What You Say

Some say that the real purpose of writing is to communicate and that the form the communication takes is secondary to the message, the content. There is no doubt that people who value the message over the form of the message make a valid point; and I am certain that no one should stop writing just because subject/verb agreement is a mystery or comma rules seem silly.

However, the reality is that a writer who wishes to have his message heard has to pay attention to commonly accepted rules of grammar. To have others listen and take the message seriously, the writer does need to use language that aligns with accepted practice.

What happens if a writer plans to tell a story about people who do not value traditional grammar standards? What is the right approach if the people the writer chooses to depict do not speak in compliance with the rules and regulations dictated by grammarians over the centuries? Rest assured, there is a way to handle non-standard grammar in a grammatically correct manner.

For an example, let’s consider two hypothetical authors who write about peer group communication among dedicated surfers.

Mr. Impeccable, the first writer, has a style that is formal, erudite, and leaned. He pays obsessive attention to perfect grammar, too. Without using non-standard grammar, not even in examples of surfer dialogue, he fails to depict realistically a group of surfers who communicate in slang, Dude, for the most part.

On the other hand, Ms. Free Writer, the second writer, is easy going, relaxed, and informal. She is not concerned with absolute purity when it comes to grammar. She includes an absolute ton of surfer slang in her composition, showing how the surfers communicate with each other in a true-to-life way.  If she doesn’t watch out for ungrammatical constructions, though, her essay might become unreadable because what she has to say heads totally out to sea, her meaning adrift in an ocean of errors.

Either writer can do a good job with the topic of surfers’ slang by merging standard and non-standard English. When they quote surfers, they should go for the surfers’ distinct style of speech; and when they talk about how surfer slang developed or continue a story, they should stick to Standard English.

Many writers do include dialects, slang, particular ways of talking in their writing; and the most successful ones do so without being grammar snobs at all. They achieve a balance between getting the message across in easily understood Standard English and using other modes of speech as a way to bring their characters to life.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!