I need to come clean about something. For years – maybe all my life – I used to say ‘far and few between’ when I should’ve been saying ‘few and far between’.
A brave soul finally set me straight. (Yes, it was my partner. They enjoy such privileges.) My immediate response was confusion, then denial. How could it be? The idiom didn’t register as wrong at all.
I rifled through dictionaries and online grammar forums, but I couldn’t find any sign of ‘far and few between’. Where did it come from? Did I hear it incorrectly the first time? Or did my brain do its own scrambling?
I eventually stopped saying it, but it wasn’t easy. I had to consciously ditch ‘far’ and replace it with ‘few’ every time. Then it got me thinking. What other errors was I making? Were people quietly sniggering over my idiosyncratic usage?
Maybe they thought it was a quirk – a vestige of my bilingual roots (and the code-switching errors that inevitably slip through).
To be honest, it irked me because I was a professional editor and I shouldn't be making those sorts of errors. But editors have blind spots too. Everybody does. However, we're judged more harshly because of the work we do.
Whenever an editor makes an error in an email or blog post, there's always a grammar hound who's ready to pounce – and it's never pretty! It's why I didn't post about editing or writing for ages.
This changed a few years ago when a client asked me to proofread a website. After some back-and-forth emailing, it was clear they wanted more. A lot more. They wanted a rewrite – a pimped-up version of the copy.
Truth is, I wasn’t used to changing the words. That was new territory for me. I wasn’t even sure if I should do it. But I could see what was working and what wasn’t, so I channelled my inner Edward Scissorhands and sent it through.
They loved it. And so did I. But it wasn’t just the writing. It was what was happening with the grammar rules when I wrote conversion copy. The gentle and sometimes not-so-gentle breaking of rules. For grabbing attention. For linking ideas. For pacing. And they’ve been loosening ever since …
The reason why these rules can and should be broken is because they take you out of the stuffy world of correctness and into the beating heart of spoken English.
This is where you forge friendships and gain trust, both in life and business. Let's face it, sales copy that sounds human, that has the inflections of speech or story, creates more engagement and drives more sales than copy that doesn’t.
There’s science behind it, too. According to brain imaging studies, linguistic threats can fire up the brain’s amygdala, sending people into fight-or-flight mode. This may explain why fear-based sales tactics can be a death knell for marketers.
But a conversation between friends, developed over time, triggers the prefrontal cortex, which facilitates decision-making under free-choice conditions. This means that conversational copywriting – with its messy syntax, personal stories and friendly tone – allows people to feel nurtured, understood and, ultimately, in charge of their decisions.
That’s the sweet spot, right?
So whether it’s a blog, product description or an email sequence, here are 6 grammar rules you can break when you’re writing copy:
1. Putting conjunctions at the start of a sentence
Most school teachers (like mine) discouraged the use of conjunctions at the start of a sentence. But words like ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘or’ and ‘so’ are a great way to keep copy light and conversational. They get the reader’s eye moving from one idea to another, almost irresistibly, and shorten what would have been long and hard-to-read sentences. But try not to overuse them. Too many ‘ands’ can look repetitive. Variation is key!
2. Avoiding contractions
Why use long words when you can use short ones? Shortened forms like ‘can’t’ or ‘wouldn’t’ are much easier to read than ‘cannot’ or ‘would not’. While the longer form exudes authority in academic writing, it can make sales copy feel formal and stuffy. Contractions will keep things light, friendly and pacy – and it’ll speed up your manual writing too. So go forth and apostrophise (yes, that's a real word)!
3. Writing one-word sentences
Sometimes you need to emphasise an idea or stop someone in their tracks. This is where one-word sentences come in. You could lead with a question and say, ‘Guess what I found under the floorboards? Mould!’ Or you might want to jolt someone with ‘Stop. Right. Now.’ But don't overuse them. Think of them like hot chillies – a little goes a long way.
4. Using sentence fragments
Sentence fragments (aka incomplete sentences) pepper our conversations all the time, which is why you should use them in your copy. Sure, they're not technically 'correct', but they're a great way to vary the rhythm and create emphasis where necessary. What’s more, it’s easier for readers to digest sentence fragments if they’re skimming (which is everyone, right?).
5. Using filler and crutch words
If you've ever done any public speaking (like me), you were probably told to purge ‘um’, ‘I mean’, ‘right?’ and ‘like’ from your vocabulary. But these filler and crutch words can help you slow down the pace, make yourself vulnerable and elicit reactions from your reader. For example, ‘Um, I made a mistake’ or ‘It makes sense, right?’
6. Using slang
Using slang depends on your brand and audience. If you’re selling to surfers or mechanics, peppering your copy with their lingo can build authority and trust. Some personal brands – like designers or writers – like to swear or use the ever-popular ‘AF’, particularly if they've got an edgy brand. But before you embrace salty language, make sure it’s appropriate for your audience – or at least know how far you can go (a brand voice guide will come in handy for this).
Grammar rules you can break: Summing up
While grammar rules are there to guide you and enhance readability, they don't always serve your reader. Sometimes, loosening the rules is encouraged if you want to connect and build trust with your reader.
So next time you write a Facebook post or blog or landing page, throw in a few sentence fragments, conjunctions and colloquialisms – if appropriate – but don't overdo it. Breaking too many rules can slow down or confuse readers, which is the last thing you need!
Need a business or marketing editor who won't tamper with your voice, sentence fragments or SEO keywords? Then check out my Services page or get a sample edit.
Comments