Growing up on Detroit’s westside (I-96 & Southfield area) , I had college educated parents who made sure we didn’t speak slang.

Yet, you had to be multi-language because your friends and other people around your neighborhood didn’t know the King’s English – barely knew American English and you didn’t have time to have them repeat what they said in times of danger, trouble and even fun.

Yet, my mother taught us to master the language and you could use whatever language you needed in order to fit in.

We learned… street slang, west side slang, east side slang and everything in between.

I understand:

Master the basics in order to conquer everything else. 

In my writing, I had to do the same and I thank the Lord my mother introduced me to old books like Jane Austen, William Shakespeare and even Tolkien before progressing to black literature and contemporary literature. The experience expanded the depth of my writing and gives me power over what I’ve learned is one of the hardest languages to learn – English. 

To help me out a lot, I use Grammarly and it’s been a lifesaver in helping me remember and strengthen my writing skills.

Check out Grammarly for yourself, by clicking here. Let’s compare your stats in the comments.

 

Happy National Grammar Day!