I don’t know how many times I’ve answered the question: “Why grammar?” The major objection to grammar goes like this: “As long as you understand what I’m saying, when the communication is made, why nitpick?” Minor ones included “It kills creativity!”

Marie Rackham, retired public school teacher, has a ready answer: “Because grammar is the technique of English”. She has elaborated this in an essay. Here’s the gist.

Grammar is a skill like speaking or calculating. We have managed to acquire it, how can we deny it to others? “I am not against progress in education,” she wrote, “but, …we must be very sure that what we consider to be progression is not regression, or even suppression, in disguise.”
This is what she meant: teachers of English hold Master’s degrees. It is grammar, or the technique of writing accurately and well in English that’s made it possible for them to get the degree. Then why do we say that the technique isn’t necessary?

Also, this cry for grammar-free English was a product of social change in the 60s. That is no linguistic reason to stop learning structures and usage.

Ms. Rackham had this amusing experience. When the younger teaching staff noticed her keying in her grammar course, each wanted a copy of it. “I was never taught grammar and I am terrified to teach it,” they said.

The problem, says Ms. Rackham, is we want “instant grammar”, like instant coffee, instant everything. But learning a technique takes time and discipline. You need to “focus, organise, and practise.”

We teachers have always found grammar useful while teaching creative writing. When we critique writing, we say, “Would you like to use an adjective here to balance the sentence, Mary?” or “Put that subject at the end of the sentence, you will get a better flow,” or “This is a report, right? How about changing the sentence into passive voice?”

Grammar is a tool that enhances creativity, not stifle it. It helps us to be specific in our speech and writing.

[Ms. Rakham has upgraded her grammar work as The Basic Cozy Grammar Course. Here is why. “First, I am aware of the public’s concerns about the lack of language skills demonstrated by students today. This totally self contained course as an audio/visual resource will enable students, teachers, parents, and homeschoolers to learn and/or teach the basics of grammar.

Second, I wanted to get out of the classroom – to present grammar in an everyday setting... to make a stimulating but non-threatening, setting for teaching a potentially dry and boring subject.”]
You learn to speak and write well only if you understand the structures of the language. Yes, grammar is caught, provided you have someone constantly correcting your speech and writing. And that “someone” needs to know grammar, right?