Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and in the last episode, we talked about how reading good literature can make you better and faster at grammar.
Trust me—there are some really good books published today. You can walk into a bookstore and find probably hundreds of excellent books in every section. But I think we all know there are also some poorly edited books right there on the same shelves. It’s important to be discerning with what you read, because when you spend hours on a book, you’re going to subconsciously or even consciously pick up habits from the author. You’ll start to write like them and maybe even talk like them. It’s just like hanging out with friends whom you just automatically start to mimic.
This doesn’t mean you have to read exclusively serious books about serious things. It does mean that if you want to be a good writer, you should read—or at least focus on—well-written books. In short: How do you become a better writer? By reading good books.
That’s your Grammar Minute! Visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.