Every day is Grammar Day at AVC, but in March we get to celebrate without seeming completely off the rails. On the (slim) chance it’s not circled on your calendar, Grammar Day this year is Saturday, March 4, 2023. And on the (slimmer) chance you can’t think of how to celebrate, don’t worry! We’ve got a host of ideas for you, all of which are super cool and not at all nerdy (as far as Grammar Day goes anyway). We’d love to hear how you decide to do Grammar Day right!
1. Start reading a book about grammar or writing.
We wholeheartedly believe reading is one of the best ways to improve your writing — second only to writing more. And if you want to make the fastest impact on your writing through reading, you’ll reach for books that focus on grammar and composition. The following are our go-tos for help with not only technical prowess but also creative inspiration: The Elements of Style, On Writing and On Writing Well.
2. Check out AVC’s grammar posts.
Sometimes it’s easier to digest just one tip at a time. If a book sounds overwhelming right now, start by perusing our proofreading tips for short pieces of advice on such topics as when it’s OK to end a sentence with a preposition, whether you should use an ellipsis or an em dash and the difference between “further” and “farther.”
3. Celebrate your copyeditors and proofreaders.
Extend an extra thank you or send a shoutout to the editors and proofreaders you work with regularly. These grammar gurus, English evangelists, syntax superheroes — whatever you want to call them, so long as it’s not “grammar nazis” — save our butts every day from embarrassing (and worse) errors and help make our content clearer and more effective. Grammar Day is the perfect day to let them know you appreciate them.
4. Plan a WNO.
WNO = Writers Night Out, and it’s totally a thing. Or at least it totally should be a thing. In any event, gather a group and toast your fellow writers (and, well, anyone else who cares to raise a glass to this holiday). Need a conversation starter? How about why grammar still matters.
5. Write an ode to grammar.
OK, it doesn’t actually have to be an ode or a sonnet or a haiku or … (Well, those are all of the terms we remember from our freshman English poetry unit.) Anyway, you get the idea. We just want you to sing grammar’s praises because if we writers and editors don’t remind the world that grammar matters, who will? So, in honor of this discipline that deserves more attention, write your own missive, and share it on LinkedIn, Medium or your own personal blog. Feel free to tag AVC in your share; we’d love to read it!
6. Connect with AVC on LinkedIn.
Remember those proofreading tips we mentioned? Follow us on LinkedIn or Instagram and they’ll come to you! We also share advice about how to be more creative, improve your writing skills, write effective content and more.
7. Listen to a grammar podcast.
Looking for more ways to improve your grammar skills? Try a podcast. There are tons to choose from, depending on your needs and interests. Our all-around favorite continues to be the one from Grammar Girl.
8. Use a grammar checker.
We always recommend sending public-facing and high-profile internal communications to copyediting before publishing. But for lower-stakes comms, running copy through a grammar checker like Grammarly should do the trick.