For years I considered myself a bit of a grammar fanatic… the comma queen… a punctuation enthusiast, if you will. It’s the way I was brought up. In fact, fun story… my lovely Dad has always had a bit of a problem with spelling, grammar and punctuation. He’s dyslexic. So he’d often summon me, his “human dictionary”, and ask me to spell a word or proofread a letter he’d written. Dad’s quite the writer, actually, but he needed a little help in brushing up his words. Standard grammar rules are something we’re all taught from pretty much day one of school, right? And we’re told they exist because it’s important to have a standard to follow when writing and speaking. As someone who very much lived by those rules for many years, it took me a long time to realise it could (and should) be possible to bend and play with those rules. It’s probably only in more recent years, since I became a copywriter, that I finally got comfortable with breaking the rules of grammar in a way that highlights individual brand voices to create more authenticity in your message and a deeper connection with your audience. If you’re a bit of a word nerd like me, then this blog post is for you.
Why Rules Exist – And Why They’re Not Always Absolute
There’s one clear and distinct reason why grammar rules exist. Consistency. By having standard rules in place (like adding an ‘s’ to words to pluralise them), it helps the reader to understand exactly what the writer is trying to get across. It’s all about being able to understand and get your message across clearly. Without the rules of grammar, we could all just throw any which words we like at each other. No one would have the faintest idea what anyone was saying or going on about.
But language isn’t stagnant (unless it’s a dead one, of course). It’s a living, breathing thing that continually evolves as the world changes around us. You only have to look at the slang words the teens of today are using compared to what you used when you were the same age to see that. And with this evolution, the rules adapt and change along the way, too. It’s one of my favourite things about the English language because that’s where the ability to play and experiment comes in. And there are always new and interesting ways to bend and break those grammar rules. I dare you to see how many I’ve broken already in this paragraph!
Famous Examples
Of course, it’s not just me playing with grammar. There are many famous examples of rule-breaking in the marketing world that we’ll all likely have seen. One of the most famous examples has to be Apple’s “Think Different” campaign. Yes, if Apple were following the rules, they should have said “Think Differently”. But in line with their message of thinking differently, they changed it up and said, instead, “Think Different”. It’s fun, clever and so very on brand for them.
Another quick example would be McDonald’s catchphrase, “I’m lovin’ it”. If McDonald’s had chosen to be grammatically correct, then the phrase should have been “I am loving it”. But you try singing that and have it sound like the McDonald’s brand 😉 It doesn’t work, does it?
Finding Your Brand Voice Before Breaking the Rules
Here’s the thing, though. You can’t go straight into rebellious, grammar rule-breaking mode without knowing some things about your business first. And I’m specifically talking about your brand voice here. Knowing and deeply understanding the voice of your brand will give you the foundations on which to start playing with language, grammar, punctuation and all the words in your business. For example, if you imagine your brand voice is bold and quirky, it’s going to sound a lot different and follow different paths in terms of grammar than a brand voice that’s quietly confident and authoritative.
An example
Let’s see if we can clear this up with an example.
Here’s a grammatically standard sentence you might see on an About Page:
“Our team is dedicated to ensuring every project meets the highest standards of quality and excellence.”
It’s not a bad sentence, granted. But it doesn’t really tap into a distinct brand voice (or flavour) that the reader can either connect with or decide is not for them.
Now let’s look at that same sentence through the lens of a business that’s bold and a little bit quirky. They might say:
“We’re all about quality. Period. Your project? It’s gonna rock, top-to-bottom, no exceptions.”
There are a bunch of ways in which this brand voice has broken all the grammar rules. From the sentence fragments that feel punchy and unique, to the colloquial language (i.e. writing how you speak) with “It’s gonna rock” giving it a conversational tone.
On the other hand, another business that sees themselves as more quietly confident and authoritative might say:
“Every project—crafted to meet the highest standards. Always.”
What’s interesting here is that this brand voice might also use some of the same rule-breaking techniques, like the fragmented “Always.” at the end of the sentence, but they use it in a way that’s different and conveys a different overall tone of self-assurance and confidence. Also, the use of punctuation here with the em dash (one of my favourites!) after “Every project—” helps to create a pause which adds a quiet confidence in the words.
Seriously, that’s how pliable the English language is and I can’t help but get all nerdy and excited about that! You with me yet?
This example shows, though, why it’s important to understand the rules before breaking them. If you know what the rules are and what their impact has on a sentence, you can start to see how you can play with them and experiment with them effectively to get your meaning across.
When It’s Okay to Break the Rules
So, when is it okay to break the rules?
The rebel in me really wants to say ALL 👏🏻 THE 👏🏻 TIME, but also… no. It’s very hard being a rebel in a word nerd’s body. But here are some key times when you CAN break those grammar rules and go all in.
When emphasising something
Sentence fragments like the one in the earlier example, or one word sentences can create drama and impact and highlight a point or message you’re wanting to convey. I also love using full stops to break up sentences in unexpected places, forcing the reader to take notice of the words between each full stop. Or the use of emojis (like the hand claps up there ☝🏻) which also highlight a point.
When speaking with authenticity
Using informal language and slang that resonates with your audience speaks to your authenticity in how you come across. We’re much more likely to listen to someone who speaks like us and align ourselves with them than someone who chooses, or tries, to speak at a higher education level, for example. For example, why say “I would utilise this method” if you and your audience are more like to say “I’d do this” or “I’d use this tool”. People pick up on that inauthentic use of language in a bid to make themselves look more “professional”, even if they don’t specifically know how.
To highlight your personality
As I showed with the earlier example, you can convey a lot of personality in your choice of words and how you lay them out on the page. I often play with language and grammar to show I’m a bit of a rebel, but you can also show your playful side or pick words that tap into your more spiritual side if that’s what you want to get across to your audience.
To improve readability
There ain’t no point writing all these words in this blog post if it’s not going to be readable and enjoyable for you, the reader. Playing with grammar, shortening sentences and paragraphs or adjusting the structure for flow and simplicity rather than perfect grammar is something we all typically do when we’re writing emails, social posts and blogs like this one. Ultimately, you want your words to be read, right? So it’s out with the standard grammar practices and in with the rule-breaking to make that happen!
How to Break Rules Without Losing Professionalism
Of course, there’s a time and a place for rule-breaking and it’s worth remembering that you don’t need to break grammar rules in every situation. For example, in formal documents like your contract, I wouldn’t recommend going all out with the rule-breaking. Although I am an advocate for writing it in plain, clear language that people can understand instead of having it full of all that legal jargon that tends to make me go cross-eyed!
And also, if you’re a business or brand that hasn’t broken the rules before, start small! Going straight from standardised grammar rules to the complete opposite end of the scale might be a little jarring for your audience. So dive in with some small adjustments, like ending some of your sentences with a preposition (I know, gasp, right?!) or starting a sentence with a conjunction. Nothing too scary but, over time, your audience will start to accept the rules you’re breaking in your writing.
Common Grammar “Rules” You Can Bend for Impact
If you really have no idea where to start, here are my top suggestions for a few rules you can start to bend and play with.
Sentence fragments
I’ve mentioned them a few times already but these are an easy way to get across punchy, direct messaging to your audience. Short sentences. One word sentences. This. All examples of a sentence fragment 😉
Conjunctions at the start of the sentence
In years gone by it was a huge no-no to start a sentence with a conjunction (and, or, but, because, for, if, and when) but we don’t vibe with all that stuffy nonsense, right? Conjunctions are great for helping to maintain the flow of your words or create emphasis.
Prepositions at the end of the sentence
Back when I relied heavily on Grammarly, it was forever pointing out my prepositions at the end of my sentences. Prepositions are words like in, at, on, of, and to and they’re great for making sentences sound less awkward or forced. We often end sentences with prepositions when we’re speaking so why not break that rule in your writing?
Slang or made-up words
Here’s the beauty of language… it’s constantly changing and new words are appearing every damn day. May I refer you to the latest one I learned… “cheugy”. It broadly describes someone who’s out-of-date, not on trend or trying too hard which, frankly, could be me on a regular basis! Slang really helps to direct your words to specific generations too, so if you’re clear on what generations your audience fall under, you can use relevant slang that they’ll connect with in your writing.
A Word of Warning
Whatever way you choose to bend, mould and shape those grammar rules to your needs, knowing who you’re speaking to is a key factor in the direction you choose to take. Yes, it’s about conveying your brand voice but it also comes down to who your audience is too, so you need to be clear about them when going on this rule-breaking journey with your words.
While it’s not about knowing every detail about them, having a sense of whether your audience is typically more formal or casual, or whether they’re younger or older, to help you decide how far you can go with breaking the rules. I’m not saying don’t do it, but I’m definitely saying be aware of who’s reading so you don’t OVERDO it. It is entirely possible to go too far and lose all credibility with your audience or, worse, confuse them so they no longer want to stick around and support your business.
The Art of Rule-Breaking in Writing
Remember, bending the grammar rules is all about helping to reinforce your brand’s personality and voice. It’s fun to play and see how far you can push things but do try to stay intentional with your rule-breaking choices. And when something works, make a note of it in your brand voice guide so you continue to use it consistently going forward! Don’t have a brand voice guide? Grab my free template to get you started!