Last week, I
wrote about using the singular they. Some editors and grammarians
believe that avoiding singular they is a zombie rule. Zombie rules have
nothing to do with actual zombies, but rather outdated grammar rules. A more
accurate way of describing them is as non-rules. The term was coined by a
professor, Arnold Zwicky, in 2005 for grammar "rules" that authors, editors,
and elementary schools insist on following even though these rules don't exist
and have no grammatical basis [1]. The term took off as demonstrated by John
McIntyre's article that described an entire list of them [2]. Over the next few
weeks, I'm going to be describing some of these zombie rules and why writers
should allow them to permanently die out.
The first two zombie rules I am going
to discuss are very common amongst authors, overzealous editors, and elementary
school classes. People consistently break both rules in speech which gives evidence
that they don’t apply to the natural flow of words. Our brains appear to know a
little more about grammar than we do when we allow them to take over. The first
rule is to never start a sentence with a conjunction. The second insists on
never ending a sentence with a preposition.
For many years, elementary students
have been told that they cannot begin a sentence with a conjunction. That is
not necessarily the case. A conjunction's job is to connect clauses, phrases,
or words within a sentence. There are three types of conjunctions: correlating,
subordinating, and coordinating. Writers use both correlating and subordinating
conjunctions at the beginning of a sentence without trouble. The coordinating
conjunctions are the problem. These conjunctions include the common and,
but, and or. Spoken English reflects the usage of beginning
conjunctions such as these.
Grammar rules and style guides have
never warned against using conjunctions at the beginning of a sentence [3].
This "rule" was most likely created by teachers and carried on as a
grammar rule when truly it is teachers' preference [4]. However, there is one
stumbling block with beginning conjunctions that writers must watch out for.
When one uses a conjunction, it is
important to ensure that the sentence is not a fragment [5]. With simple cases,
one only needs to trust their instincts and what sounds the most natural. As I
said previously, the brain knows much more grammar than we do. With harder
cases, it can help to take the time to identify each part of the sentence to
make sure everything is present that should be.
Once one stops trying to avoid
conjunctions, they find that conjunctions can be very useful. Sometimes,
nothing works like a period to create a certain effect. One could use a comma
and make the two sentences one. But a period adds a greater pause and gives
more emphasis to the sentence that follows [6]. That emphasis produces greater
clarity and magnifies the author's voice. These two benefits are key to every
writer.
The second zombie rule is to avoid
prepositions at the end of a sentence. The job of a preposition is to
demonstrate the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and some other word in
the sentence. As the one who is showing how words relate to each other, prepositions
can become a part of phrasal verbs [7]. Phrasal verbs are phrases that behave like verbs, and prepositions often end up at the
end of sentences that have either these phrases or interrogatives because the order makes the most sense [8].
The idea that prepositions cannot end
a sentence has never been a grammar rule for English. This idea was popularized
by the famed poet John Dryden and many style guides that followed him [9]. Both
Dryden and an earlier culprit, grammarian Joshua Poole, wanted to keep English
close to its roots [10]. In Latin, ending a sentence with a preposition is, in
fact, wrong [11]. I can appreciate wanting to keep close ties between English
and Latin. But Dryden, Poole, and countless others were forgetting something
very important. English is not Latin. English may have its roots in Latin, but
it is not the same thing. What works in one language may not in the other. For
the sake of clarity, English sometimes needs a preposition at the end of the
sentence.
If it is true that conjunctions and prepositions
can be used, what are authors to do? The best rule to follow is to use the
conjunction or preposition unless it might cause problems. If readers are going
to be riled by a "misplaced" word, they are not going to absorb your
actual point and may even question your expertise. For the sake of one's
message, moving the word or replacing it might be the better option.
These zombie rules may have been
around for decades, but that doesn't mean they should be accepted or followed.
You can make writing clearer and more natural by adding in some beginning
conjunctions and ending prepositions. You'll be one less author contributing to
the continued life of these "rules." Just be careful you don't create
a mob by doing it. Some battles aren't worth fighting.
[1] Merrie-Ellen Wilcox, 2016, "Spooks, zombie
rules, and the singular ‘they'" [blog], West Coast Editorial
Associates, accessed September 27, 2019,
http://westcoasteditors.com/spooks-zombie-rules-and-the-singular-they/.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Neal Whitman, 2014, "Can I Start a Sentence
with a Conjunction?", Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better
Writing, Accessed September 27, 2019,
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/can-i-start-a-sentence-with-a-conjunction.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Mignon Fogarty, 2011, "Ending a Sentence with
a Preposition," Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing, Accessed
September 27, 2019,
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/ending-a-sentence-with-a-preposition.
[8] Ibid.
[9] "Prepositions, Ending a Sentence With," Merriam-Webster,
June 25, 2019,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/prepositions-ending-a-sentence-with.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid.
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