Page 16 - Perfect English Grammar: The Indispensable Guide to Excellent Writing and Speaking

WHAT DOES THIS BOOK MEAN

BY “PERFECT GRAMMAR”?

A lthough this book features the word grammar in the title, it also pays a lot of

attention to things that aren’t strictly grammar (at least in the academic linguistic

sense of the word). You’ll find information on writing well, spelling, style,

usage, and more.
Grammar does not exist alone: it is just one of the complex ways we

communicate with each other. So, this book will also motivate you to improve
your communication by using correct basic grammar as a framework around

finding your own voice, which, in short, is about figuring out who you are, what
you want to say, who you want to say it to, and how best to do it.

“Perfect” is what we shoot for but never achieve. It’s a shorthand for

constantly working to improve your writing and speech while acknowledging
that perfection is subjective. Try for perfect communication, but give yourself a

break if you’re not there yet.
I encourage you to think about the contents not as “grammar rules” but as

“grammar guidelines.” My goal is to help you make the best choice for your
situation without having to fear somebody will hunt you down and make fun of

you because you did it your way instead of their way.

In fact, if you try to follow all the rules or guidelines exactly, you will likely
make a mess of your writing. There are few unassailable rules—you just have to

become experienced enough to know when to challenge them.
I also encourage you to work on developing your speaker’s intuition. This is

a fancy way of saying “your natural understanding of what is acceptable in