5 Grammar rules it’s OK to break

Okay… this one has rules attached to it!

There are indeed times when we need or want to communicate an idea that is better served by using grammatical tools and functions that are usually employed for other, (more correct) purposes. This won’t work in every copywriting scenario, but for many pieces where you are aiming for a more conversational, informal tone, these can work well like a charm to help you get across your meaning.

One of the ways this might be accomplished would be the use of the ellipsis. You’ve undoubtedly either seen or used this open yourself. It imitates how we converse… almost as if it were a rest space in a piece of music… It can be a useful tool to demonstrate the shades meaning of the speaker.

Two ways closely related to one another in use are parentheses and the dash. Both have the effect of setting apart an idea in a sentence you don’t want the reader to overlook, either by injecting related ideas into the sentence, or by intimating others. Sometimes “just between you and me” information that would be useful in understanding the point you are trying to make – I use this resource that quite a bit.

Another device would be the use of informal contractions or slang in your writing. This can be as simple as using “biz” instead of business, “info” instead of information and so on. This of course is entirely dependent on the client or market you are writing for, as it may not always be appropriate for all situations. Sometimes it would indeed be off-putting to the readers who may be expecting a certain tone, and getting quite another.

Using devices like these as tools to shade meaning and communicate more like how we actually speak can be a powerful and useful addition to your copywriting tool chest. Just take care not to be overrun by convention and device, or you’ll find your readers heading to the nearest exit!

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14 comments so far ↓

Comment #:1 by Katie McDonald

I like this article. Sometimes as a writer it’s easy to get caught up in “this is right” and this is “wrong” – TECHNICALLY. But really, these days, it’s all about “what’s effective??”

Forget right and wrong (within reason of course) and go for what grabs attention and keeps your readers from leaving the page!
Comment #:2 by John Forde

Hi Miguel,

Nice post… just by coincidence, I happened to revive an old article of my own on the same topic. I posted it on my blog about a week ago. Since it shares some of these same insights, I thought maybe you and your readers might enjoy seeing my notes on this too.

As always, you’ve got some great stuff going over here!
Comment #:3 by Miguel Alvarez

Great minds do think alike John… But you’re right, it is a freakish coincidence and it actually looks as if I had swiped your post! (I didn’t of course)
Comment #:4 by Wendy

Great tips. Writing in too formal of a tone can turn off as many readers as say writing entirely in slang.

I have a tendency to over punctuate, as a way to excuse my run on sentences I suppose. I’m working hard to refine my writing skills. (Even though I’m told my run on sentences are endearing.)
Comment #:5 by Origin Design + Communications

I agree with you but am still cautious in using lazy punctuation and grammar. While a sprinkle of ellipsis here and slang there can help with the casual tone of your writing, it’s important to remember you are an authority and your writing should reflect it. Great topic to discuss!
Comment #:6 by carolgibson

I enjoyed this article, too.
Comment #:7 by Rosethethird

Sometimes an article that is totally grammatically correct can seem laboured if it is intended for an informal setting. I often use shortenings, phrases, slang or whacky punctuation – but I use them deliberately. (As I just did there!)

I think a reader can tell the difference between something that is just poorly written and something that has been deliberately written in an “easy” style.
Comment #:8 by Sinead

I used to work for Yahoo as an editor. I spent 1 year correcting other peoples’ bad grammer. Not it drives me crazy when I see grammer mistakes online. What have they done to me
Comment #:9 by Sinead

Oooop – Maybe I should have checked my own grammer before pressing the submit button…for shame!!
Comment #:10 by Jim Talbott

Thanks, I also enjoyed this article. I believe that it is important to convey messages to readers in the way that we generally speak. So being overly concerned about proper grammar seems excessive. Most of us don’t speak like that anyway.
Comment #:11 by Sinead O Donovan

Especially for the internet, I think it’s better to write for the reader and if it needs to be really informal, then that’s that. I love breaking grammer rules though! Very satisfying for a weird reason
Comment #:12 by Jim

My former wife says an ellipsis is never over 3 dots…it drives her crazy to see this rule broken.
Comment #:13 by Jim

Good points! I just wish there was a more general adherence to good grammar. How often do you see plurals with apostrophes these days? How about the very common confusion of its and it’s? There are at least a dozen or so others that you can run into daily.
Comment #:14 by Rachel

hope helps me in my 1st copywriter stint….