Writing “Rules”

I’ve read several times recently that there are no rules for things such as dangling participles or split infinitives. That got me to thinking about where grammar rules come from. There isn’t an official committee that decides these things. Language is an organic, evolving entity. What is or isn’t acceptable depends on the society to which the piece is being written. (Notice how I avoided a dangling participle there?) American and British rules differ. For instance, in the United States, we put quotation marks after a period, while the Brits put them inside. And they use single instead of double quotation marks for direct quotations.

So how are we to distinguish between rules and mere suggestions? Rules are nearly universally accepted within that culture. Suggestions are debatable. What may be a rule in one generation could be a guideline in the next. For instance, the words “they” and “their” are being used more often in a singular way, to avoid using gender-specific words. Most scholars still believe “they” and “their” can only be used in a plural sense. But as the English language evolves, I see that the singular use these words will become completely acceptable.

The Elements of Style has become the standard for writers. Beginning writers are encouraged to buy and study a copy. William Strunk and E.B. White probably never imagined their little book would become the definitive text on style. They had plenty to say on the subject of rules:

• “Who can confidently say what ignites a certain combination of words, causing them to explode in the mind? Who knows why certain notes in music are capable of stirring the listener deeply, though the same notes slightly rearranged are impotent? … There is no satisfactory explanation of style, no infallible guide to good writing, no assurance that a person who is able to think clearly will be able to write clearly, no key that unlocks the door, no inflexible rule by which the young writer may shape his course.”
• “Since the book is a rule book, these cautionary remarks, these subtly dangerous hints, are presented in the form of rules, but they are, in essence, mere gentle reminders: they state what most of us know and at times forget.”