Why Grammar is More Important than You Realize
By Taylor Rice
Most people think grammar is not very important, but it can actually change your life. It shows that you are well-educated and work hard to iterate and perfect your work, and therefore you are more likely to be hired for a job. Parents and Schools should teach correct grammatical structure, because knowing how to structure a well-written sentence can improve your chances of acquiring a job and being promoted within that company.
is proven through experiments that those who have less grammatical errors in their profiles on LinkedIn and other similar websites have achieved higher positions than those who have many errors. This is because those in charge of hiring for companies are drawn to those who seem professional and invested in their work, and this apparent “professional-ness” mostly comes from correct grammar in speech when interviewed, and good writing in resumes and essays. Those who have achieved lower positions have been proven to have made 2.5 times more grammatical errors their higher-achieving colleagues. This is because they seem uninvested and appear not to care whether they make mistakes. It also seems that they have not had the proper education to learn how to structure sentences, and therefore are not competent to do the work they are supposedly being hired to perform.
Fewer grammar errors correlate with more promotions. Professionals with 6-9 promotions made 45% fewer grammatical errors than those who’d been promoted 1-4 times. This is because they have invested time and effort to complete their work thoroughly and this shows that they are ready to work hard and benefit their company. Employers can see this through an applicant’s writing and can tell that they are capable of the work.
It is a common opinion that you can just use a grammar-correcting app, like Grammarly. Yes, that is true, but those apps are mostly designed to correct spelling and punctuation, not the way a sentence is structured. Also, they can make mistakes, and aren’t always 100% reliable; English grammar laws are really complex, so grammar correctors often get the context wrong. They might see sentences that are nothing more than random jumbled words as accurate, and flag sentences that make perfect sense in the context of the piece. For example, the sentence “Sally cant succeed and move into a management position” is grammatically correct, so automatic grammar correctors won’t flag it. Unfortunately, they won’t remove the extra T in ‘Can’t’, and will only add an apostrophe between the N and T. Poor Sally will go home in tears. One simple mistake can change the entire meaning of a sentence.
Overall, grammar is very important. It helps you get your point across and convey your thoughts to others. Grammar can get you better jobs and more promotions. It is a skill that will get you many places, and everyone should have the opportunity to learn it.
