerable attention to grammar until matric, but then after I realized the importance of grammar. Now that I love writing and own a blog as well I need to make my grammar more healthy:-),and that is the reason I have joined this forum.

[pxyc]

It's important. I'm not the type of person to correct a person's grammar but if you're doing it completely wrong, maybe it's good to let them know the correct way. Correcting a person who is learning a language is perfectly fine. They'll likely be glad you did so.

[sos]

I believe that  grammar is really important to language. It is in ensence the structure of the language. I believe that  it is grammar that actually makes the language be able to be taught and learned. Therefore, grammar is really important.

[rahimbahrain]

I think, grammar is more than just a set of seemingly arbitrary rules that are made to make life more difficult.

Grammar is part of every language, and the rules that are set for each language are in place for good reasons. Grammar is as important in everyday life as it is in the fields of journalism, business writing, speech writing and any other kind of oral or written presentation. Knowing basic grammar rules is the first step in improving your communication and writing skills, and you will be more believable and accepted as an authority when you use proper grammar.

[jodiann12]

Just wanted to add a thought from today's browsing online:

If you run a business, make sure that your site has been looked over by someone who knows the difference between your, you're, there, their and they're!!!

I love this quote! As a writer correct grammar is very important to me. Not only is a poorly written article with grammar and typographical errors a pain to read, but it also causes you, the writer, to lose your credibility in the eyes of the reader. It comes across as if you don't know what you're talking about.

[cinderr]

Never learned (yet) a whole new language but when I lived abroad, I was happy to get my point across, regardless of the grammar. In a classroom environment, you would want to learn it grammatically correct. As we all know, with English this is especially difficult because of the many, many exceptions in our language.

At this late date, I would happy to be conversational in another language (Spanish). I would say it the way I learned it, in conversation. If the person speaking to me was poor at grammar, I would be poor at grammar.

Grammar in my host language is quite important to me altho I've probably messed up quite a bit.

[mareebaybay]

Great grammar is very important to me. Although grammar is not important for most people. I suggest learning proper grammar to everyone. Someday in your life you will have to learn proper grammar, it is essential for communication. Grammar will not only benefit your writing, but it will benefit your communication skills.

[zambothegreat]

Grammar is something I generally tend to nitpick about when it comes to myself, especially in English since that's my mother tongue. I'll always try getting the correct grammar when speaking French or Greek.

[Guest isabbbela]

Correct grammar is very important to me. I sometimes come off as arrogant cause I can't help but correct people when they say something that is grammatically very wrong. Not people I don't know, but people I already have a relationship with.

There are always a few words that people commonly make mistakes with, and that is not the end of the world. But there are some mistakes that, to me, can't simply go unpunished! It hurts my ears whenever I hear something terribly wrong, so I feel it's my duty as a citizen to correct and teach the right grammar. I try not to come off sounding arrogant or pretentious, but I can't remain in silence in cases like that.

[DiesIrae]

It's hard for me to learn without having structure first, especially with foreign languages. I believe grammar is the foundation for which I can start to speak another language properly. It's like a fixed arrangement of empty slots for which I put in words in my language and then switch to the language that I am trying to learn.

[stutin]

English grammar is important while writing. It does not matter when you are speaking English because most of us tend to speak in slang. I am a writer and it heavily matters that my content contains minimum grammatical errors.

[pftsusan]

Grammar is king. It's the most important part of the communication process. I agree that you need to be in the environment, first to learn the lanquage at hand. Once you picked up a few of the words and how they are used in that language, you really need to learn the correct usage of the verbs and nouns.