Why We Celebrate National Grammar Day

We text. We chat. We post. We email. Using a multitude of modern forms of communication, we share our thoughts and feelings, prides and joys, and all the moments of our lives, from the exciting to the mundane. Regardless of how we reach out to family, friends, business associates, and the world, we use grammar every day. It gives us the framework to communicate. So, why wouldn’t we want to celebrate grammar? 

At ProWrite, we enthusiastically embrace National Grammar Day every March 4th. The tradition is an annual tribute to the art and science of linguistics. The day is also a reminder that proper grammar goes a long way toward helping us communicate clearly and accurately.

In this blog, we discuss what National Grammar Day stands for, who founded it, and how the tradition came about. We also provide some great grammar tips (i.e., common grammatical mistakes to avoid) and ways to join in the fun.

Who Established the Day and Why?

Martha Brockenbrough, an American author, professor, and the founder of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG), debuted the day in 2008 to show her students that learning grammar could be fun instead of a chore. Martha chose March 4th because the date is the only one on the calendar that is a complete sentence when said aloud: “March forth.” We like that imperative!

Who Celebrates the Day?

Martha encourages everyone to celebrate National Grammar Day in their own way. Anyone from any walk of life can get in on the fun. Many universities and K-12 schools do so. Professional and nonprofit organizations also celebrate the day along with grammar nerds, linguistics lovers, poets, and writers, among others.

Other notable grammar experts acknowledge the day, including Mignon Fogarty, founder of Quick and Dirty Tricks and Grammar Girl, and the staff of Grammarly, the online grammar tool founded in 2009 by Max Lytvyn, Alex Shevchenko, and Dmytro Lider. 

We certainly celebrate the day at ProWrite!

How Can You Celebrate?

National Grammar Day invites everyone to explore grammar in serious or fun ways.

Here are a few suggestions on how to improve your grammar while observing the day. Choose one or two items from our list or create one for you and your friends. Get creative! And don’t worry if it’s not Grammar Day, you can do these any time:

• Grab a book, pour a cup of tea, and find a comfy place to read a well-written book.
• Peruse The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White.
• Listen to a Grammar Girl podcast.
• Meet up with friends for a grammar game night.
• Write a poem and share it with someone you love.
• Start that novel.
• Rewrite the same sentence in five different ways.
• Look up and practice a grammar rule. Misplaced modifiers can be a lot of fun.
• Write a sentence in English, then translate the sentence into a different language.

National Grammar Day is not only for English speakers. As we celebrate, we can recognize the plethora of languages from across the globe, each having a distinct grammatical structure. We can even study a different language using a free app such as Duolingo. Attention: Nothing beats an actual human when it comes to accurate translations. 

Why Is the Day Important?

Good grammar follows the established conventions of sentence structure and syntax. Communication improves when these conventions are followed. Think about when you read a social media post or an advertisement where a word is misused or missing altogether. 

Surveymonkey.com conducted a study on how bad grammar affects businesses, from hiring to sales. The study found that “86% say they’d be less likely to hire a person who turned in a résumé or a cover letter with grammar mistakes.” The study also found that “Women are 81% less likely to buy a product advertised with spelling/grammar errors, while 77% percent of men feel the same way.”

In the workplace, poor grammar reduces productivity and impacts a company’s bottom line. According to a 2022 study conducted by Loom, Inc., “U.S. businesses lose at least $128 billion each year due to employees wasting time trying to communicate effectively.”

In academics, National Grammar Day highlights the importance of instilling a strong foundation in language skills while empowering students to communicate more effectively during school and later in life.

What Are Common Grammar Mistakes?

Below is a list of some common errors:

• Dangling modifier:
  • After being sterilized, the scientist placed the test tube in the rack.
• Incomplete comparison:
  • Technical writing is more accurate, concise, and professional.
• Incorrect subject-verb agreement:
  • The pen and pencil is in the drawer.
• Sentence fragment:
  • Jane reads books for fun. Because she is a bibliophile.

For more, check out the writing tips on our website.

What Is the Future of Grammar?

As communication methods evolve and new linguistic trends emerge, how will grammar adapt? Right now, we use emojis and acronyms in everyday communication. (Can emojis even be considered part of grammar? The answer to that question is not as straightforward as you might think.) And what will we be using 10 years from now?

What some grew up learning as die-hard grammar rules have changed over time. For instance, now you can:

• Split that infinitive:
  • I am going to thoroughly read that book.
• End a sentence with a preposition:
  • Whom does the book belong to?
• Begin a sentence with a conjunction:
  • She likes to read. But she dislikes writing.
• Use “they” as a singular pronoun as an alternative to he/she when gender is unknown:
  • When the doctor arrives, they will diagnose the symptoms.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

Although they are not foolproof and should not replace humans when it comes to the final product, generative AI apps such as ChatGPT, by openAI, can be helpful to create new content or edit existing content. Alternatives to ChatGPT include Microsoft Bing ai, Jasper AI, and Bard Chatbot by Google. These apps can check and correct grammar. 

Other tools include AI grammar checkers. The following is a list of some options:

• Grammarly
• Wordtune 
• Microsoft Editor for Microsoft 365 integration

Until Next Year

Although National Grammar Day 2024 has passed, we will carry its spirit in our hearts all throughout the year as we reflect on the important role grammar plays in our everyday lives. Let’s honor the beauty of language and the enduring importance of proper grammar. Feel free to reach out to ProWrite if you need our technical writing and editing services. After all, grammar is what we do, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.