A friend gave me this mug as a joke about my grammar-correcting tendencies. (You may see me drink black coffee from it during an English tutoring or copy-editing session some day.) But I don’t “correct” any longer, and I don’t keep silent.

Like many grad students, teachers, and college adjunct instructors, I used to supplement my income with service industry jobs. I waited tables, tended bar, and worked with fantastic people. And, without realizing that it annoyed them exponentially, I would correct everyone’s grammar. All the time.

In the many years that I’ve spent teaching, writing, and editing since then, I’ve realized that it’s not the grammar that is annoying; it’s the correcting. I’ve also realized that good grammar is not about being correct.

Grammar is about having a common language with which to share our unique experiences. Language is about having a base for communication from which we can all spring. A good grammar is not about being “correct.” Rather it is flexible, can shift to accommodate new ideas and new speakers, and facilitates communication. It’s about creating relationships.

Learn how LitConnections can help you write better, begin to self-edit, or polish your draft to create better relationships with your audience.