Does grammar matter? - Andreea S. Calude

View full lesson: ed.ted.com/less...
It can be hard sometimes, when speaking, to remember all of the grammatical rules that guide us when we’re writing. When is it right to say “the dog and me” and when should it be “the dog and I”? Does it even matter? Andreea S. Calude dives into the age-old argument between linguistic prescriptivists and descriptivists - who have two very different opinions on the matter.
Lesson by Andreea S. Calude, animation by Mike Schell.

[@VR_Wizard]

Every video has its own style. I like this one in particular.

[@shadowboyii]

Your right, I liked this one too the animation is totally smooth and beautiful

[@shadowboyii]

+Liivika Hinto Ammmm...... Ok Thanks

[@vidhiiimehta]

+‫شادي هدره‬‎ you're*

[@ZimmerSquash]

+‫شادي هدره‬‎ It feels a lot more three dimentional and alive

[@vidhiiimehta]

Hahaha, sure.

[@57Strudel]

I really don't expect people to use perfect grammar when they are speaking. Most of us don't. But for heaven's sake, if you're engaging in written communication, at least use the word that actually means what you intend to say! In other words, there IS a difference between "its" and "it's", "you're" and "your" -- and an apostrophe either means "belonging to" or two words have been joined together, not "more than one." There's nothing picky about that - I just want to be able to decipher your sentence correctly since I can neither see your face nor hear your tone of voice.

[@rorythewriter]

+57Strudel Yes, I've got to agree with you on the importance of correctitude in written language, in order to make it understandable. And that's also something that I appreciate from websites and fandoms that develop their own set of rules for non-verbal written language. A couple of good examples could be: -4chan's text arrows to denote "storytelling mode = ON" -Specific fandoms' argots -The use of .exe, .jpg, .mp4 extensions in internet discussions And o many more.

[@CurtisDensmore1]

agreed

[@zebbleganubi723]

i don't see written language as being that different though. you still have a person on the other end with a brain that can read things and easily figure out whether the sender meant "belonging to" to or not. . . just like we do when we are talking to each other

[@CurtisDensmore1]

+pymai written language is extremely different. just read transcripts of extemporaneous conversations. They are very difficult to fully understand. There is so much information encoded in the pitch, rhythm, and volume of speech. For example, if I say something is pretty good, that could mean very good, somewhat good, average, or even below average. You would only know which one if you heard it. And, if someone was angrily telling you to stop doing something in a language you don't speak, you would probably get the message, whereas a transcription of his message would be worthless.

[@Lilitha11]

You can nearly always tell the difference between you're and your by the context of the sentence however. Which is why people say it is just being picky. Because if everyone knows what they meant, what is the problem?

[@ezzie7933]

lmao RIP to the poor guy that was just trying to say hi but got a book thrown at his face 😭

[@alonespirit_1Q84]

Meritocratic discrimination, *sigh*

[@billy-cg1qq]

Lmao

[@nangmaysaungmon5233]

Man just wanna say hi XDDD

[@mountaindew4178]

Atleast he got a free book

[@nangmaysaungmon5233]

@@mountaindew4178 XDDDD

[@T0rche]

You should use this artist more often. Very clean and professional style. I specially like the silhouettes at 1:52 .

[@alvallac2171]

*especially (different meaning)

[@darrenmaverick]

alvallac21 correcting a 3 years old comment makes me slightly disgusted

[@xenom_rph2767]

@@darrenmaverick Why? What's wrong with that? Just don't pay attention to it

[@lcsgs]

Hum!! "Silueta" in Portuguese. Advanced English (French actually) sounds like commun Portuguese

[@paulinbrooklyn]

I agree with the praise for the artist but with one small quibble: the font used in the video made the numerous lower case “Ts” before “Is” look like “Bs” (as in “prescripbivists” and “descripbivists”).

[@dandandan3675]

Let's eat kids Let's eat, kids Grammar would probably save lives.

[@matthewstone2545]

I'm going to eat hay honey! I'm going to eat, hey honey! Yup, you're right!

[@minecraftminertime]

Do you mean "I'm going to eat hay, honey!"? I don't think "hay honey" is something you can eat.

[@Nobody-vh1wt]

A perfect example of why grammar is important.

[@pja5194]

Common sense does

[@lepetitrin]

It would if it's in writing, but if it's in speaking it depends on context

[@theflor_islava]

Philippines... I'm Filipino and when I get my grammar wrong at certain places I get laughed at, but it made me aware on things. Grammar, for me, doesn't matter as long as you can convey your ideas or relay a certain message to the other. Sad to say that we, Filipinos, are more focused on the English language than on our own. Some languages are slowly disappearing, becoming extinct even.

[@rdcyoutubediary]

I know that this was four years ago but I just want to say that as a Filipino, too, written language with good knowledge of correct grammar is important. Almost perfect grammar in spoken language also helps in places where it is important like Call Centers. Thank you! Grammar isn't only important in casual conversation. There is a difference between reading 'Your Helping' and 'You're helping' in a written language. Thank you!

[@dropsht]

Colonial mentality of the Filipinos needs to go away! Keep pushing keep thriving

[@kramarancko1107]

Why is it sad

[@ablanuza76]

@@dropsht how is utilizing good grammar to communicate effectively even remotely connected to colonial mentality?

[@ablanuza76]

What you're saying is counter-intuitive. Good grammar actually helps convey ideas effectively and efficiently.

[@isramations7565]

2:18 is just like A) "Hello!" B) "hey, you" A) *gasp* "Learn to speak, you under-class idiot!" *throws book at B's face* B) "wait, huh?"

[@LughSummerson]

+Riley & Mitsu Hej, B. Är du Svensk?

[@isramations7565]

Lugh Summerson No, why do you ask? (Nej, varför frågar du ?)

[@AbuQalaq]

lol

[@christopherwinne5434]

That's exactly what I thought lol

[@AbuQalaq]

+Christopher Winne lel

[@legofan431]

I'm always overwhelmed with the extremely awesome and high quality animations in your videos, but this one was even better. It looks and feels so fluid and looks so great, congratiulations to the animator!

[@creussdrey7413]

It's like they took a page from Google's material design rules

[@alvallac2171]

*great. Congratulations

[@billy-cg1qq]

Me in 2021: hmm, things really advanced since 5 years ago. Nowadays, the animation in this video is more like a standard one. It's still impressive how they were able to accomplish this, to be honest.

[@rishabhsanghvi5461]

I really liked the last animation, where the alien gets a part in the weaving of language😆

[@JonatasAdoM]

We're now living an era where the opposite ia happening, we're writing based on how we speak instead of speaking the way we use to write.

[@amazingsupergirl7125]

Yeah , in casual situations but not at the office.

[@kunal1957]

People didn't communicate with each other that much in past, they used to talk to each other mostly. Written communication would be mostly for official stuff Now we do written communication everyday, texting and all So we try not to be formal.

[@invictor2761]

wut do u mean?

[@Saifyrooma2nd]

@@kunal1957 Exactly. The entire nature of how writing is used in our society has changed. Before writing was only ever the domain of the formal, of a preservation of language meant to be understood in a form seperated in time from when it was produced. (e.g a physical letter is usually read days afterwards, and books can be read up till centuries later at times) Now, most writing, such as in the form of texts, is just as spontaneous as speech. People have invented markers for tones, and certain symbols and combinations of symbols have evolved to take on the role of tone markers in their own right. "Registers" in linguistics refer to different degrees of formality or politeness, which can hugely alter what is considered appropriate in that context. Too much stiffness or too many politeness markers can seem rude in a casual context, and too few will seem uneducated/rude when dealing with "more polite society". In some languages, like Japanese, Korean, or Urdu, these distinctions can be of utmost importance to sound polite, or at least just "normal", in any situation of life. (And I would know... I natively speak Urdu XD) Historically, "writing" tended to occupy the realm of one register, more precisely structured in its clauses, more fully written out, etc, all features differentiating it from all forms of speech, be they formal or informal. I would even argue that any casual/immediate internet text-based communication has essentially formed a set of registers *within* the realm of "writing" itself, creating both "formal" and "informal" ways to write, the norms of which, if broken, can make one seem out-of-touch, or even downright pretentious or rude. Of course, many people are yet to become frequent users of these "internet registers", so it doesn't have universal prevelance in our cultures yet, but perhaps they shall be one day, we'll just have to wait and see, and watch that glorious human social project of language evolution run its course! :>

[@plagiarisepuppet8841]

Grammer is the only gray matter.

[@Irina35mm]

At the end of the day, we should see grammar not as some totalitaristic ruler, but as a TOOL for understanding each other. Sure, there are many context in which you can understand the meaning even if there are some grammar mistakes, but there are other contexts in which certain details, if they are wrong, can change the whole meaning. Not only that, but the structure of our language kinda structures our thinking. I think that language, with its rules, is there to serve *us* and our needs and it should evolve and transform with us WITHOUT being dumbed down... but language serves us, not the other away around - and grammar, as awful as it may be for some, is there to help us

[@navyasharma2750]

Right man

[@pri-selah]

Absolutely agree!

[@vio5178]

this sums it up perfectly!

[@christmansonpunk2927]

I see a lot of comments trying to excuse grammatical irresponsibility with evolution of language. However, using the wrong words or misspelling words isn't evolution, quite the opposite in fact.

[@adeelali8417]

@@christmansonpunk2927 Same. There's a right way to use language and a wrong way. Use proper language people or risk the eloquence of your tongue to be greatly hampered.

[@cooldude56g]

*Short Answer:* Kinda but not really.

[@BrianMcInnis87]

+cooldude56g R.O.T.F.L.

[@erifetim]

+cooldude56g *Kind of. Your not smart.

[@natjimoEU]

+cooldude56g fuk No

[@ymeynot0405]

+cooldude56g Short Answer: In verbal conversation: It doesn't matter at all. You have tone and body language to fill in the gaps. In writing it does as you have only the text to judge the intent, and the text can be around long after you are gone. Imagine the results of Grammar errors in the Constitution of the United States.

[@KT-ti9bk]

+Harvey Rabbit you seem smart. Can you use there in a way that could confuse me by not using the correct there? I am corrected on there all the time and I have never seen a need unless the person has issues keeping up with a story. I'm talking writing and reading.

[@美幸-u2s]

I love this part 00:35 particularly- It makes use of the copyreading symbols, symbols used in correcting mistakes, while proofreading articles, texts and such

[@GraeHall]

The art direction of this episode might be the best to date. The 3D cartoon sequences fit so well, and are so strong. I love that you folk continue to improve the content and presentation. This is beautiful.

[@yaa4796]

Pause around 4:17 does the Atlantic Ocean look like a man smoking a pipe to you, or am I just crazy?

[@limemsp2876]

OMG LOL

[@marcperez2598]

it does. IT DOES. OMG

[@alexm.2960]

yes, and he has a hat :D

[@yanyan-0000]

Cannot unsee

[@beatrix1120]

It didn't even realise it was the sea. I thought it really was a man smoking a pipe.

[@karamelogram]

My favourite part about Ted-ed vids is that they start with a question/problem but after laying down the facts, ultimately leave it up to the viewer to answer the problem by thinking for themselves :)

[@Buenomars]

Agree with this, I do. - Yoda

[@abrahamromero.]

Hilarious fD with that example, you messed up.

[@mobeenkhan824]

Buenomars Yoda's speech is based on Japanese grammar so it would be: "With this, I do agree."

[@jlbediako]

Lol

[@DarthVader-ze4dg]

Who do you think you are, a prescriptivist?

[@Shadow-Shell]

@@officialhilariousfd What

[@QuackersMcCrackers]

The artist here really sets the standard.

[@japanesefromzero]

Very informative.

[@benediktjostingmeier4519]

Why is your 4 likes comment above the 3000 likes comment right bellow you XD

[@japanesefromzero]

@@benediktjostingmeier4519 Not sure. Maybe it got pinned?

[@benediktjostingmeier4519]

@@japanesefromzero maybe it just gave me a good laugh

[@leraizo5197]

If it's very informative as you said, can you tell me the answer of the opening question? 😂

[@Ohakoo]

GEORGEEEE

[@subh1]

I get it now... Yoda's first language must have been Japanese.

[@CR-iz1od]

+subh1 correct you must be.

[@augustf3231]

lol

[@DTux5249]

Correct my friend you are... MMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[@ungefiezergreeter6034]

He’s not... Yoda speaks with a OSV order

[@stulebackery1363]

@@ungefiezergreeter6034 yes exactly

[@ethanwagner6418]

Grammar is important, but correcting every grammatical error in speech is a waste of time

[@Xeon897]

+Ethan Wagner There shouldn't be any grammatical errors while speaking at all-- It wouldn't sound natural and people parrot what others say... which is grammatically correct unless you live in an area with non-standard vernacular. IE: Grammatically correcting the way African-Americans talk using a standard vernacular vs. their own would show up as a massive amount of error, but not for them. I ain't never gonna do that = I won't ever do that. Their constructions are different from the dialect, but only wrong depending on your perspective.

[@CR-iz1od]

+Ethan Wagner gmamrar is as imptoarnt as splnelig. the way you reach a conclusion doesn't matter so long as the conclusion is met. you only need a set of cues to figure out what is meant. the fluff between ideas is a waste of time.

[@ethanwagner6418]

Conor Raypholtz I didn't say that spelling wasn't important.

[@user-yr3uj6go8i]

Well, the people who correct every grammatical error are just trying to teach you to not make the same mistakes again in order to improve your grammar skills.

[@DanielDiaz-kj8fg]

Egg I agree with you.

[@nanadurango8639]

Just gonna say this: many, many people spent the first two decades of their life in school, the very least they should know how to do if they were educated is write properly, or write in a way that doesn’t cause a stroke when reading. There’s a reason books are reviewed and edited before being published, grammatical errors can ruin a reading experience and are sometimes a show of ignorance. I am NOT talking about those who cannot write or are illiterate, I’m referring to those who have been privileged enough to learn how to read and write.

[@dzarko55]

Well yeah, but the video mostly coves spoken language, not written.

[@nanadurango8639]

@Mr. Panda you’re right, with someone that you’re comfortable with grammar isn’t as important, but if you’re trying to make a good impression then it absolutely is.

[@nanadurango8639]

@@dzarko55 even when talking, using grammar is a good thing. Obviously grammar is much more limited when speaking, but it’s still possible to use it.

[@amazingsupergirl7125]

I read a lot for fun and the idea of not following grammar rules is sickening. I just finished “Of Mice and Men” and incorrect grammar was purposely used to show they were uneducated.

[@nanadurango8639]

@@amazingsupergirl7125 exactly! Writing doesn’t need a “revolution”, just follow the rules for everyone’s sake.

[@theworldeatswithyou]

Grammar does make it easier for non native speakers to learn a language though. Languages are "renegotiated" but only among very small parts of populations, they are not coherently "renegotiated". It's not easy to keep up with all the "innovations" that are going on when you are not part of the group innovating.

[@cellocoversimprov5660]

Okay, that’s fair. That’s a completely valid point, and it might be worth preserving grammar just for that

[@SleepIntoTheDiamondLife]

this is absolutely right. I'm not a native English speaker, nor do I usually have people around me who can speak the language with me. but I am always trying to learn the language more. and it is indeed difficult to understand when native speakers speak in a certain manner and use verbs that are usually invented by them only or if the verbs are in reference to something that are common among them. for example, it took me a while to understand what people mean when they say they ship someone. I still don't understand if how they came up with it but I understand the meaning. there are many more I can't remember right now.

[@Somerandomdude-ev2uh]

Do you have a source for this? For mw and most non-native English speakers I know find grammar to be the biggest roadblock

[@Twiphed]

@@Somerandomdude-ev2uh How can it be a roadblock? If it doesnt help them, then they can ignore it. I think that grammar is a hard thing, thats why they called it the "roadblock", because they had to spend much time learning it. But if they learned, it actually helped. It also depends on the way they learn/the way they are taught. - I am not a native english speaker by the way

[@kosherre6243]

@@Twiphed what country are you from? You have a pretty fine understanding of English comapred to others.

[@Artorus]

[@IvanSN]

Hurrah, linguistics buddies! :D

[@rachelzimet8310]

+Ivan Solomon Nathan well ill be Just kidding; I love linguistics; I love how it changes; I'd identify as a descriptivist; however, that some people communicate so badly they fail to communicate at all annoys me greatly. Have fun with that run-on sentence, with many more semicolons than it needed.

[@IvanSN]

Rachel Zimet ohmygodIloveyouandhateyouatthesametime

[@rachelzimet8310]

+Ivan Solomon Nathan I have fun angering my history teacher with sentences like that. My record is half a page on college-rule paper for just one sentence.

[@IvanSN]

***** Why on earth would you want to?

[@yihengzhou2676]

“Grammar is not that important” English teachers everywhere: 👁👄👁

[@thomaslikesgames5934]

True

[@QuanTrietLOL]

Mine (told me it's more important) taught me to keep a good flow in mind and make sure (what you're saying or writing) your message concise and accurate. Grammar? If you're 90% correct, they'll get you just fine. No need to be perfect. And I never was.

[@rdcyoutubediary]

In written and formal writing, it is important.

[@Mabbdaa]

Yeah - it's important because it's our way of communicating, and we MUST be very precise, otherwise eventually, we will not understand what the other person is saying because of years and years of lack of grammar.

[@burakguresci9161]

"Are"

[@yanagelfand4337]

The "Grammarly" advertisement before this video looks so adorable.

[@IHM451]

Becoming more and more dependent on technology isn’t a good thing at all.

[@9_in_the_afternoon]

Grammar is a very useful tool to clarify meaning. It can be very frustrating when you hear someone say something that's the exact opposite of what they mean, and you just have to guess what that intended to say - e.g. asking someone if they mind about something, and they say 'yes', meaning 'no', or if they were to say 'I could care less', when really they mean that they don't care at all.

[@lizbethpuentes48]

This video explain very well what grammar is. It mentions that that grammar is not only to know how to organize words in a sentence. It is more than that. And it is explained through prescriptive and descriptive grammar. It mentions that prescriptive grammar is the way language is supposed to be written or spoken to be correct, but it is interesting the way it talks about descriptive grammar; it is not only an informal way to use language but the way we perceive the real world.

[@lizbethpuentes48]

Explains*

[@baloung7622]

More videos about language and linguistics, please!

[@alucardwhitehair]

Baloung iI

[@Anomen77]

I'm still shocked by the quality of the animation

[@gamingdesk9440]

Really.... Like how?😦

[@clementdato6328]

I suppose you could use the word “amazed” to avoid ambiguity

[@jamesjason8471]

The character designs were so beautiful! and the particular animation of the roman throwing the book at the merchant was Godly!

[@JaySalia97]

Animator Mike Schell has done an awesome work with this one. The animation is flawless, beautiful and graceful. Loved it !

[@umnikos]

at the end - DOES GRAMMAR MATTER?!?

[@Jeffrey_van_der_Post]

dunno

[@logictruth1]

+Alex Stefanov (umnikos) it doesn't as long as you can allow looseness in your phrasing. If you can make sure that everyone who is supposed to get the message understands it correctly you are fine either way. But say you are handling some legal issues whether it's constructing a contract or a bill. Grammar suddenly matters a whole lot more. Same goes for public speeches and everything else that exposes your message to a broad audience who have more freedom of interpretation. As soon as misinterpretations can lead you to fatal consequences grammar will become important to you if you want to avoid it happening.

[@unplannedsyntax]

+John Smith It is clear from the video that every language or dialect( Ebonics, Cockney, Journalese, Internetese, etc) has a set of rules and the users normally follow them. Or break them. But even for breaking a rule it is necessary for it to exist in the first place. So, yes, grammar DOES matter!

[@logictruth1]

Daniel Santos you don't break rules because you know them though. You break them because you didn't register the rules you broke in the first place, so no. The rule doesn't exist to you as far as you're concerned the moment you broke it. Therefor it doesn't have to exist for you to phrase your sentence as you did.

[@unplannedsyntax]

+John Smith That makes sense!

[@maliant16]

Poor grammar doesn’t completely invalidate a person’s argument to me; but it does heighten my skepticism.

[@xapemanx]

good grammar is never out of place

[@laigiba]

+xapemanx it may be when we are interacting with people who haven't had access to learning about "proper" grammar. sometimes it is better to speak to someone in a way they can understand which, in my opinion, is more respectful and less important than asserting our linguistic prowess.

[@TheBieberbe1iber]

xApemanx Communications and understanding is by far the most important tho.

[@Mars8765]

I am terribke at speling

[@primalpickle]

You mean well grammar

[@alexwang982]

It ain’t never doesn’t not matter.

[@aseeroha]

In Arabic any order is correct SOV OSV VSO VSO etc We differentiate between them by a short vowel placed at the end of the word.

[@minecraftminertime]

What's SOV and OSV and VSO? Does the Arabic language allow letters to be switched in words?

[@jigsaw841]

MischievousMoo S means subject V means verb And O means object

[@bobthebuilder4939]

"short vowels placed at the end of the word". That's called grammatical case

[@EvTheBadConlanger]

@@minecraftminertimeThis REALLY late, but "S" means "subject of a clause", "V" means "verb of a clause", and "O" means "object of a clause".

[@thisrandomdude_]

good god the animation here is gorgeous. and it's an 8 year old video too. damn. kudos to the animators

[@tverdyznaqs]

Really good animation on this one. Very stylish

[@TheAmnaei]

Since English is not my native language, I appreciate this video :D

[@leonardofernandes2131]

Me too

[@jotamenochelli]

Grammar exists to diminish (physical or cognitive) distance (can't remember who said that). Explaining something to somebody over the phone, for example, requires more elaborate sentences (as opposed to somebody in the same room) to avoid misunderstandings. Talking to someone hierarchically superior to you (cognitive distance) would generally require extra grammar as well. Not that it's a universal truth, but it helps a bit. ; )

[@hahanamegobrrr6667]

The boys and I using proper grammar and punctuation.

[@BeSmarterNow]

Grammar and punctuation will always matter, though we can be a bit more relaxed in casual speech. Thanks for posting this in-depth video!

[@Hanabi1801]

I am learning English and i really want to write and speak English naturally and coherently then thinking about grammatical accuracy later. But it seem like people in my country are paying to much attention to grammar, even more than native speaker. They like to correct and tease people who are not good at English like me whenever we make a wrong sentence. Imaging being corrected at literally every comments on FB by those "perfect grammar checker" make me rather annoying, this is honestly, demotivate and lower my confidence a lot and make me want to internalize my feelings rather than expressing them.

[@tommyr2328]

I hate it when people use their "good grammar" to bring down others who are not very smart and has bad grammar specialy when its not even your native language

[@BlinkyLass]

Judging by the comment section, I think a lot of people who watched this video totally missed the point, so I'm not sure this was a very effective lesson. The debate between prescriptivism and descriptivism _is_ over as far as linguists are concerned; only non-linguists still argue over it. Prescriptivism still has a place in language pedagogy and revitalization efforts, but that's as far as it goes.

[@XSpamDragonX]

No debate is ever over unless you close your mind. I have grown tired of experts declaring the conversation to be over, usually because it allows them to declare themselves to be the arbiters of fact.

[@amazingsupergirl7125]

This video doesn’t debate anything. He’s just throwing ideas and concepts out there for us to ponder. To have a good base for language is just as important as letting the language live and evolve within one culture, national society as a whole, and worldwide. England and America both have similar grammatical bases. At the same time, the language evolves within our own countries. We don’t have a problem understanding each other’s grammar. The differences are in pronunciation, slang, and phrases. I taught English in Japan for three years. What a nightmare it would’ve been without grammar rules. It’d be just as big of a nightmare to put all the students in a room together to talk and learn from each other every night. These are both correct in their own ways: How are you? I’m fine thank you. And you? What’s up? Nothing much. We know the video is very effective because there are so many comments. It’s not ineffective just because you don’t like the reactions. Maybe you should go ahead and get in the pond, if you’re going to be a silly goose. ❤️🤟🏻

[@BlinkyLass]

@@amazingsupergirl7125 Descriptivism doesn't mean no grammar rules. It means the rules are descriptions of how speakers of a language use said language. It doesn't mean errors don't exist; it's about acknowledging variation in language without making a judgement on which variety is better or arbitrarily deeming certain variations to be errors. As I said in my original comment, prescriptivism has a place in pedagogy, so language learning in Japan is part of that. It's not about whether I like the reactions or not, and the video isn't debating anything. It's the fact that this is a linguistics video, but most of the comments here are from people arguing against and not understanding the consensus view in the field.

[@nomi-non]

Yeah I am more surprised by the comments than I expected. I shouldn't be, considering that this video is far too brief to convey how the approaches actually affect the actual work of linguists though. An example such as looking at how descriptivism allows a linguist to more accurately to document an undocumented language would've done a lot for the video. The video is pointing towards how the approach affects linguistics, but the comments are focused on English pedagogy. This I'm not surprised by, but that's exactly the reason to expose people to the possibilities of other languages and how they might be misconstrued with a prescriptivist approach. The idea seems to be to open up viewers to the idea that conventions can change and vary, yet has resulted in people defending particular conventions, so yeah, not that effective.

[@diobrando7030]

THANK YOU ! I am from Germany and Its hard to learn grammar. I was struggeling and you helped me very much!

[@m.farrelnugroho5504]

For me personally, in daily basis, grammar is important when it's affect clarity in communication. However, it's not something that we have to constantly point out everytime people say something that grammatically incorrect as long as we understand it, even more when the person who says it is not a native speaker of the language. But in other cases, like in art literature, and other formal matters, the importance of grammar is kinda' crucial.

[@ReddoFreddo]

How is it crucial?

[@m.farrelnugroho5504]

@@ReddoFreddo proffesionalism? I consider it to be quite important

[@ReddoFreddo]

@@m.farrelnugroho5504 Why is it quite important?

[@drew9719]

Im not strict but things like “their/there” and putting . Or , where it’s necessary is a bare minimum for a conversation to be an actual conversation. I can usually get what people are trying to say, that is, for the sake of a functional share of thoughts with individuality.

[@markylon]

I'm not im. Capitalise start of sentence, and I'm is always capitalised and is short for I am so NEVER im.

[@amazingsupergirl7125]

I can’t bear “them” versus “those.” Them strawberries are delicious!”

[@Ebalon_Harque]

There was one time someone texted, "Oh hey, your back!" I was like, "What's with my back?" And they answered, "You just came back, so your back." English is not my first language and I was laughed at by people for not understanding that 'your' referred to 'you are'. Then, I met people with their messed up 'their', 'they're', and 'there', and so on. Well, I meant my classmates in English language class mistook those too in speaking, and I wouldn't be so confused. But in writing.... It keeps confusing me.

[@IHM451]

I’m not strict on things like “their” or “there,” but where bare minimum grammar is necessary to understand, that’s where I’m strict.* Fixed and simplified your sentence. Oh, and your original sentence had LOADS of grammar mistakes.

[@drew9719]

@@IHM451 jeez, passive aggressive much? Thanks for the edit nonetheless

[@candle7217]

I was trying to figure out what a compound sentence was and this didn’t exactly make that obvious, but all the same I don’t regret watching it lol. Seeing these videos at school I’m sure we can all agree it was boring but, now that I’m in college, I enjoy watching them.

[@anada47]

I think that it's more important when it's written down than when you are speaking. Because like this person said language uses tone, and so when you are speaking you can find the meaning without perfect grammar. Whereas with written language if you don't use proper grammar then it can be hard and confusing to read, and the meaning doesn't always come across as well.

[@joeliveasis1229]

I am just so amazed by the animation. This inspires me.

[@TitoTimTravels]

Being raised in the US I was a stickler for grammar. Then I retired to the Philippines and my attitude changed. They have over 120 languages here. They will mix 2 or 3 languages in one sentence. As long as people understand each other, no one seems to care. I have learned to embrace that attitude. Of course some, like call center agents, need to be able to speak clearly to their demographic. Other than some business functions, as long as the meaning is understood, then your use of language was good enough. 😎

[@reaperandyel]

Does grammar matter? Me: Yesn't.

[@winonarunsca6964]

Hahahhaha

[@phonglove6767]

i died laughing

[@user-hk6ss5jt2e]

@GeorgieTheMonkEIdk if u jokin' but its an expression. I died laughing means this: "im dying of laughter" but in a past tense

[@user-hk6ss5jt2e]

@GeorgieTheMonkE np

[@gari8853]

2:19 ... this is really how I feel about people who just gets their grammar terribly wrong..

[@calebf3655]

What makes grammar wrong?

[@SchmulKrieger]

A lot of people say »Maria and I« although it is an object by hypercorrection. For example: he said it to Maria and I, which is obviously wrong. It should be: he said it to Maria and me. Yet if the subject contains two or more things or persons, it will be »Maria and I said it to him«.

[@lizmars5498]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who notices this! It is ubiquitous among educated native speakers who were taught at school that it is always correct to say ‘the alien and I’. Without the alien the object is ‘me’. Why not with the alien too? Interestingly nobody ever responds ‘It is I’ to the question ‘Who is there?’.

[@WyWinner30]

Grammar that doesn’t matter (in my eyes): Were vs We’re and Its vs It’s. In both cases, all you’re missing is an apostrophe and most people can use context to figure out which one you meant. Grammar that does matter: You’re vs your. You’re missing an entire letter and the meaning can sometimes be misinterpreted if you use the wrong one That’s just my thoughts on the most common grammar errors (for contractions anyways)

[@amazingsupergirl7125]

What? “It’s” stands for “it is.” And “we’re” stands for “we are.” So all of the four contractions you listed have an apostrophe in place of one letter. All. Not two. You are the quintessential example of why we need grammar. So how many words are acceptable to figure out or guess based on context? Just those four words? 100 words? Is every single word going to be a guess? Instead you could learn “its, it’s, were, and we’re” so everyone who communicates with you in writing doesn’t have to solve a word puzzle every time. I’ll choose four incorrect words, too. Everyone can change four words and reading can be decoding instead. Feel free to reply whatever millennial comment you have. I never read replies.

[@MarcusRoberto]

As always, TED-Ed videos are amazing, but this time I must praise the art by Mike Schell. What a great job! I hope to see more animations from him.

[@MasterCookie]

Every single sentence in this comment are using incorrect grammar. I did so good on the test. Mom came to my brother and I. The group of toys near the window are very small. This video is real good.

[@ubererhs2898]

it does matter if it it actually changes the meaning of the sentance. cant think of anything in english, but i have a pretty common one in swedish. "she took her car", this has two different meanings. "her" can mean "her own" or "some other persons". in swedish we have two different words, "hennes" (=some other persons) and "sin" (=her own). ppl often use "hennes" for both and if there have been talk of two different women i assume the first one took the other womans car. often it turns out they just used the wrong word and it completely changes the meaning of what they were saying

[@ksawerykaminski2606]

Well you can speak without worrying about the grammar that don't affect the main meaning of a sentence, but the basic grammar of a language is still important, especially for some languages with heavy grammar rules, not english tho

[@sudhakarsingh595]

This video made me realise that the grammar in spoken english could be taken as granted but in written we should be more aware and take care of grammar.... Forgive me if I made any grammatical error in my comment!

[@yogeshmehta3294]

I was (naively) hoping that the video would literally answer the question in it's title - that grammar DOES (or DOES NOT) matter.

[@Reflox1]

Grammar does matter, but we shouldn't be too extreme about it. Personally, I don't mind small mistakes at all, since I still fully understand what the person said to me. Everybody makes grammatical mistakes. Yet I think good grammar is still important, so you aren't interrupted in your thought process, trying to figure out what the other person said, or because it's just a very odd grammar.

[@Reflox1]

kibordpengin Oh right, thanks for that, you dipshit.

[@kibordpengin]

***** "Oh, right. Thanks for that, you dipshit"*

[@JonathanSharman]

+kibordpengin You're wrong by all accounts on this one. www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/can-i-start-a-sentence-with-a-conjunction

[@kibordpengin]

Jonathan Sharman "By all accounts you're wrong on this one"*

[@kibordpengin]

Lugh Summerson Quotes don't require punctuation, you halfwit.

[@Fools-rules]

I’m 13 years old ; and I’m learning from TED faster than I would’ve in school! Or in my language… شكراً تيد يد

[@dvelopp]

Well ... It helps learning, I like being interrupted and to be pointed at my drawbacks. It's the way we can share knowledge.

[@amazingsupergirl7125]

Great! Should I point out the incorrect grammar in your comment then?

[@centurysword]

This video's aesthetic looks really good! It feels like 3D and 2D at the same time

[@肖橘子酱]

thank again to this channel, bringing thousand of information to people around the word.

[@Fetteremo]

i could watch a movie in this animation style :D

[@scrumpycat2611]

Of course grammar matters, she gave birth to mother.

[@nedmurry7283]

Yes, very important..... Grammar is very important because you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her love. Always look after you Grammar

[@jays-move8803]

☺️

[@RAWRimTHEcat]

While almost every video by you guys is amazing, I must say this animator in particular did a great job.

[@osleff]

Extremely well done video, puts the most important details in a very concise format.

[@joelamond9536]

In everyday communication grammar is only important to the point of understanding. However, in formal contexts it is important to speak as well as possible, for there will be many people who will insist on judging you for your grammar.

[@ianrogerburton1670]

As a foreigner living in Germany, I found grammar crucial when trying to communicate important and detailed information, such as visiting a doctor about a serious condition: present, past, long past, future, long future and all that again in the subjunctive case.

[@amazingsupergirl7125]

I think using English grammar correctly is most important while speaking with someone whose first language isn’t English. They’ve learned the rules and will use them while speaking and listening. The world is so international these days. If everyone made up their own rules, we wouldn’t be able to communicate. Also, German is a fantastic language. I studied in classes for three years and also lived in Germany for three years. I was friends in high school with a German exchange student. I moved there from a northern state at the same time as she did. In our yearbook, we had a half page picture together that someone titled “Twins from Afar” because we were the only new kids and we looked so much alike. Cute memory ❤️🤟🏻

[@KiraThompson]

“But that begs the questi-“ “NO, IT DOESN’T! IT *RAISES* THE QUESTION!!!”

[@sam3524]

shut up

[@DoctorX17]

"Yes, but actually no. But sortof." I tend to reserve grammatical corrections or interruptions for when I genuinely can't understand a person. Although I feel there are also appropriate contexts for more formal, prescriptivist language, and less formal language that would fall outside of prescriptivist rules. Being understood is by far the most important thing. I think it's easier to be more forgiving when it comes to spoken language though -- you can't tell the difference between your and you're in speech, obviously.

[@dnarxusyt6367]

The purpose of language is for people to understand each other. If you are communicating casually, grammar does not actually matter. However, for formal occasions, grammar matters. It's that simple.

[@psychicspy]

There is the grammer of business and law. Those forms of grammer have to be precise, and therefore, the rules must be agreed upon and held to.

[@psychicspy]

Grammer between two individuals may not matter, up until the moment when two people begin to misunderstand one another. If both are not using correct grammer, then the moment of misunderstanding may not be obvious until it's too late.

[@jelly4790]

The animatoranimator(s) did a wonderful job 💜

[@daftyute]

I 100% agree with this, I definitely can position myself as a descriptivism. Grammatically incorrect stuff for me is the stuff outside of the linguistic habits of people, so in my position, a Formal sentence can be grammatically correct/incorrect as can Informal sentence. I don't like how people confuse formal with grammatically correct and informal with grammatically incorrect. For me, slang is part of grammar, and people who use slang are not speaking in a grammatically incorrect fashion, they're just speaking informally.

[@MasterGhostf]

My family sometimes uses incorrect words and wording, this makes me confused and not understand them. They still claim that I can understand them.

[@millsx672]

Very helpful. Grammar is important for us to easily understand a language.

[@abhaysharma3394]

Ted-Ed is helping me to think critically on various topics. I am so great full to be one of Ted-Ed's subscribers.

[@MumboJ]

That art style is amazing! I love it! x The content of the video, however, didn't really answer the question it posed.

[@daraldlee]

In any case, can we all agree that it's "should have" not "should of".

[@probablynot1368]

daraldlee Yes, absolutely!!

[@ratlinggull2223]

daraldlee should of is grammatically wrong, but should've is pronounced "should-av" similarly to should of so many people adapt the wrong grammar.

[@pandaonsteroids5154]

There's a difference? This makes it seem like there's a bunch of tiny grammar errors I make that I didn't even know about.

[@rohanshinde4327]

The point is to make other people understand, whether it's should have or "should of". If some people are using "should of" and others are understanding, nothing wrong with it. That's their choice.

[@claireschweizer4765]

What if it's "should"+ "have"= "should've?"

[@anshik.k.t]

Language is a medium to transfer data in your head as long as you are understanding idea that next person is trying to communicate, u shouldn't be rude for bad grammer.

[@C0d0ps]

If an answer is so vague that I do not understand whose side someone/something is on then is it really an answer? *Yes, my comment is about this video.*

[@wilberluna1401]

+C0d0ps i do not speak alien XD no seriosly, i cant understand XD

[@C0d0ps]

TheNonsenceGirl 16 1. I am writing in English with proper grammar. 2. My comment was asking if the video's answer is an answer. Since, it was not a yes or no answer, aka a direct answer. It was hard to understand what "side" they are on.

[@blazingfire7517]

They aren't taking a specific side. They are stating the facts so that we can form our own opinion.

[@poodlespeanutbutter657]

C0d0ps I

[@pinkishtoast3561]

C0d0ps You're not supposed to just pick the answer the side the maker of the video is on. You're supposed to form your own opinion based on the given points. Since when is this a new thing?

[@drawingdragon4566]

watching these videos make me feel smart.

[@bunille]

Use grammar then..?

[@BL00DYR0S31]

Bunille it makes them feel smart but they don't actually become smart though

[@drawingdragon4566]

:I i am in all AP classes in high school and several scholarships, i'm not that dumb.

[@massielvictoria3604]

Bunille May I ask what's wrong with her phrase, I'm learning English and I thought that was a correct way to say it, could you you tell me what's the right way please?

[@drawingdragon4566]

I had no incorrect punctuation.

[@RudieObias]

Grammar only matters in writing. In speech, as long as you're understood everything should be aiiiiight!

[@anoriolkoyt]

Prescriptivism serves a short term use (the standardization of a means of communication to pass on ideas) while Descriptivism is the long term natural evolution of communication. Communication is an evolutionary tool for all species, and since evolution is process without an objective (there is no end goal), then by extension communication is the same. For us to deny natural evolution in communication is to deny natural evolution itself. Frankly, it is also quite self centered to claim that a certain means of communication of TODAY is the ideal that millions of years of evolution has led to. We in the English world hail Shakespeare as our effective language Saint yet the language he spoke (both on paper and off) is archaic today. We no longer get annoyed at someone saying "You are" in lieu of "Thou art", indeed we write into dogma the importance of the former as a universal law. Let evolution work its natural course, in 500 years we may have a new form expressing that same idea. In the short term, lets keep our grammar books next to us so we as a civilisation can communicate. Follow the rules but be flexible to change. Read Shakespeare while enjoying the new phrases introduced by techocrats or slangs being dropped by rappers.

[@niklashansen5432]

+Tamal Paul I like this.

[@Silkendrum]

+Tamal Paul The end goal of the evolution of communication should be clarity, to be consistently understood when you write or speak. "UR" and "ppl" don't bother me, but "your" and "it's" when it should be "you're" and "its" cause a hitch in my gitalong.

[@LeafyRouge]

+Tamal Paul Clarity is most important when talking about written records, so prescritivism, like the video mentions, is NECESSARY for any language. Descriptivism tends to be a result of having learned the prescriptive rules incorrectly in the first place, not a natural evolution. If anything, descriptivism is more akin to an entropic trend.

[@anujmalhotra8543]

But you can change the “John kicked the ball” to “the kicking of the ball was undertaken by John” (although that would be ridiculously formal)

[@liammurray2318]

And even if I'm understanding your point right, even in that sentence, that's still SVO word order with passivization added. The only changes are that the agent ("John") has been demoted to an oblique noun phrase, the patient ("the ball") promoted to a subject noun phrase, and the verb phrase altered to show passivization (here with a "be"-passive almost exclusively found in Standard Average European languages like English).

[@anujmalhotra8543]

@@liammurray2318 ...damn, you replied to a 2 year old comment.

[@xis7296]

2:17 - 2:25 I need a GIF of this for 9gag reasons. ... Also I just started trying to edit videos and I don't even know how to express how gloriously well done this video looks to me.

[@applekunee3515]

Still, saying ' I could care less' is unacceptable " :/

[@wherethetatosat]

I learned that from a David Mitchell video. And now it frustrates me, too, when people say, "I could care less".

[@EmperorFishFinger]

It performs the exact same function as "I couldn't care less", so what's the difference?

[@EmperorFishFinger]

***** That's what would happen if you interpreted it literally. But that's neither how it's intended to be interpreted nor how it's commonly interpreted, which is where meaning actually comes from. Not all language expressions mean the sum of their parts, e.g. "kick the bucket" has nothing to do with either kicking or buckets.

[@NockKnock1]

How is "I could care less" unacceptable? It is grammatically correct.

[@wherethetatosat]

Benet Zheng It's just nonsensical. See +Crystal Kanashii's comment.

[@ashwalk85]

The problem is when people choose descriptivism because they misunderstand the rules in the first place.

[@kanikasharma2764]

Exactly. Descriptivism was made by dumb people who couldn't adhere to the 'correct' term, so they chose to become really defensive about their retarded selves and started using 'Your' instead of 'you're' and don't even get me started on they're their and there. Fucking go to school and learn.

[@tffury2007attack]

+Kanika Sharma fuck...you're

[@akash2514]

+Kanika Sharma Agreed. Although, I wouldn't say it was created by dumb people, rather idiots will adopt it because of the reason you mentioned.

[@snarf1504]

No... it's how language changes over time. Imagine we would still speak Old English, or something even older. I do agree that it is often easily used to defend their mistakes though.

[@ashwalk85]

+Frans A. I don't think language changing over time is a problem, but rather HOW those changes happen. If we can improve a language, all we need to do is agree on the changes and rewrite the rule book. But in reality people commit the changes casually, before agreeing on it. Since language is a matter of communication, and not only internal monologues, I see no way in which this is more beneficial. On a side note, that part about how "descriptivism gives us insight about how our minds work" is complete nonsense. As if perscriptivism doesn't?

[@RafaelCardoso299]

This channel is so freaking awesome ! Great video !!!!!!

[@v.gopalakrishnan350]

Only when you master the grammar of a language, do you become fit to make the statement "grammar isn't that important!" You can drive a car without knowing its mechanism but when the mechanism fails you will be stranded! Grammar is the mechanism of a language! Mastering the grammar of a language is important to gain real proficiency in the language!

[@Yoreni]

then i dont really have any proficiency in english cos i dont know how the grammar works.

[@amazingsupergirl7125]

That depends on the situation. If two presidents from different countries are communicating, grammar is important. But if it’s two friends in school, there aren’t any negative consequences of messing up some grammar. I lived in Japan for three years but never took a language class. I learned from living there. My pronunciation and mannerisms were good but I know my grammar wasn’t. My friends were very forgiving and didn’t care as long as they understood what I was saying. I honestly think that’s the best way to learn because I never had to think when I spoke. Mostly I heard people say something in different situations and I copied it. Many phrases I don’t know the exact translation for. I just know the general feeling. In America, we have accents from all over the world and I can definitely say pronunciation and natural mannerisms are way more important than grammar. I live in Oklahoma where we have a lot of Hispanic people. I hear Spanish a lot and English with grammar mistakes but nobody cares. My family is good friends with my Mexican mechanic’s family. We are just thrilled when we get together and love talking. We dont care AT ALL about their grammar. Even now Im laughing because we are such good friends that being grammar police to them sounds bizarre and hilarious.

[@amazingsupergirl7125]

@@Yoreni communication is wayyy more important than grammar. We have a lot of languages and cultures in America and if you make friends here, they won’t care about your grammar. ❤️🤟🏻

[@v.gopalakrishnan350]

@@amazingsupergirl7125 my point is it's important for a non-native speaker to learn the grammar of a language to master the language! That'll help him learn the basic rules of the language and feel confident about speaking the language. Here is an extract from GB Shaw's essay which is about learning a language where he observes: "If you are a visitor to London and don't speak English, don't panic! In England 999 out of 1000 people speak bad English and speak even that very badly! "If you address a Londoner, ' would you have the goodness sir to direct me to the railway terminus at Charing cross?' pronouncing all the vowels and consonants beautifully, he will not understand you, but on the contrary if you shout, 'please, Charing cross! Which way?', you will find half a dozen people overwhelming you with directions!" This is how it is worldwide!

[@ReddoFreddo]

@@v.gopalakrishnan350 Grammar may be important but there's disagreement between descriptivists, people who describe language as people actually speak it, and precriptivists, people who prescribe language and set it as the way people ought to speak according to precriptivists, about what grammar actually is.

[@leoanacleto9223]

I want a gif of the scene where the scholar throws a book at the merchant's face lol

[@innociduousnepheliad8140]

As a prescriptivist, I believe that a language must be bound by a few fundamental rules of grammar that allay any prospect of that language developing into something else: rules that allow alterations and gradual changes that are subtle yet steady. That's the very reason the use of metaphors, idiomatic expressions, ironies, personification, and a smorgasbord of semantic figures are highly appreciated. But you should never forget that there are reasons why such rigidities were venerated for time immemorial. If you modernise the words and look at just the pattern of wordy medleys in oldies like the Canterbury Tales, you would be astounded to find that you could actually understand it, though there would be parts you might never figure out, but that is inevitable. Grammar must serve as the infrastructure, not architecture. You can't expect a written sentence to sustain itself if its infrastructure, grammar, is fallacious. Grammar preserves the identity of a language or rather its semantic ancestry. Being too liberal will just hurl its existence to labefaction.

[@kaatoshiijii6143]

“Wrong grammar” was the greatest insult. I might’ve lose control of my anger to someone who insulted me.

[@MrSlyGamer]

Both yes and no. The way you speak is vastly different from the way you write. While spoken language is understandable with many varying constructs, writing is not. Grammar is far less important when speaking than when writing. Using correct grammar does make a large difference when writing, an example being "the dog ate John" and "the dog ate, John".

[@IvanSN]

It is very difficult to put meaning and tone into text. Language isn't just about words but also the sound of *_how_* they are said.

[@MrSlyGamer]

+Ivan Solomon Nathan Exactly why grammar is less important when spoken because of the phonology etc.

[@IvanSN]

***** I wouldn't say less important, just a little bit less necessary. ;P

[@MrSlyGamer]

+Ivan Solomon Nathan Hahaha! I understand what you're saying. But I think, phonology and paralinguistics play more of a role in speaking than the actual words you say sometimes hence how you could communicate with a foreigner who doesn't speak your language. Obviously to situations such as those, grammar has little to no use. But I'm definitely not one to ignore grammar's role in spoken language. However, if I can understand you when you're not speaking perfect, grammatically correct English, then I stand by what I say. 😋

[@IvanSN]

+Arinlas Hmm, alright then! I would say I agree with you 90%. 😁

[@kenji1340]

This is perfect for my today's lesson on IELTS Writing. Thanks!

[@rice.farmer]

I once did a test at my school and 2 of the answers were My brother and I and me and my brother. I thought it was a trick question so I did my brother and I. Turns out I was wrong.