One day a year, March 4, we celebrate good grammar in all its glory.

We celebrate it for the beauty and balance of its structure, however convoluted it may sometimes appear; for all the bits of all the languages, ancient and modern, that have contributed to English; and, most of all, for the clarity it brings to writing.

We celebrate good grammar not to scold or harangue the use of bad grammar, but rather to encourage the construction of solid, artful sentences, so perfectly punctuated that readers float unimpeded through the prose, free from meaningless or meaning-clouding buzzwords.

Good grammar means that readers focus on what you have to say, rather than stumbling along in search of a subject and verb, losing sight of what you’re trying to communicate. And once you know the rules of grammar, you know exactly when it’s OK to break them. That’s right: Sometimes it is OK to break them.

So celebrate by sharing Grammar Monkeys with your friends, and help spread the word that good grammar puts you in good company.

Here are a few fun and useful links:

The National Grammar Day home page, including a poem, a song and a free e-card.

100 fun and informative blog posts for grammar geeks

Diagramming sentences (yes, this can be fun)

Cheers!