When it’s OK to break the rules of grammar

Before you read any further, we’d like to personally apologise to Julie Palmer for the contents of this article. For those who know, she’s the aficionado when it comes to the rules of the written word.

If you’ve ever had a line of copy questioned because it isn’t ‘grammatically correct’, you’re not alone. For marketing managers and creative teams, grammar often becomes a proxy for quality, even when it shouldn’t.

Have you noticed the Strand logo? Yes, that is a full stop at the end. We got that past Julie, too.

In advertising, strict correctness isn’t always the point. Clarity, intent and impact are. That doesn’t mean anything goes, but it does mean grammar rules aren’t sacred.

Advertising isn’t an English exam 

Grammar exists to make language easier to understand. Advertising exists to make people notice, feel and remember. The two goals align, but not always. Some of the most effective advertising deliberately bends or breaks grammatical rules to sound more human, more direct and to resonate more emotionally. Short sentences. Fragments. Repetition. Spoken language. All things a schoolteacher might correct (the dreaded red pen), but an audience will instantly understand.

The difference we’re talking about is intent. Breaking rules accidentally will weaken trust. Breaking them deliberately can sharpen meaning.

When breaking the rules works 

Just ask our designer, there are times (she feels) when grammatical perfection gets in the way of performance. One is tone of voice. Brands that want to sound approachable or conversational often need copy that mirrors how people actually speak, not how they write formal emails. The next one is pace; advertising relies on rhythm. Short, incomplete sentences create emphasis and urgency in a way that perfectly formed sentences can’t. And then there’s attention, a deliberately unexpected construction can slow the reader down just enough to make the messages land, especially when you consider how noisy it can be online. In all these cases, the rule is simple, the message must be easily understood.  

When it doesn’t

Not every brand earns the right to break grammar rules (Julie’s shoulders have just dropped). Highly regulated sectors, technical messaging and moments where reassurance is critical and demand precision. In these contexts, correctness will support credibility and straying away from that can undermine trust.

This also applies when grammar is broken unintentionally. Inconsistent tense, unclear sentence structure or missing words don’t feel creative, they look sloppy. This is where campaigns can fall down, where intended edginess simply reads as unfinished.

The real question to ask yourself

The decision to bend grammar rules shouldn’t start with creativity, it should start with your audience and context. Ask yourself, does this make my message clearer or harder to understand? Does it sound more human or just messy? If you were the customer, are you more inclined to engage with the brand? Would this feel right if the brand came under media scrutiny? If your answer supports clarity, your choice is sound.

Clarity wins

Great creative work isn’t just about breaking rules; it’s about knowing which ones matter. Grammar should serve the message and not restrain it. When used with intent, breaking the rules can make advertising feel sharper, more human and more memorable.

It’s not about being technical, it’s all about judgement and being clear.