Quote:
Originally Posted by LuvReadin
Based on the reviews I've seen posted over the past few years, you're correct. Although I'm not sure that I'd describe these as 'grammar vigilantes', it is true that people seem to be becoming more vigilant about grammar. My personal feeling is that it was something many readers never really 'saw' until it wasn't there. At that point, they realised quite how awful an experience it is to wade through reams of badly spelt, badly punctuated and badly structured sentences. No matter how good the story, I think it's very difficult for a reader to overcome a feeling of being short-changed if they've been made to work hard get anything out of a product on which they have spent time and (possibly) money.
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Correct grammar and punctuation aren't just little niceties; they make the story understandable. You're right that readers don't see it when it's there, but when it's not, not only does the story look sloppy, but the reader has to guess at meanings and attempt to decipher sentences by filling in missing words and punctuation. Grammar is the structure that supports the story, and without it, the story collapses.