Conversational Grammar vs. Written Grammar

In order to wrap my head around grammar and the role it should play in education, I need to compartmentalize it. There’s conversational grammar, and then there’s written grammar. Conversational grammar is simply the way we speak. Written grammar is the way we write. Crazy how that works, right? To be fair, I don’t know if that’s a valid separation to make, but…I’m going to do it anyway.

I don’t think it’s necessary to teach conversational grammar in the classroom. That is usually something that kids pick up from their parents and from different books. Every once in a while, a teacher may need to correct a kid for saying something incorrectly, but I do not think that there is a need for strict, long lessons about conversational grammar in the classroom.

On the other hand, I do think that there is a need for lessons on written grammar in the classroom. It is practically impossible to learn how to use punctuation like semi-colons, commas, and dashes solely from speaking and reading. It is also difficult to understand the differences between words like “your” and “you’re” or “there,” “their,” and “they’re” without proper education. These differences are vital to know because if your writing is speckled with misplaced dashes, incorrect usage of “your” and “you’re,” and other grammatical errors, no one will take your writing seriously.

Personally, I enjoyed grammar lessons, but I understand why they were such a drag for many others. For people who are not very interested in English, grammar lessons would be a headache in homework form. However, I still think that lessons about written grammar are a necessary component of a writing classroom.