Go ahead and give this post's title a double look. Proper grammar that might be, but something about it sounds off in a blog.
Ah, the beauties of informal vs. formal, fiction vs. fiction. Grammar lovers like me can spend a day discussing the nuances between one of those varieties, but I won't bore you with all that jargon. In essence, all types of writing need proper grammar according to whatever source your (boss) is using, but some rules… slide… in certain contexts.
Actually, those rules relax in most contexts. But that should be obvious. You don't watch a movie or a play to hear proper grammar spoken. When you read a blog, you may be fortunate to find any grammar rules implemented.
Some people mistakenly believe that because grammar relaxes in informal writing like web logs (blogs) and fiction (especially in dialogue), no grammar need be applied to these types of writing. This is wrong. If you don't believe me, try to read that messed up copy of my two paragraphs at the bottom of this post.
So much of "proper" grammar should be used everywhere. But in cases like informal and fiction writing, writers can use something I like to call "colloquial" grammar. Notice my "Ah" a few paragraphs up. That wouldn't be acceptable in a formal paper, book, or article.
But in an informal situation, it can add to the flow. "Colloquial" grammar can be thought of as "spoken" grammar. It can appear in most web writing, in relaxed articles, in good copy, in fiction, and in dialogue.
In fact, you can always identify bad dialogue because it doesn't use relaxed grammar.
Run-on sentences are still a no-no—unless you want to join two sentences with a dash, which technically isn't a part of grammar whatsoever, but it does mimic the effect of a run-on. Commas mean pauses and can therefore be left off of some places they're usually required (like in "Now, class…"). Intentional fragments can offer their marvelous services for tweaking readers' impressions.
That's what writing does, see. It structures words in a specific way to get the reader to feel, realize, or know something. If you've ever read a fiction book that had you on the edge of your chair in suspense, you might want to go back and review that story, considering how the author arranged the words (and, probably, sentence fragments) to make you feel that way. In fact, I could give you a seven-paragraph example that would chill you.
Rules relax where they do for effect. If you learn the proper rules and the reasons for them, you should have an easy enough time learning where to relax them. If you write grammar by ear, you might be okay depending on your ear's ability to hear semicolons.
Now, are there other explanations for why grammar rules relax where they do? Most likely. It's like many issues: many methods of explanation guide you to the same concept. I already know that I approach punctuation by what it means; quite an unconventional method.
But if that's the explanation you need to be able to process it to use it as properly as is needed in each proper context, it's all good.
Example of Grammar Being Ignored:
go ahead and give this posts title a double look proper grammar that might be but something about it sounds off in a blog ah the beauties, of informal vs formal & fiction vs fiction grammar lovers like me can spend a day discussing the nuances between one of those varieties, but i wont bore you with all thatjargonall types of writing need proper grammar according to whatever source your boss is using, but some rules slid in certain contexts.
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