Welcome to another blog hop. Today’s topic is:
What grammar rules have you broken on purpose?
If I have broken any grammar rules, I’ve done it unwittingly. I was never lucky enough to be able to study for a degree in English, and so have had to learn as I’ve gone along the newbie writer’s rocky road. I remember in 2014 somebody once pointed out in my Amazon description of ‘A House Without Windows’ that I should have written ‘she lies awake at night‘. I had written how EastEnders like myself speak (‘she lays awake at night’). Oops! I quickly changed it and inwardly cringed.
Sometimes I’m tempted to break grammar rules when I write conversations, but then slipping into the vernacular then makes it harder for readers to understand what my characters are saying. I know what they’re saying, but hey, somebody from another country might think I’ve written a whole load of gibberish.
It’s because I never went to university that I’m careful not to break any grammar rules and always do my utmost to avoid this. However, I do send my manuscripts out to ARC readers, and so if I have made any mistakes they’ll most probably find them. I’ve learned much over the 10 years that I’ve been writing novels, but I’m sure I still have a long way to go.
Let’s see if other bloggers break grammar rules on purpose. Click on the blue button below to find out, or just leave a comment. Thanks.
Stevie Turner 
The support and help from groups are invaluable. I am here because of those groups, and not just grammar-wise. Glad you have that help, too.
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I sometimes write like a sport’s writer, stand alone 3-word incomplete sentences, like “What a day!”
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HI Stevie, I do tend to stick to the grammar I was taught at school and anything new I’ve learned over the past several years. I also don’t write in the vernacular when I write dialogue. I don’t like it as a reader so I don’t do it as a writer.
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I agree.
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I have Pro Writing Aid and Grammarly obviously doesn’t know I haven’t paid them in two years. I argue with them constantly. I also don’t enlist the PhD in Rhetoric spouse because I don’t want to hear it. I often convert epubs to Word files and you would be surprised at how much successful, Nobel and Pulitzer work comes in with scores in the low 70s. My threshold bar is 77%, but I often hit 100 by telling the software to ignore my dialogue and words it doesn’t know and argue with the constant “This is an introductory clause.” I think punctuation should work like musical notation. Rests, and beats and measures. Anytime I am told to drop a comma, most of time I say “Thanks”. But adding them? Maybe. I think spelling, logic and structure are far more important than “you missed a comma”. Story first. Grammar Nazi’s be damned.
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But the PhD in Rhetoric spouse will not charge you anything for writing tips!
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I want the courage to end a sentence with a preposition, but Grammarly screams at me every time I try.
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Some rules matter more than others, I think. The important thing is being aware of your readers and not doing anything that pulls them out of the story. @samanthabwriter from
Balancing Act
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Indeed.
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Pingback: Monday Open Book Blog Hop: Grammar – Lines by Leon
I tried writing a character in a slang vernacular and got loads of complaints, I tone things down now.
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Yes, same here. People can’t understand it.
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Glad your ARC readers are helping to spot any small problems. Tweeted.
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Thanks Daryl.
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I was taught never to start a sentence with ‘And’, ‘But’, or ‘Because’. I ignore those rules completely, as I write stories as I hear them in my head. Real people do start sentences with those words..
Like you, I am happy to use vernacular, especially in historical stories, and try to make sure it can be understood by readers from other countries, at least in context.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Yes, likewise regarding ‘And’ and ‘But’. I do though if they’re part of a conversation.
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And I think this is a non-rule now. But, I could be wrong.
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I’ve had to watch myself because I use And or But too frequently to start sentences. It helps my story to get rid of some, but not all, of them.
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According to one who must remain un-named, I’ve used too many exclamation marks and the word ‘breathe’. Sigh.
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I was yelled at for using the word ‘wink’ more than once in my WIP. Sigh.
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I think I’ve used ‘wink’ more than once. There’s so many rules – I can’t keep up with them all.
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Like you, I learn as I go. I try my best not to break grammar rules.
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Me too. Thanks for your comment, Darlene.
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