Your primary school teacher was wrong about grammar
We’re taught that the rules of grammar are set in stone, passed down from time immemorial. Without them the English language will fall into decay – how will we understand each other then?!
But the ABC’s language researcher Tiger Webb says the rules of grammar aren’t as hard and fast as we were taught in school.
Instead of taking the rules as gospel, we should examine where they came from and decide whether or not they are actually useful. Grammar prescriptivism isn’t just annoying, it stifles the growth and creativity that makes speaking and writing so much fun.
Produced by Rohan Salmond
