This is a thread I love to see discussed from time to time because the
discussion assumes that writing and grammar are two different and distinct
operations.  No one seems to consider the point that writing IS grammar.  In
fact, grammar can actually be used to teach writing.

For example, there are three basic constructions that can be used to
communicate both "when" information and "where" information - adverbs,
prepositional phrases, and dependent clauses.  It gets more complicated when
it comes to "why" information because there are four different types -
simple explanations, cause and effect, comparison and contrast, and
conditional cause and effect - and each type requires a different
construction.  For example, a simple explanation can be communicated by a
prepositional phrase (I went to the store for some milk) or an infinitive
phrase (I went to the store to get some milk).  Cause and effect or
comparison and contrast are best communicated using a dependent clause (I
went to the store because we ran out of milk - or, I went to the store even
though we still had some milk.)

The point is simply this - meaning is created by different grammatical
constructions.  In fact, it is the grammar that determines the meaning - and
what are we writing for if not to create meaning?

Geoff Layton

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