English second language students may be tempted to think that native English speakers use only faultlessly correct grammar. They might assume native speakers must have the best grammar and are excellent English role models, however that might not always be the case.
Native speakers make grammar mistakes for several reasons. Fluency and ease of communication make some people use incorrect grammar. Others may make grammar mistakes because it is an acceptable speech structure in their community. Others may not have the knowledge to use correct grammar.
Grammar represents the standardization of a language, but people and languages are constantly evolving and changing. A native speaker may use varying grammar levels according to the situation.
Why Do Native Speakers Make Grammar Mistakes?
Native speakers make grammar errors for various reasons. Some people may be capable of using correct grammar when necessary but choose not to in other situations.
Native Speakers Have Different Language Levels
Native English speakers come from varied backgrounds, countries, regions, and educational levels. These factors are crucial in the mistakes that native English speakers make.
A person educated at a top-level school who is part of a family of language sticklers is likely to have excellent grammar, with only one or two technical mistakes occasionally.
A person with poor education who lives in a neighborhood where grammar is bottom of the priority list will have many grammatical errors. In some areas, it is accepted and commonplace to use certain grammar errors routinely.
An example of this is: “I done it” as opposed to “I have done it” or “I did it.”
In Cockney language, “there ain’t nuffink like it” is a common phrase that is grammatically incorrect. This error does not bother the Cockney people, and they continue speaking as they have done for years.
It is for this reason that many newspapers over the years have offered ‘dumbed down’ content as even in developed societies, such as the UK, there are millions of people whose reading ability and grammar knowledge really is quite limited.
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Simplification Makes Spoken Language Easier
Children automatically simplify grammatical structures, pronunciation, and words when they learn to speak. This makes the process of learning easier. Adults make similar adjustments to spoken speech, simplifying it to make it faster and more fluent.
An example of this is, “Hi Wendy, here’s the drinks.” This error is used almost all the time in large portions of the English-speaking world. The correct sentence would be, “Hi Wendy, here are the drinks.”
Another example is when people leave off initial words, relying on intonation and contextual cues to provide enough meaning.
For example: “sleep well?” This is very normal and accepted in informal spoken language. The correct question would be, “Did you sleep well?” Most grammatical errors made by native speakers aim to get the message across faster.
The Formality Of The Occasion Affects Grammar Usage
Many people can use better grammar than they do in their daily lives. If they go for an interview or meet an important person, they use a much better grammar level and try hard to omit mistakes.
Some people use better grammar at work but let their attention to grammar slide once they are home.
Writing is often seen as formal communication, and more attention is paid to grammar. This is especially true for business letters and formal communication.
Unfortunately, text messages have undermined grammar and its importance LOL 🙂
Modern children and teenagers only learn formal written language in schools, and there is little opportunity to practice good grammar.
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ESL Speaking Tests – IELTS and SAT’s
It is interesting to note that even on supposedly rigorous language exams such as IELTS the actually grade/band descriptors that examiners use to assess speaking ability includes a short sentence saying:
“Produces consistently accurate structures apart from ‘slips’
– IELTS Band 9 Speaking Criteria (Grammar)
characteristic of native speaker speech.”
This is an acknowledgment by the owners of IELTS: Cambridge English, The British Council and IDP Australia that, yes, native speakers do make mistakes and ‘yes’ it is ok for that to happen, and in some cases it is more natural to do than to not do so.
Whilst I would never encourage anyone to desperately make grammar mistakes. I would encourage non-native speakers to copy phrases and expression from native speakers regardless as to whether or not they are grammatically correct.
Whilst this might be frustrating for a non native speaker who has studied grammar all their life to say things that they always thought were grammatically incorrect. It is much more likely to make you sound like a native speaker and quite possibly improve the clarity and brevity of the conversation.
Conclusion
Native English speakers make grammatical errors through inattention, cultural norms, and simplifying language to increase speed.
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