Celebrating 2021 National Word Nerd Day

Today is National Word Nerd Day. I see it as a chance to make good grammar relevant again. Not sure who should be in charge of this movement, so I’m stepping up to lead the parade.

For some people, writing is just a way to communicate. For me, it's more of a passion for how words fit together.

I see writing as an intersection of creativity, experience, knowledge and connection. It's an art and a science where clarity and crisp communication converge with inspiration and flow.

For me, writing, editing and proofing are a fun puzzle, not a dreaded chore. I love reading anything connected to words and language. The day the new @APStylebook comes out is always reason for celebration. And doesn't everyone still have their high school grammar book?

Like any good word nerd, I have several grammar rules that are not negotiable (which translate into my pet peeve editing issues).

1 – “She is going with Mary and I” will never be correct. Ever. For any reason. 

2 – Dangling participles are insidious gremlins. (A participle modifies like an adjective does, so it must have a noun to modify.) They often go unnoticed in writing because our ears are so accustomed to hearing them spoken. You are likely to get the gist of what the speaker means if she says, “Opening the door, it was time for everyone to enter.” But, “it” didn’t open the door, and this construction can lose a reader who has to stop and think about who opened the door.

3 – Spelling is spelling. Period. Creativity isn’t an option in spelling.

4 – Apostrophes indicate possessive not plurals. Merry Christmas from the Smith’s. The Smith’s what? (a timely reminder after all of these atrocities mailed about during this holiday season).

5 – I believe the serial comma isn’t necessary, but I’m not going to touch that word nerd debate in mixed company. This provokes as much controversy among writers and editors as the preference of vinegar versus mustard sauces does among BBQ aficionados. Just decide how you’re going to use a comma in a series, stick to it and make sure your writers do the same.

There’s a time and place for being a little rebellious as a writer. Sometimes creativity has to win out over the rules. My personal guide for breaking a writing rule is to do it consistently, 

In the interest of avoiding the label of chief enforcer for the grammar patrol, I offer up a few rules that I fudge on a bit. We all have our own. I’ve already used a few in this piece. Read this post to get my take on several rules I allow my inner grammar patrol to ignore.

What grammar rules will you always obey and which are less rigid for you as a writer or editor?

Read a few of my past word nerd pieces below:

Making good grammar relevant again

How smoking a pork butt is like writing

2019 National Word Nerd Day