Picky English teachers with angry red pens might make a big fuss over split infinitives, prepositions and other rules of grammar, but do editors really care about such pesky points of the written word? Is following every rule of grammar the secret to great writing, to landing freelance jobs, to keeping readers hooked and entertained? How big of a deal is it to follow the grammar rules…really?
Grammar By the Rules
According to hard-and-fast grammar rules, certain phrases might be considered incorrect. Sentences ending in a preposition, such as what’s that water coming out of? and split infinitives like to ravenously eat are technically wrong by some grammar tenants. Writers who stick to such rules, however, could easily drive themselves crazy…and they could create very stilted pieces as a result. Grammar by the rules (at least, some of the rules) might create very awkward writing.
Split Infinitives
The most commonly used example of the split infinitive is a famous line that everyone can recognize: to boldly go. According to some grammarians, this famed phrase is incorrect. Why? Because, it’s against the rules to split up a verb with an adverb. To hurriedly walk, to angrily yell, to badly write…it’s all considered wrong by some sticklers. Rather, the phrases should read to go boldly, to yell angrily, etc. But are split infinitives really such a sin? Will this make an editor grimace, a reader wince? Will this mistake -made by the likes of Abraham Lincoln and many, many, many others- keep otherwise great freelance writers from succeeding? Could something so small ruin a freelance writing job?
Do Editors Really Care About Split Infinitives?
In some cases, even something as simple as a split infinitive could create a problem for freelance writers. Though split infinitives have been appearing in the English language for no less than five centuries, some sticklers say it’s absolutely improper to split up verbs (this comes from the rules of the Latin language). As such, there are always going to be editors out there who want to see perfect writing that’s strictly grammatically correct.
Good Writing/Bad Writing
Sticking to such stodgy grammar rules and re-arranging sentences to avoid split infinitives could easily become problematic. Imagine how different Star Trek would sound with Kirk intoning boldly to go rather than to boldly go. Now, imagine how stodgy a piece of writing might sound with the same. Often, split infinitives add a nice element of description that makes for better writing than sticking to out-of-date rules derived from Latin.
Bad writing isn’t always writing that breaks grammar rules, and some writing can be terrible for all it’s grammatical perfection. Good writing is always going to mean a piece that reads easily, is engaging and conjures up images for the reader. Some of the best writing in the world, in fact, chucks even basic rules of grammar to achieve an effect. Split infinitives should be the least of worries for a freelance writer, so don’t focus on the grammar. Focus on creating writing that reads well, something that’s easy to understand…something that will make others smile when they see it. And to heck with the rules.
KC Morgan - KC Morgan has been the featured writer in Self-Employment since 2006, using personal experience to create guides to being self-employed.
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