Why it is all about What Works

Right can be wrong - and wrong right.?

Sometimes, what the system and tradition say is right doesn't necessarily work. Sometimes, what rules and conventions say is wrong proves a stroke of genius.?

It's not about right or wrong. It's about what works.

There was a time when writing with your left hand was wrong. An aunt of mine was left-handed and punished for it. She'd get a cane or ruler slapped across her knuckles. But how can beating a child ever be right?

Then there's Bernini's famous sculpture of David. It shows the young shepherd taking aim, about to release the stone from his slingshot. It's a masterpiece, but closer inspection reveals that David's stance is unnatural.?

Still, Bernini perfectly captured that intense, decisive moment, the split-second before David slays the enemy giant Goliath. Looking at the sculpture, you forget that it's a piece of marble instead of a man of flesh and blood. David has the wrong foot in front, but it works.

Have some serious fun and try the following. Try to write with your left hand - or right hand if you're left-handed. Then google a picture of Bernini's sculpture, and try to imitate David's stance.?

Both will feel strange and unnatural, but there's a difference. Writing with your other hand is unnecessarily frustrating and ineffective. But adopting that unnatural stance was a stroke of genius by Bernini. Just look at the sculpture.

When teaching English, I don't care too much about what's considered right or wrong. I look at what works for my students. So I don't necessarily follow the coursebook. Nor do I use all the official terminology. And I have my own particular way of explaining tenses.

My point, of course, is this: grammar should help, not hinder.

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