: Publication

Do these writing rules sound familiar? . . .

• “Never begin sentences with conjunctions like and or but.”

• “Never use contractions in serious writing.”

• “Don’t write long sentences because long sentences are run-on sentences.”

• “Never start a sentence with because.”

If rules like these are hindering your writing process, worry no more! Myths We Learned in Grade School English explains the reasons we learned these rules in childhood—and how adult writers can break these rules to write with power, precision, and purpose.

Introduction

Myth 1: The Myth of the Run-on Sentence—“Don’t write long sentences.”

Myth 2: “Never begin sentences with coordinating conjunctions like and or but."

Myth 3: “Do not begin sentences with because.”

Myth 4: “Never use the pronoun, you, in serious writing.”

Myth 5: “Never Refer to Yourself Using the Pronoun, I.”

Myth 6: “Never write sentence fragments.”

Myth 7: “Don’t—um . . . Do not use contractions in formal writing.”

Myth 8: “The Five-Paragraph Essay: Training Wheels for Young Essayists”

Honorable Mentions

Conclusion: “The Real Rules Practices of Effective Writing”

Appendix

Further Reading

Christopher Altman is passionate about bringing the art of effective writing to everyday Americans. Mr. Altman writes a blog entitled The Writer’s Toolbox and he also produces and hosts The Writer’s Toolbox Podcast. When he is not writing, Mr. Altman enjoys grilling out and savoring the mild summers of Central New York.