Putting the MC Hammer into Grammar

What is grammar?

According to the dictionary, grammar is defined as:

• The study of how words and their components are combined to form sentences.
• The study of structural relationships in language or in a language, sometimes including pronunciation, meaning, and linguistic history.
• The system of inflections, syntax and word formation of a language.
• The implicit rule system in a language, seen as a mechanism for generating all possible sentences in that language.

Why is grammar important?

Grammar is critical for a variety of reasons. For me, Philip Lesly, a renowned PR practitioner, summed it up best when he said:

1. People who constantly abuse language get trapped in “verbal ghettos” from which they will never escape.
2. They are disadvantaged both in improving social situations and in qualifying for positions of influence.

Without proper grammar when writing or speaking, people would increase the likelihood of conveying inaccurate messages to target audiences, regardless of whether it is intentional or not. More importantly, proper grammar would not only allow you to communicate more effectively, but also engage readers or listeners with your intended message(s), which is a crucial skill for any entrepreneur. In addition, the researchers also identified that a broad knowledge of the English language is correlated with career success more than any other individual characteristic.

What does MC Hammer have to do with grammar?

Regardless of whether you’re writing or speaking, both are considered art forms that require masterful orchestration. An effective arrangement of words, sentences, pronunciations and paragraphs capable of not only capturing audiences but also conveying the intended messages of the emcee: MC. If you make it easier, you might also see the acronym MC as “Must Correct” which should help you remember the importance of grammar when writing and speaking. As for the “Hammer” part, I mean continuous hitting to improve grammar skills for success. Unlike its predecessor, which slowly faded and broke, you need to ensure success by making sure your MC Hammer works at all times, pun intended!

Of course, with technologies advancing at such a rapid pace, people don’t have to do all the heavy lifting themselves. With sites like Grammarly, people can triple check your masterpiece before submitting it. Note that the checks and balances they provide go far beyond the typical “spell checker” of Microsoft Word or any other free platform, especially since it also checks for plagiarism.