The Wall Street Journal has been running a discussion on grammar in the workplace and it’s fascinating reading. They complain about things like misusing is and are, me and I, and saying things like “I could care less” when you mean you could not care less. You don’t care at all.
Well these people certainly care about grammar. One company will no longer hire anyone at all who fails their spelling and grammar test. Several other companies are running in-house grammar training sessions. Another company insists that every outgoing email is proofread by a resident grammar guru before it’s sent.
In a survey of 430 employers taken earlier this year, a stunning 45% said they planned to increase training programs to improve employees’ use of grammar and other skills.
For authors, this is just another reason to make sure their book is polished before it’s published. If the wheel is turning back to insistence on good grammar, it’s smart to stay ahead of the curve. And for everyone else, maybe it’s time to ensure any important business documents are proofread before they’re sent out into the world. You never know if your project will be read by a grammar Nazi or not, and for the sake of your next pay rise, it’s better to err on the side of grammatical correctness.
Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com
Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.
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