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Myths We Learn in Grade-School English: Introduction

March 10, 2010 by Christopher Altman
Filed under: Grammar, On writing, Style, Writing 101 

Have you ever heard any of the following rules for writing?

  • Do not write long sentences. Those are run-on sentences.
  • Never begin sentences with like but or and.
  • Never begin sentences with because.
  • Do not use the personal pronoun you in serious writing.

I expect that if you learned these rules, you heard them from a trusted teacher, probably when you were young. If you are still trying to follow these rules, you probably get the sense that following them is often unrealistic—and even damaging—for your writing. You feel a profound sense of relief whenever you write informal, personal prose, if only for the reason that you are able to ignore these rules and write like yourself. You get the sense that journalists and award-winning authors have found some secret way around these rules, for such expert writers break these writing taboos quite frequently—and to great effect. You have an overwhelming sense that there is a bigger, better world of writing, but you have an equally large sense that you can never enter that world.

Fret no more, dear reader. In this series of articles, entitled, “Myths We Learned in ,” I hope to free your of these pseudo-rules, learned from those who are trained to teach writing to children—not to adults.

I call such rules myths (and not lies or untruths) because like myths of old, they contain some truth, although they are not to be considered wholly or absolutely true. Of course I know that there is no man who was invincible with the exception of his heel (Achilles); however, I do find some truths within this fiction. Achilles’ myth teaches, for example, that overestimation of oneself leads to loss, and that everyone—no matter how great—has some weakness. The myth of the Garden of Eden expresses a truth about humans’ desire to seek knowledge, even (or perhaps especially) when it is forbidden. The myth of Icarus communicates the devastating outcome of arrogance and overreaching ambition.

Similarly, the fictions we learn about effective writing in class contain some kernel of truth. However, these myths are too often considered absolutes, and instead of being instructive, they become stumbling blocks to effective writing. Although perfectly acceptable for eight-year-old children, many of the writing practices we learn from the teachers of childhood should change as we develop, both as writers and as people. To stay in the confines of these pseudo-rules is the equivalent of a thirty-four-year-old man entering the Tour de France on a pink kiddy bike with training wheels and handle-tassels. Like the hindered (and somewhat curious looking) cyclist, you will not go very far in your writing if you continue to practice the conventions of childhood.

So, are you interested in knowing the truth behind these rules, and knowing why so many grade-school teachers express them as absolutes? Would you like to drop these myths from your so you can write with a liberated, unfettered mind?

If the answer to either of these questions is “yes,” then these articles are for you. The first article, “The Myth of the Run-On ,” covers one of the most common writing myths learned in childhood.

Here is a link to that article:

Christopher Altman, a community-college composition specialist, is passionate about bringing the art of effective writing to average, everyday Americans. He has published work in the field of medieval literature, and has authored a book on advertising language entitled, Telling the Truth to Deceive: How Advertisers Manipulate the English Language. Mr. Altman is an assistant professor of English at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, New York.


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  1. Conclusion: Commas Are Essential to Writing : Northern Virginia's Homes and Condos on Wed, 10th Mar 2010 9:25 am

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