Confession Time: I never learned grammar. You might have noticed.
I moved quite a few times when I was a kid and, it just so happens, missed grammar lessons. Apparently it's taught in different grades in different states. Sure I learned the basics (noun, adjective, what the heck a period does, etc.) but my ability to write in a passable manner came from my father and reading.
Grammar and writing are no longer taught in school. Indeed, there are "lessons" but none of those would resemble what my great grandmother encountered. She would cringe at the the state of today's English classes... and what appears in this blog. She is not alone: I once had an English teacher whimper over her inability to teach diagramming sentences.
State education lesson plans are not likely to change anytime soon. In fact, I would bet that they get worse. We can't hire enough ruler-wielding nuns to smack the knuckles of those who would deign to splice a comma. (Damn you commas! *shakes fist* They are my arch nemesis.) So what are we to do?
Read.
The only way to become a better writer is to become a better reader. Learn by example. When you see how beautiful words and sentences are in the hands of a master, you'll never want to abbr n txt spk agn.
It also doesn't hurt to have a few reference books on hand. Here are some of my ready references:
The Elements of Style (William Strunk and E.B. White)
The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need (Susan Thurman and Larry Shea)
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
Roget's II The New Thesaurus
A Writer's Reference (Diana Hacker)
Other writing resources I've enjoyed are:
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation (Lynn Truss)
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing Podcast (Now in book form... but I have not read it... yet.)
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