A member of the ‘grammar police’ (Brett Beasley) created this Prezi presentation, including a video that illustrates, in a fun way, why every person who writes needs a proofreader or editor. That is especially true for individuals whose professions are not to write but whose jobs require it. If you don’t use a skill regularly, you tend to lose it.

Take me, for example. During high school, I was a math major; I was recommended for honors algebra. I did all my other homework first so I could linger over the math, savoring it. Now, after decades in the field of communications and with math a fading shadow in my past, I can barely do very simple calculations in my head. And I use my fingers and the always handy ‘air blackboard’ more often than I’d like to admit.

Sometimes we don’t know (or forgot) the rules of grammar that make writing good, understandable, usable. Sometimes, even if we know the rules, our fingertips skitter across the keyboard faster than our eyes notice what we’ve done. And after we’ve written a thought, we know what it’s supposed to say and that’s what we tend to see, whether it’s there or not. All writing needs a review by a set of ‘cold eyes’ — someone who is emotionally and intellectually distant enough from the content to be able to spot mistakes and how the message can be improved.

So, I just stumbled across this video, enjoyed this (a favorite) tune, marveled at the creative force that put the message together, and thought I’d share.

Word Crimes: https://prezi.com/cerf-fcl3cle/grammar-rules/

Song by Weird Al Yankovic. Video design and animation by Jarrett Heather.