In the course of some coaching sessions, I sometimes have to discuss grammar with an air talent.  It’s painful to correct “between he and I” (which should be “between him and me,” of course) or “Us guys love Fantasy Football.” (Uh huh.  So I guess the Queen song was “Us Will Rock You?”)

More than once, I’ve been met with how that’s “nitpicking” or asked, “Why does it matter?”

Here’s why it matters… unless we sound intelligent, like we actually passed seventh-grade English, we can’t be taken seriously.  Think about that.  Maybe in a time of true darkness, when something really serious has happened, you won’t be the listener’s first choice.  Because serious events or issues need serious and uplifting thoughts, and it takes a thorough knowledge of vocabulary, sentence structure, and grammar to be able to inform or comfort people.