Blog 8: Grammar Superstitions

The only grammar superstition I remember learning was the one where the writer is supposed to put a comma anywhere there is a natural pause. I remember very little of my actual grammar education, which may be due to the fact that I was still in elementary school. I remember a couple of the cute Schoolhouse Rock videos on grammar, like “Conjunction Junction, What’s Your Function” and “A Noun is a Person, Place, or Thing”, but that is about it. In Junior High and High School, it seemed like we never went over grammar formally. The teachers threw out tips and advice now and then, but I can’t recall I time when there was a grammar-only section in their curriculum.  More than anything else, in high school you were basically expected to know how to write well already. I was always pretty good at writing and I always received excellent grades in my English classes, so learning the nitty-gritty technical grammar rules was never a huge priority for me. I’m glad that I’m learning more of the specifics now because it makes me feel more secure as a writer and especially as a tutor.