Many tend to think of grammar as a stationary, never-changing tool that endures for decades, outdated or not. However, the exact inverse remains the truth: grammar constantly changes according to the vernacular, regardless of how long a certain rule has been established. Publishers constantly produce new style books as language (and grammar) evolves. Because of this, old grammar rules and new ones can sometimes become muddled. Have no fear! Read on for a list of grammar rules that have changed in the past decade.
1. Hello, There.
Mignon Fogarty, "Grammar Girl" and author of Grammar Girl Presents the Ultimate Writing Guide for Students, calls out the rule that says a comma must be placed after greetings. For example, "Hello, Megan! I have a question," would be the old method. Mignon argues that this added comma can sound strange, and therefore writers can simply choose to not follow the rule.
2. But why not?
Most will remember one of the most well-loved and enforced rules by middle school English teachers: never start a sentence with "and" or "but". But this rule has become outdated, writes Steven Sawyer in his article, "Top 10 Obsolete Grammar Rules". Choosing to follow (or not follow) this rule has now become merely a style choice, and its disregard by many famous columnists, including Ben Shapiro, has become common.
3. They exist!
Grammar has started to be more inclusive, as well. The pronoun "they", normally plural, now can be used in a singular form as well for those who wish not to go by pronouns "he" or "she". "They" can also be used for instances where one is unsure of a person's preferred gender pronouns.
4. Split that infinitive!
An infinitive is, according to voanews.com, "the unchanged form of verbs". Take these examples: to win, or to have. A grammar rule exists that prohibits the placing of an adverb in the middle, for example, "He began to proudly win". However, this rule has long since gone out of style. According to former New York Times Book Review editor Patricia O'Connor, linguists first took the rule from a British grammar book that mistakenly tried to apply Latin rules to English as well.
Grammar rules can be tedious, so it always comes as a welcome surprise to be able to do away with old ones, and bring in the new! Just make sure to check with an editor or supervisor before making any major changes, as some rules will vary based on the publisher, regardless of the common vernacular.