Letters and Imagination: Mastering the Art of Writing

Grammar

I'm going to clarify right away that I'm not about to attempt to be your English teacher and explain all the grammar of the English language. I don't even fully understand English grammar despite English being my native language. I doubt there is a writer who uses perfect grammar all of the time without any assistance. All writers use either a software/AI program to correct grammar errors or have someone or a team whose expertise lies in grammar review their work.

After looking at many fanfiction books on this platform, I categorised writers' use of grammar into three types:

1. No Grammar

It is hard to believe that there are books with no grammar or so little it almost doesn't count. Grammar ensures clarity by providing a structured framework for arranging words and phrases, preventing misunderstandings and enhancing credibility, as well-constructed sentences demonstrate professionalism and attention to detail. It assists in interpretation, helping readers grasp the intended meaning and context, and it fosters consistency, maintaining a cohesive and organized flow of thoughts in written language. Without grammar, a book is a collection of unstructured words with no comprehendible sentences. By adding just full stops at the end of your sentence a book becomes readable.

2. Creative Grammar

Some writers enjoy getting creative with their use of grammar by bending the rules of grammar. Technically speaking they are not doing anything wrong because writers have what is called a literary licence which refers to the creative freedom of writers. It allows them to drift away from strict obedience to conventional rules, norms, or factual accuracy in their works. However, be careful not to drift too far away from the rules and irritate or confuse your readers. Examples:

Conventional Grammar: Why? No!

Creative Grammar: Why?? No!!

Overuse of Creative Grammar: Why??? No!!!!!

3. Conventional Grammar

Conventional Grammar does not refer to flawless grammar; it refers to the traditional, common way of using grammar. This type of grammar most readers prefer as it makes the reading experience easy and interesting. Unfortunately, very few fanfiction books on Wattpad have. Either because writers lack knowledge of grammar or because they don't want to put in the amount of effort needed to produce work with conventional grammar. Well, I don't know/understand all the grammar rules of the English language, yet my book has conventional grammar because I let software and AI programs assist me. It is mostly free and there to make your life easier.

Recommended Software Programs:

1. Microsoft Word

It's the program I'm writing using to write the words you are reading right now. Microsoft Word has a built-in spelling and grammar checker that underlines potential errors in red squiggly line and double blue lines, respectively. You can use this feature to identify and correct basic spelling and grammar mistakes in your writing. In addition, Microsoft Word provides grammar suggestions with dotted purple lines. It can identify complex grammatical errors such as sentence fragments, subject-verb agreement issues, and more. Overall, it's a software program well-fitted for writing and mostly user-friendly.

2. Grammarly

The name of this software program gives its primary purpose away. not only checks for grammar for free but also identifies and corrects spelling mistakes and offers vocabulary suggestions to enhance the richness of your writing. Grammarly can be integrated into your Wattpad to assist you while you write. Also, Grammarly allows you to customize its suggestions to match your writing style and preferences, making it a versatile tool for writers with different needs and goals. (Fun fact: Grammarly reviewed the grammar of this entire book.)

3. Google

Google can be a valuable, free resource for grammar-related queries and writing assistance with its search bar and millions of websites. When researching or seeking examples of correct grammar usage, Google Books is a vast resource. You can search for specific sentences or phrases to see how they are used in published works. While not specifically focused on grammar, Google Assistant can answer grammar-related questions and provide explanations, helping you understand specific grammar rules and concepts.

Recommended AI Programs:

1. ChatGPT

Access ChatGPT at: chat.openai.com

Paste a few paragraphs from your book into ChatGPT and it will identify and correct grammatical errors for free within seconds. If you're unsure why a particular construction is correct or incorrect, you can ask for an explanation, and ChatGPT can provide a concise and clear answer. If you're learning grammar and want to see how a particular rule works in practice, you can request ChatGPT to provide example sentences. This can help you understand how to use grammar correctly in different contexts. ChatGPT can also create grammar exercises or quizzes to help you practice specific grammar concepts. These exercises can be tailored to your level of proficiency.

I'm aware that some people are hesitant to use ChatGPT because it is a relatively new technology and people fear ChatGPT might steal their private information. I respect and understand the concern but know I have been using ChatGPT to perfect my grammar for months and it has only been a good chatbot to me. In fact, I used ChatGPT to fact-check my advice in this book to prevent giving incorrect advice and to generate examples to help you understand my advice. If you ever find out that ChatGPT stole your private information and you have proof, then sue OpenAI.

2. Bard

Access Bard at: bard.google.com

Bard is a free chatbot powered by AI and created by Google LLC. Identify grammar errors, explain grammar rules, suggest grammar improvements, and proofread writing. Bard is similar to ChatGPT and comes with the same advantages and concerns. Do note that I have used Brad and have not experienced complications. Also, know that you might need to join a waitlist and must sign in with a personal Google account to access Bard. You must be 18 or older to be rewarded access to Bard because some of the generated content may contain explicit or sensitive content.

An important thing to note with using AI is that you must not let AI do all the work. You should use AI to supplement your work, not replace it. Another thing to note is that with using AI plagiarism does not come into play. You do not have to give credit to the AI program you used to assist you with your writing. An AI chatbot is not a person who has created original work that belongs to them. AI is a smart program with a huge database that it shifts through to present a summary of this data as an organised answer. AI does not have the capacity to hold copyrights as it is just a digital machine.

It is almost impossible to write with perfect grammar without any assistance. Use software and AI programs to review your grammar and therefore enhance your readers' reading experience.