This Embarrasses You and I*

It appears as though the art of grammar is in fact becoming a lost art according to this WSJ article.  I fully admit that I am constantly working on my grammar skills especially now that I am writing and giving public lectures.  I actually notice my slippage of grammar most when I am talking to by children.

Fortunately for me I also have a great mentor and coach who is a grammar stickler.  She pays close attention to both my written and oral communications and doesn't miss a beat when it comes to correcting me and making it a point of emphasis.

I agree with the article that the new social media avenues have likely not helped in the demise of grammar standards.  With only 140 characters for a twitter post, you are looking for any short cut possible.  Also the speed at which people are trying to accomplish tasks lends itself to making mistakes.

Like anything, the more you practice good grammar, the more likely you are to have good grammar.

Full WSJ article here

• Managers are fighting an epidemic of grammar gaffes in the workplace. Many of them attribute slipping skills to the informality of email, texting and Twitter where slang and shortcuts are common. Such looseness with language can create bad impressions with clients, ruin marketing materials and cause communications errors, many managers say.
• "Twenty-five years ago it was impossible to put your hands on something that hadn't been professionally copy-edited," Mr. Garner says. "Today, it is actually hard to put your hands on something that has been professionally copy-edited."