Many people are confused by grammar. Some parts of speech and the rules that govern them can be very technical to study. Most people are not particularly interested in identifying parts of speech and grammar structures.
They are only interested in communicating effectively with their family, social circle, and work colleagues. As a result, they seldom think about whether “bad grammar” is grammatically correct.
Bad grammar is grammatically incorrect. Bad grammar uses incorrect word order, does not have subject-verb agreement, muddles tenses, and other grammar errors. Bad grammar obscures the message, making it difficult to understand and respond to.
It is critical that students understand and identify what constitutes bad grammar. They cannot correct their grammar if they do not see the problem,
Bad Grammar: Grammatically Correct Or Incorrect?
Some people claim that bad grammar is not grammatically incorrect. They state that if a specific grammar use or structure becomes accepted in their region, it is not bad grammar.
Grammar is a set of rules governing how words are combined and used to create clear, unambiguous communication. Bad grammar obscures clarity, giving rise to the possibility of confusing the message. Based on this information, we would say bad grammar is grammatically incorrect.
In some regions, certain grammatical errors are common. These structures may include double negatives, omitting certain words in sentences, and ascribing alternative meanings and functions to words.
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The question arises if the community accepts this “bad grammar,” is it truly wrong? One could argue that grammar should make communication intelligible to every English speaker as it standardizes use.
In the example where a community uses a specific grammatical error routinely in their language, it may be grammatically acceptable in that region. It is still grammatically incorrect elsewhere as it obscures meaning.
Speakers from that region will then have quite a shock when they travel to a different region/country and those around them do not understand what they are saying. They may even be laughed at due to their odd sounding grammar.
On a personal note, I distinctly remember teaching the present perfect versus the past simple at a language school a number of years ago.
The American teachers claimed that students did not need to learn the present perfect tense where as the British teachers could not believe what we were hearing and scoffed at the Americans lack of education.
The American teachers would drill students with phrases , such as:
- Did you eat yet?
- Did you shower yet?
- Did you order yet?
In comparison British teachers would drill:
- Have you eaten yet?
- Have you showered yet?
- Have you ordered yet?
It is easy to see how non-native students of English can get confused when even native speakers can’t agree on the language.
In fact when students ask me whether they should learn American or British spelling and grammar I usually tell them to learn British English.
The reason being that British English grammar and spelling tend to be a bit more complicated (and correct in my opinion) and if you can make the effort to learn the British system and then you can easily ‘dumb it down’ (sorry yanks) and produce the American version.
Now, I know that sounds very arrogant so I always add that the vast majority of speakers of English are American and so that would be the most common form of the language. I then let the student themselves decide.
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Is There A Time When Bad Grammar Is Helpful?
Bad grammar is often used by advertising companies when developing slogans. Sometimes the slightly incorrect grammar makes the slogan stick more in people’s minds.
Apple had a successful slogan that ran from 1997 to 2002. It was grammatically incorrect but was used effectively to market their brand. The slogan was “Think Different.”
If the slogan had been written with correct grammar, it should have read “Think Differently.” This phrase was rejected as a slogan as it was not punchy enough and did not stick in the public mind.
Advertising companies work on the basis that the human mind will focus on something unusual – even poor grammar.
“Bad grammar” can be used for artistic effect in poetry. Jumbling the word order allows the poet to express word pictures that would be missed by correct grammar.
In a similar fashion, the words of songs and graffiti messages may be grammatically incorrect to draw attention and emphasize points.
Some people feel bad grammar should not be judged harshly if it conveys the message effectively.
Many different towns and cities in England have developed their own versions of English which are often very ungrammatically correct but try telling that to them!
Also check out: How Bad Grammar Can Change Meaning
Conclusion
Bad grammar is grammatically incorrect because it usually obscures or alters the meaning of the communication.
This, therefore, does not meet the standard which allows it to be understood worldwide and it can make it very difficult for two non-native speakers of English to communicate accurately. This can be multiplied ten times over if their is important, or scientific work involved.
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