Communication is an integral human activity. No human can live in isolation and to live in a society, we need to interact. For interaction between two people, we need to communicate.
Oxford dictionary defines communication as activity or process used for expression of ideas and feelings or used by people for giving information. Hence we can say that it involves sharing of ideas and information between one person to other person.
When a child grows, it is necessary that he is taught how to communicate as when the children are taught how to express themselves, they develop better communication skills rather than only by imitating. It is useful for their future as they have to go in the outside world. So we can say that grammar is important due to a variety of reasons.
Why is it Important to Use Proper Grammar?
Reasons why you should apply the correct grammar when you speak and write:
- Using proper grammar helps you to think logically and distinctly.
- You will develop effective communication skills
- It improves your fluency in the language
- Very beneficial when you are applying for a job
- Not being able to pass a message clearly, can diminish your organization’s name
- Poor usage of grammar can give a negative impression about you
- It helps you to build a reputation as a professional
- Helps you gain credibility
Importance of Grammar in Communication:
The following mentioned are a few tips on why is it important to study grammar.
1. Important in all forms of communication:
There are many forms of communication. Most people think of communication as primarily speaking and listening but it is far more complicated than it. If we go in detail, it is of four types that is used by people mostly- written, verbal, graphical and non-verbal. Further, they can be subclassified as written into books, notes, letters; verbal into dialogues, lectures; graphical into sketches, drawings, flow charts and non-verbal is about the body language and sign language.
2. Improves skill of expression:
Communication is a skill which can be learned. People must learn how to communicate well so that they express themselves in a successful manner. A child observes communication between his parents, other people around him and then imitating them. Importance of good Grammar is the essence of every language. Grammatical Competence is also a part of language competence. Hence to obtain an effective communication skill, the learners should pay attention to grammar.
3. Enhances accuracy:
Grammar is very important as it helps increase accuracy. Grammar forms the habit in the mind of the learners and when combined with logic and rhetoric skills, it accustoms the learner to language accuracy and slowly, to the accuracy of thinking. The rules of grammar help the learners to develop a routine of thinking in a logical and clearer way. Hence, when they study grammar, they become more accurate in the language. If you can’t write properly, you can’t relay your matter with accuracy.
4. Good grammar saves time in business:
Key management skill is being able to communicate effectively in the workplace. If you have a good grasp on grammar, it ensures that the messages are delivered and relayed promptly. Good grammar reduces the confusion when an employee does anything, be it filing a report, filing a complaint, sending an instant message to a project manager or voicing opinion in a meeting. When the message is delivered grammatically correct, it also reduces the time wasted in translation and in follow up of the message and this leads to higher productivity.
5. Helps in climbing the corporate ladder:
Employees who have good communication fluency are more likely to succeed at their jobs because their writing and speaking reflects a level of professional competency. It is noticed by supervisors, by clients and all. Demonstrating superior level of communication is one of the important factors that lead to a promotion or better title and pay in the future.
6. Grammar clears the message:
Grammar is very important in language. It is the glue that holds the pieces of language together. If the language is unclear and the message meaningless, it can be attributed to incorrect grammar. Hence it means that the person is unable to communicate effectively and the person who is the intended recipient of the message or who is reading the work may not get the real meaning. It will only increase the confusion in the mind of the reader.
7. Helps in saving the face:
In today’s professional world, everyone thinks that everyone knows the language. It also helps in describing about how one feels and responds to one another. It carries a lot of importance in the business arena. When employees use proper grammar, it helps them maintain a level of professionalism and also makes an impression on the colleagues and customers alike. It also reflects that the employee truly cares about his job, his responsibility towards the company and its products/services. When a speaker uses correct grammar, it is a sign of respect as they took time to polish themselves and forms a good impression on the listeners.
8. It is important even in digital world:
People often think that bloggers and online article writers do not need proper grammar. Since they write in a conversational style and often misuse certain terms to create humour and sarcasm, it might be fine not to know the rules of grammar before beginning to write such blogs. However what people miss is that they use the conversational way of the language and hence take a bit of liberal freedom.
However, even bloggers must realize that mistakes can detract people from your credibility. Though people might understand what you intend to say, the truth is that people might not subscribe to your links, like your blogs if you make dumb mistakes. In such a case, buying from that person will be out of the question. Hence it always helps if you know the basic tenets of grammar, whether you are a personal or corporate blogger or a professional writer.
9. Integral for any business setup:
Effective communication is vital for any business setup. Management, employees and other people keep each other updated about the latest news, reports and information pertaining to the business, even communication with clients, suppliers are vital. In such a case, proper grammar is very important and it is a standard that the management should practice and preach. Most companies nowadays demand that the employees should have good communication skills to maintain the business’s good reputation and to propel the business to success.
10. Helps to become a figure of authority:
The entrepreneurs need to assert authority over the industry of their choice. When a person asserts authority, it significantly increases the trust of the customers in him. Once that trust is gained, it is more likely that those people will buy from you. It can be done through detailed information about the products or services by using properly structured sentences.
Just imagine, a person uses incorrect grammar in describing his product, what will you think about him? You will think that even the owner is not aware about his niche area and is just guessing. Though it might be untrue but the entrepreneur will not be able to justify this to the customers and thus the first impression will stay with them. Hence to gain loyalty and their trust, you need to impress them since the very beginning.
11. Helps in increased competitiveness:
Proper grammar boosts campaign ads. When the advertisements are carefully texted, they will get more attention. Everyone knows that in business, popularity is very important and when the marketing campaigns are going on smoothly backed up by the strong production team, the business is bound to get wings and stay ahead of its competitors by beating them.
12. Gives Credibility, respect, convenience and posterity:
Any material which is grammatically correct indicates awareness and carefulness on the part of the writer. If it indicates otherwise, people will question its credibility and accuracy of content. If you are in the corporate world, underpaid employees who work overtime will resent receiving a document which is replete with grammatical errors and will earn them a rebuke from the senior.
In today’s digital world, everything is saved on the internet and any document that you publish will be retained forever in the memory of the internet, along with the mistakes that it contained. Hence it becomes all the more important for it to be error free.
13. Not much used in chatting:
With the advent of technology and social networking, people have become lazier. When they text or use Facebook, Twitter or Myspace, they tend to use simple sentences and without focusing on the grammar. Everything nowadays is short and brief. Fragments of sentences are used and for them, it is fine as long as what they send is understandable by the other person.
14. Gives edge over competitors:
When writing on behalf of your organization also, it is important to use correct grammar as it can mean all the difference between the people trusting your expertise or questioning your knowledge of the matter of subject. If good communication is missed, you cannot work smoothly and normally. Even in the corporate world, being able to communicate effectively gives the business an edge over its less articulate competitors. Poor grammar affects marketing strategies and might even hinder the efforts of strengthening the relationship with the customers.
How to Improve English Grammar?
The importance of using proper grammar are many. Though there are variosu ways to develop your grammar, the best and effective way is to use the language whenever possible.Through regular practice you will be able to improve your grammar in a very short span of time.
Few effective ways to learn & improve English grammar:
- Read more in English
- Write more in English
- Listen more to English
- Practise more
- Keep it simple
- Take the help of a course
Importance of Using Correct Grammar in Business Communications:
“Your grammar is a reflection of your image. Good or bad, you have made an impression. And like all impressions, you are in total control.” – Jeffrey Gitomer (American author & business trainer)
Your language fluency and usage hold great importance in the business field. Be it any type of business, usage of clear and effective language is mandatory. It can be in any form like speaking, writing, reading etc.
Moreover, documentation is very vital in the case of business dealing and other things. In such a case poor grammatical errors can give a cynical or bleak image about the organization. So written documentation related to company business and policies should be free of any type of errors and mistakes. The importance of it are,
- First impressions matter
- Good reputation
- Improve productivity
- Avoid miscommunication
- Helps you keep your business’ competitive edge
- Avoid misunderstanding
- Reduce the risk of dealing with lawsuits
- Communications becomes more effective
Here are some of the problems many people experience when they’re learning English:
- No correction is done when you are making a mistake
- Not having enough knowledge about grammar
- Having doubts when you are using grammar
As seen above, one cannot deny the importance of grammar in communication. However, there are still many problems being faced in the use of grammar. It is true that it becomes a bit boring to study grammar, but it is all worth the effort. People can use online tools to analyze their mistakes and correct them.
However, it is important to proofread the work before they use such tools. With the help of such tools you can learn the basics and also secure yourself a place in the highly competitive world.
