In this episode, we explore the most common misconceptions surrounding English grammar.

We'll debunk the myths about "proper" usage that are often taught in classrooms and upheld by outdated style guides.

Mr. and Ms. English explain how these false rules can limit your writing, making it awkward or unnatural.

Break free from restrictive norms and use English with more confidence and creativity.

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And here are some examples of grammar myths, things you can safely ignore if someone tells you this:

● You can't begin a sentence with a conjunction. Many teachers tell young students this because it helps prevent them from writing in fragments. However, this is not a real rule of the English language, and most style guides agree that there are many instances where starting sentences with conjunctions can be rhetorically effective or add emphasis and tone to writing.

● Infinitives must not be split. An infinitive is the "to" form of a verb (e.g., "to go"). The rule against splitting infinitives states that one should not place an adverb between "to" and the verb. This is another myth with no basis in English grammar, and most style guides agree that splitting infinitives is acceptable in many cases, especially if it improves the clarity or natural flow of the sentence.

● You can't end a sentence with a preposition. A preposition is a word, usually small and common, that shows direction, location, or time, or introduces an object (e.g., "on", "from", "above"). The sources say that this is one of the most persistent myths about English grammar. Ending a sentence with a preposition is grammatically acceptable, and the sources give many examples of famous authors doing so. This rule likely arose as English grammarians attempted to apply the rules of Latin to English.

● You can't start a sentence with because. The sources state that this is a myth that likely arose from teachers trying to prevent students from writing sentence fragments, which often occur when young learners start sentences with "because". However, starting a sentence with "because" is grammatically correct as long as the sentence also has at least one independent clause.

● All subjects preceding a gerund need to take the possessive form. Pinker calls this the "fused participle" rule. A gerund is a verb ending in "ing" that acts as a noun (e.g., "running" in the sentence, "Running is good exercise"). [This information about the definition of a gerund is not from the sources provided.] Pinker says that not using the possessive form before a gerund is grammatically acceptable, but often sounds less natural.

● Like cannot be followed by a clause or be used to introduce examples. The sources say that this is a myth and that "like" can be used in this way.

The sources also state that many common words (e.g., "funnest", "impactful", "mentee") are dismissed as "not real words", even though they follow standard English construction and are present in many dictionaries

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