I don’t pretend to be a grammar expert. However, I frequently handle correspondence in which the grammar is less that satisfactory.

TV, radio, and the Internet are rife with examples of either low standards education or at least terrible application of it. I know that I am guilty of some errors, but I am trying to improve .

My daughter is learning to read at the moment. From an early age she has had excellent comprehension and grasp of spoken English. However, she has learnt by mimicking others and unfortunately she inherits their poor habits. I do what I can to correct these, but I am guilty also.

Some would argue that this is just the evolution of the language. I know that language is evolving, but I don’t think that evolution is an excuse to dumb-down a language as rich as English. Lynne Truss, author of Eats, Shoots and Leaves sums it up well:

“Ah, but does it matter, so long as we get the gist?” they ask, as if saying something original and profound. “Is conveying a gist the highest aim of language?” I ask (sometimes a bit emotionally). “Correct me if I’m wrong, but cavemen pointing and grunting got the bloody gist!”

Bill Bryson’s The Mother Tongue gives some great illustrations of the English language and how it came to be. It’s worth the time to read.

I know that there is no w3c equivalent for English (there is for French), but I think that we should try to achieve a good level of grammar and punctuation. We have it for a reason. Use it appropriately.