Based on the chapter in Williams & Bizup of the same name.
… but I would have called this section “Grammar Rules”.
There are many “rules” when writing English.
We're used to rules: variables must be initialized before being used; string.substr() takes two integer arguments. We follow those rules.
Rules of C++ are clear: some standards committee wrote them and they are definitive. Natural languages aren't so black-and-white.
Some rules are clear: I went to the store
is correct and I went to store the
is not.
Some are less clear:
The population is expected to more than double in the next ten years. Wikipedia, Split Infinitive
The infinitive to double
is split. That's against the rules.
But did anybody not understand that? Would anybody notice that in the middle of a blog post?
More importantly, what's the alternative?
…expected to increase by more than double…
…expected to double or more…
…expected to increase by a factor of two or more…
Those suck.
Can you split infinitives?
Various English style guides say no. Many people believe (and are taught) no.
Most English speakers do it. Most modern style guides say it's fine. No English speaker will fail to completely understand you.
Real answer is probably: yes unless you want to be really formal.
Williams & Bizup divide rules into three categories:
These rules are often followed, and often ignored.
They sometimes lead to a nicer sentence, but ignore them if they don't. Don't be pompous and correct people by wielding them.
Don't begin sentences with
and
or but
.
Often a bad idea: it can definitely lead to weird sentences and should be avoided. But it's common to see it anyway.
I was late. But, I didn't care so I walked slowly.
I was late, but I didn't care so I walked slowly.
Don't begin sentences with
This is a complete non-rule (that I was taught in grade 3).because
.
Roughly equivalent:
I ran because I was late.
Because I was late, I ran.
But this isn't okay:
I ran. Because I was late.
Use
That is,whom
as the objects of a verb or preposition.
Who am I writing for?
For whom am I writing?
For who am I writing?
Williams & Bizup suggest a “real” rule for who/whom.
My opinion: it depends how formal you want to sound. I rarely write sentences where I have to decide.
Use fewer
with discrete values and less
with continuous. This suggests:
I have fewer books. I have less water.
But less
is commonly used for discrete quantities, but never fewer
for continuous.
We'll visit less than five times.
I have fewer water.
Readers might not notice that you do/don't follow these rules. Following them might be more formal.
e.g. Don't split infinitives.
Don't end a sentence with a preposition.
That's the school I go to.
That's the school to which I go.
I go to that school.
Again, how formal do you want to sound?
Use the singular with
none
and any
.
None of these rules is mandatory.
None of these rules are mandatory.
Williams & Bizup also lists several “hobgoblins”: things that some people try to enforce as “rules” that just aren't.
e.g. Never use
like
for as
or as if
.
These operations failed like the earlier ones did.
These operations failed as the earlier ones did.
Honestly, I have never heard any of these “enforced”, but it's worth a read.
Re-write this twice: both correct, but first very formal, and second, informal.
Formal language is mostly used in writing, informal language is often used talking. But neither is bad. Depends who you're talking to.
A problem with English: the singular pronouns are all gendered: he
, she
, him
, her
, ….
But pronouns have to agree with the rest of the sentence:
When John asked a question, it was hard to answer him.
When students asked questions, it was hard to answer them.
That quickly leads to trouble:
When a student asks a question, it can be hard to answer him.
When a student asks a question, it can be hard to answer them.
None of those is completely correct: the first incorrectly assumes a gender; the second doesn't agree with the singular subject.
In an industry that's ≫50% male, it's easy to assume a male pronoun.
Let's all agree that the singular they/them
is okay.
Of course, content should be correct.
When writing, you have choices to make about how sense, wordy, clear, or concise your text is. Choices in grammar and wording can have a huge effect on these.