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Teaching Why Does Grammar Matter?

Why Does Grammar Matter?

After 20 years of teaching academic writing to both native speakers and English language learners, I can attest that at some point, just about everyone asks me why, or even whether, grammar matters. There is more than one way to define grammar. Linguists – the people who study language – define “grammar” as a description of how a language operates. Though some people use it to bully people for making mistakes, grammar is not a way to decide if language is right or wrong. Everyone makes mistakes, and the English language is amazingly flexible in how its pieces can be put together and understood.

Laurie Ann Britt-Smith, Director of the Center for Writing, College of the Holy Cross
The Conversation

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

Why does the way we use words matter?
STANDARDS:

DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE (DOK) LEVELS:

2,3
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