How and when to break the grammar rules

Breaking a few traditional grammar rules of the English language can make your copy more entertaining and more accessible.

Rules. Everyone likes to break them. It’s why they were invented in the first place. It gives us the thrill of knowing we’re up to something we’re not supposed to be doing.

But to be sure that you’re breaking them properly, you need to know the rules in the first place. You need to be confident in how you use grammar, and only then are you ready to do something a bit off-piste. But once you are ready, it is fun to use them to your advantage in creating interesting and engaging copy.

Here are three grammar rules which can often be broken to good effect. But remember – like all good things, you should only do it in moderation. Don’t do it too often, or people will think it’s not deliberate.

• Start with conjunctions
  Starting sentences with linking phrases such as ‘Moreover, …’ or ‘In addition, …’ can sometimes sound rather artificial, old-fashioned and formal. If that’s not the tone you want, try deliberately making things a bit more frivolous by starting some sentences with conjunctions instead: ‘And …’ ‘But …’ and ‘So, …’.
• Use incomplete sentences
  Drama. Tension. Instant impact. Incomplete sentences build all these things. But (note what we did there?) please use them sparingly, and never where they may be misconstrued as lazy grammar.
• Split the infinitive
  Don’t be afraid to use split infinitives where they sound more satisfying. After all, Captain Kirk was never frightened ‘to boldly go’ ahead with this one.