Key Verse: Verse 16 – “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.”
I’ve had three great influences in life in regard to the importance of proper grammar: first my wife, her motto is “If it is worth saying, it is worth saying correctly.” Then there is my oldest daughter: Christina Genea. It should have been Christina Grammar. Whenever I hear her say “and” I know I just said it incorrectly. Third there was Jan Bemarkt, my English professor in college—I cannot repeat what she called me, not that it was vulgar. It was just embarrassing.
These three have taught me the importance of using proper grammar. I have discovered that proper grammar never offends, but improper grammar does!
William Safire gives a lighthearted look at grammar and good usage. The following are “fumblerules.” Mistakes that call attention to the rule:
Avoid run-on sentences they are hard to read.
No sentence fragments.
It behooves us to avoid archaisms.
Also, avoid awkward or affected alliteration.
Don’t use no double negatives.
If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times: Resist hyperbole.
Avoid commas, that are not necessary.
Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
Writing carefully, dangling participles should not be used.
Kill all exclamation points!!!
Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
Take the bull by the hand, and don’t mix metaphors.
Don’t verb nouns.
Never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
Last but not least, avoid clichés like the plague.
Remember, we are ambassadors for Christ. If it is worth saying, it is worth saying correctly.
What to do:
✞ None of us are perfect, but ask God to lead you to others who can help you say it right.
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