Why do some people have perfect grammar, and others written english is full of grammar mistakes?
Good grammar is one ingredient in good writing, but it is not the only one, if by grammar you meant sentence structures, proper tenses, etc. rules that address issues at the sentence level. Something else, such as how different ideas appear in sequence within a paragraph (or in an article) or how an argument or a statement is supported by reasons, logic or evidence, is just as important in good writing. Here I am talking specifically about scientific writing or writing a letter to make your points (such as a letter of complaints) or writing documents for the court etc. I don’t claim to know other kinds of writing so cannot comment on them. I have been teaching science at the university level for years in North America and have discovered a long time ago that whether or not one is a native English speaker has very little to do with how well she or he actually writes (in English, that is). This means that even if English is not one’s mother tongue, she or he can still write very well. Co
