Should You Write "Conversationally"?

That's conventional writing wisdom, but when is it not a good idea? Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

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Saving the English language 60 seconds at a time.

Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and people often say you should write like you speak. But there’s one important caveat to that advice: The bar for grammatical and technical correctness is higher in print than in spoken English.
The goal of most conversational speech is to get a point across. You may be telling your neighbor about your new cat, and you don’t need to make that complicated.
But the goal of most writing is to be convincing. You not only need to be right about your point—you also need to make your case in an aesthetically pleasing way. One of the best ways to establish your authority on a topic is to also establish your authority over the English language. If you can write well, your reader will assume you can probably also do other things well.
All that to say—conversational writing is a good thing, but don’t take it too far. Learn the rules and then be creative within that box.
That’s your Grammar Minute! Visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.