History of English
The language of English has evolved so many times since its origin. Frankly, the first English that was ever spoken now sounds like gibberish to us all. People first started speaking English in the 5th century. The concept of grammar, however, began in the 16th century. That is 11 centuries of people not even giving a second thought about what they were saying and how they were saying it. So, if we’ve been just fine without grammar for such a long time, what’s the point of using grammar now?
An English Teacher's Pet Peeve
All through school, kids learn the importance of the words they use and how they phrase things. Using improper grammar such as writing “there” instead of “their” during English class would earn a look of disapproval from the teacher. On top of that, an article that is published without proper grammar is considered unprofessional. Why is grammar shaping everyone’s opinion to be so different from what it was before? Why is grammar so important?
What is the Impact?
As much as everyone dislikes having to pay attention to numerous grammar rules, it is necessary. There are multiple different versions of certain words that may sound the same but are completely different. These are what we call homophones. A classic example of this is the words “your” and “you’re.” If you were to address an object belonging to someone, you would use “your” and if you were to describe someone as something, you would use “you’re.” Here’s where the difference between the two really comes into play. Let’s say you want to reference someone’s dog. The best way to do so would be by using the words “your dog.” What happens if you use the other version of the word? In saying “you’re dog,” instead of talking about the person’s dog, you are calling the person a dog, which would be considered a major insult.
Even though grammar rules are, honestly speaking, annoying at times, they are definitely useful and needed in our world today, which is why grammar is a necessary evil.