Is Formal Grammar Education Vital?

Formal grammar education is not vital to learning how to write, because it is possible to write well without ever taking a grammar class. Formal grammar instruction is of large benefit and will help you make better use of punctuation, structure, and word choices. But you can learn how to write just by reading and even listening.

Grammar is to writing what theory is to music. Does it provide structure and helpful rules? Yes. Can you write a beautiful piece without following said rules? Yes! Does it make your piece sound more experienced, professional, or correct? Yes. Can you be a gifted, popular, or prolific writer even without a formal education? Yes!

Some of my friends were talking about one of the most influential bands ever in music history- the Beatles. Apparently, Paul McCartney didn't know anything of theory, he didn't even know the name of the chords he played. Yet he wrote songs like "Here Comes the Sun" and "Yesterday."

To demonstrate my point, consider some of the beloved and well-published authors throughout history who didn't always use good grammar. Jane Austen and her double negatives, James Joyce and his run-on sentences, Emily Dickinson and her miss use of capitalization- just to name a few! It is especially interesting to note all the female writers of the 19th century and before because women often didn't have the same formal education that men had, and yet still wrote some amazing and time-tested works of literature.

I am not arguing that grammar is useless or not important, but I do not think it is the most important thing we need to be taught as writers. Formal education may be helpful in small doses, but it is not vital to be a good writer. What we need to know we can learn from observing, reading, and living life.

Works Consulted

Lazić, Katarina. "These 7 English and American Authors Made It Okay to Break Grammar Rules." Anglozine, http://anglozine.com/7-english-american-authors-made-okay-break-grammar-rules/. Accessed 9 March 2022.