Yet, in fact, there is good news: grammar is a science, based on rules which, in turn, are based on formulae. Once each constituent element is suitably forged, assembled and placed, the whole assumes new life.Įnglish grammar can seem complex even overwhelming at times, and it tends to distance many who must confront it. Oddly enough, the construction of a home can be analogized to the structure of language: in both instances, parts must be properly formed and fitted, features must align, details must inhere. In short, each part of the whole must conform so that the dwelling is solid and comfortable. Were the roof too small, it would not provide closure were the doors on a slant, they would not open were the floors unleveled, persons and objects would lack balance. Let us think of the structure of a house: each component - major and minor - must be properly sized and aligned for the edifice to take shape. Consider the following quotation by Ludwig Wittgenstein, one of history’s most respected linguist-philosophers: “Like everything metaphysical, the harmony between thought and reality is to be found in the grammar of language.” Consider also the compelling words of Isaac Babel, renowned journalist and cross-cultural voice of reason: “No iron can pierce the heart with such force as a period anchored in just the right place.” What simple, but significant, truths emerge from the words of such thinkers? They compel us to confront the joys of a well-formulated sentence, of a well-constructed paragraph, or of a finely-honed essay, all of which are over-determined by the elements of grammar.
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