The daily struggle of an English major includes an innumerous amount of papers to write, a pile of books to read, and not enough time to do it all. Yes, these things are hard but are manageable. The worst struggle English majors encounter is grammatical errors, especially the mix up of “there/their/they’re” and “you’re/your”. Receiving a text with the incorrect “your” sends shivers down my spine. For all the eye rolls I just received: hear me out. It has been drilled in me to know the correct word to use in a sentence. It’s not my, or any other English major's job to correct someone’s grammar, but it is a problem that minor grammatical errors are made daily. The simple solution to this problem is to enforce grammar into English classes.

Enforcing correct grammar is useful because it helps with student’s writing. A nationwide test was done and found that “only 24 percent of students in eighth and twelfth grades were proficient in writing, and just 3 percent were advanced”. Only 24 percent! Writing is an essential skill even if you aren’t an English major. Professional papers are required to be accepted to college, are sometimes required to receive a scholarship, and are assignments in every subject. Adding grammar into English class will not only help students with their writing, it will also help them with their everyday conversations.

Communicating is essential to everyday life. Whether it’s in a job, networking to push your own business, or just in everyday conversation, communication is important. “Grammar, regardless of the country or the language, is the foundation for communication — the better the grammar, the clearer the message, the more likelihood of understanding the message’s intent and meaning”. Knowing how to communicate correctly will be beneficial in the long run. One day, you could be presenting in your job, in front of the whole company. If you don’t know how to speak correctly, you will not be taken seriously.

Adding grammar into the English curriculum wouldn’t be a huge deal. The tiny, obscure grammatical rules wouldn’t need to be taught. It isn’t necessary for everyone to know the four verb moods. Knowing the difference between “you’re/your” and “there/their/they’re” is more important. Being able to use correct grammar, and knowing the correct word to use in a sentence will make you seem more professional and educated. Something as simple as diagramming a sentence helps the student understand each word in a sentence. Doing this helps students think before they write, or speak.

The solution to the problem of common grammatical errors in the world is simple. Adding simple grammar to the English curriculum will set a foundation for students that will help them go further in life. The solution is straightforward and wouldn’t cause any issues. Teaching a ten-minute grammar lesson could do wonders for students, and create a better generation.