I made a statement declaring punctuation as part of grammar and was instantly called out for being wrong.
Of course, I believed I knew what I was talking about. Punctuation has a bunch of rules, and using them wrong, well that is some bad grammar. I cockily Googled this topic, and pretty much every legitimate source I found did not mention punctuation once in their answers.
Turns out punctuation is part of a whole other grouping that works with grammar to facilitate our ability to read.
I’m high-key embarrassed that I am literally someone whose revenue is related to my ability to write, yet I don’t even know what grammar actually is.
When I learn something new, I like to share it, so let’s get into it.
Grammar is about the hierarchical order of words in a sentence and what they mean
Grammar is effectively the catch-all name for the guidelines that govern word order in language.
This applies to both written and oral communication.
Phonetics - The study of sound patterns that occur within languages.
Morphology - The study of internal construction of words.
Syntax - The arrangement of words in sentences (and other word groupings like phrases or clauses)
Semantics - The meaning behind words, both natural and artificial
I went through several articles from different sources. Some stuff like Grammarly will include punctuation in a subheading known as writing mechanics. Personally, I’d argue that in order for semantics to make sense, you need to include the punctuation and spelling that impact meaning.
But I’m not a linguist. Nor am I an English Lit person. In fact I’m more on the communications side of things.
People who make their money studying language scientifically don’t include punctuation in grammar.
People who make their money teaching people to communicate better include punctuation in grammar.
Since I’m on wax here it should be said technically grammar is a writing mechanic.
Writing Mechanics are a whole other set of rules that govern language
According to the bland and scholarly looking Keir Armstrong site, punctuation is really about the writing.
Scroll down in that article I linked and there are a gajillion rules on when to use quotation marks and how to capitalize titles and other mid topics.
Literally, nothing in this giant list has to do with the order words appear. It is about the use of punctuation, and how they structurally work together in order to make words readable.
Grammar is about sentence structure and which words go where. This applies to all communication. Technically there’s no punctuation when we speak, despite it being implied.
Punctuation is a symbolic representation of things we do via tone and pauses.
Since there are no visual symbols in oral communication, writing mechanics may be synergized with grammar, but they are in fact, separate entities.
While for all practical conversational purposes, punctuation feels like it should be part of grammar, it is not. Google may be incentivized to reinforce the notion that punctuation is grammar. There are plenty of well done landing pages catering to people’s desires to write clearer, but facts are facts. Grammar applies to words and punctuation applies to writing.
Writing mechanics are the tag team partner of grammar when all is said and done.
Grammar mixed with writing mechanics: the toolkit of champion communicators
On the real, your sentences will read like you employed bad grammar if your punctuation game is weak.
Punctuation, stylization, and capitalization are all symbols of written communication. They are used to pepper the sentence, to help create a sense of style. They also can rearrange the entire meaning of something.
As an example, if I were to say I “really liked” something, it creates a sense of suspicion.
If I were to tell you some quote from the homeboy Johnny, something like, “I really liked something,” all of a sudden the same word order has new meaning.
All we did was move the quotation marks and context.
It’s worth noting you are allowed to break grammar rules. You should probably learn them, and get good first, but style is fucking up rules on purpose or at least making deliberate choices with things.
I know “I be out there” is grammatically incorrect, I simply don’t care. When I choose “I be”, I know that I’m supposed to use the word “am”. However, for whatever reason I decided the word “be” is more appropriate. That is my prerogative as a writer. People obsessed with grammar are annoying because they don’t care about practicality, just formality.
What really matters is are you clear and are you fly with it?
Anyway, I dislike losing “nothing fights”, but I love learning and writing about it.Big W for me.
Live Long and Prosper Everyone