To What Extent Does Grammar Impact Meaning?

To What Extent Does Grammar Impact Meaning?

Edward de Vries

Perspective

• Modern language often uses bad grammar

Perspective

• Improper grammar gives others a bad impression of you

Perspective

• Twitter is conducive to bad grammar and spelling

Perspective

• Texting is conducive to bad grammar and spelling

• Proper grammar and spelling would take 5x longer to type

They’re There with Their Cat

Two, To, Too

Punctuations and Hyphens

Punctuation Changes Meaning

A woman: without her, man is nothingA woman without her man is nothing.

Punctuation Changes Meaning

In conducting annual self-assessment training, providers should seek help.In conducting annual self-assessment, training providers should seek help.

Punctuation Changes Meaning

The man dropped the bullet in his mouth.The man dropped, the bullet in his mouth.

Punctuation Changes Meaning

Watch out – man eating apes!Watch out – man-eating apes!

Punctuation Changes Meaning

We order merchandise and sell the products.We order, merchandise and sell the products.

Punctuation Changes Meaning

When I sing well, ladies feel faint.When I sing, well ladies feel faint.

Punctuation Changes Meaning

You will be required to work twenty four-hour shifts.You will be required to work twenty-four hour shifts.You will be required to work twenty-four-hour shifts.

Santa 1 Dear Santa,

You really made my year! When I heard you had fallen from your sleigh, I was sad. To see such wonderful gifts lined up under my Christmas tree, my eyes lit up. When I unwrapped your gifts I knew that the spirit of Christmas was still alive. It was terrible hearing about your accident. The best piece of news all year is your safe return. Things yet to come, you say! Christmas is a time to love and share, I disagree with Scrooges. Everywhere Christmas is slowly fading. Thanks for making it so fantastic.

Matt

Santa 2 Dear Santa,

You really made my year when I heard you had fallen from your sleigh! I was sad to see such wonderful gifts lined up under my Christmas tree. My eyes lit up when I unwrapped your gifts. I knew the spirit of Christmas was still alive - it was terrible. Hearing about your accident? The best piece of news all year. Is your safe return a sign of things yet to come? You say Christmas is a time to love and share, I disagree. With Scrooges everywhere, Christmas is slowly fading. Thanks for making it so. Fantastic.

• Matt.

Mother Dear Mother,

In law, there is nothing to make me say thank you, but the quality of your gifts compels me at least to write to tell you how I feel. Thank you so much for the presents! I was expecting nothing more than a token yet, again, you have exceeded even your own incredible standards.

It was a shame you had to stay here for such a short time. I thought I might have coped, but it was unbearable seeing you leave. The relief was immense when I heard we might see you again soon. I wanted to end it all by saying goodbye now. I hope I will not have to say it to you again for a long time. If you have the opportunity to spend Christmas elsewhere next year, please do not.

Much love

Matthew

Mother in LawDear Mother-in-Law,

There is nothing to make me say thank you, but the quality of your gifts compels me at least to write to tell you how I feel. Thank you? So much for the presents I was expecting. Nothing more than a token, yet again! You have exceeded even your own incredible standards.

It was a shame you had to stay here. For such a short time, I thought I might have coped, but it was unbearable. Seeing you leave, the relief was immense. When I heard we might see you again soon, I wanted to end it all. By saying goodbye now, I hope I will not have to say it to you again for a long time. If you have the opportunity to spend Christmas elsewhere next year, please do.

Not much love

Matthew

Importance of Proper Grammar• “If you think an apostrophe was one of the 12 disciples of

Jesus, you will never work for me. If you think a semicolon is a regular colon with an identity crisis, I will not hire you. If you scatter commas into a sentence with all the discrimination of a shotgun, you might make it to the foyer before we politely escort you from the building.” –Kyle Wiens, Digital Publisher

• 75% will think less of you; because of bad grammar

Google Judges

Evolution of Language

• Agenda– 1600s: plural of

agendum– Now: single list of

tasks• Unique– Pre 1800s: one of a

kind– Now: singular

Summary

• Punctuation• Modern Technology• Perceptions