What is the connection between good grammar and good writing?

Someone reads your work and says,"You use the passive voice too often." Or, another reader says, "You
have several errors in gerunds and infinitives." Do you know what these things mean? If you do,
congratulations! But, if you don't, it will help for you to spend some time working towards understanding.
Using the passive voice too often, for example, can make your writing dull, and too dependent on the
word "be," which is a weak, boring verb. (Yes, verbs can be weak and boring!)

Look at the difference between these two statements:

The ball was kicked by Leila. (passive)
Leila kicked the ball. (active)
In the second example, we have an actor--Leila--doing something. In the first example, we have an
object--the ball--and something done to it. There are reasons for choosing one over the other, but the
second example emphasizes the action.

What about errors in gerunds and infinitives? A gerund is a noun made from a verb by adding "-ing."
Infinitives are the "to" form of the verb (although sometimes 'to' isn't used.) Here are some examples:

I enjoy reading. (gerund)

I want to read. (infinitive)
"Enjoy" requires a gerund: He enjoys swimming, eating, and sleeping. "Want" requires an infinitive: She
wants to work, play, and watch movies. Some verbs require only a gerund; others take only an infinitive.
There are some that can use both.

These are just two instances of how grammar influences writing. When you read, notice how words are
used--especially if something looks new or different to you. It helps to keep a journal or file in which you
write these things down.
Just as parts of a car have specific names, so do parts of the English language. Of course, some parts
belong to other parts: an irregular verb can be in present tense, or a noun can be possessive. Think about
how these parts of speech fit together. Practice identifying the parts of speech in your everyday English
reading.
Although the names for grammar terminology are called "parts of speech," they are also parts of writing.
Usually, there are eight parts of speech that are commonly discussed in grammar books: noun, pronoun,
verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and article.

However, there are many other grammatical terms to know as they relate to writing. Here's a list of 41
terms (there are, of course, many more). How many do you already know? You may want to write this
list down, or make flashcards for yourself to help you remember them. Don't just memorize the definition,
also think of examples of each idea.

You will remember things better if you write them out, rather than just print them out or read them on the
screen.

adjective
adverb
agreement
article
auxiliary verb
comparative
compound noun
conditional
conjunction
continuous
contraction
count noun
demonstrative pronoun
determiner
direct object
future tense/aspect
gerund
infinitive
intransitive verb
irregular noun
irregular verb
mass noun
modal
modifier
noun
participle
past tense
perfect tense
phrasal verb
plural
possessive
preposition
present tense
pronoun
proper noun
reflexive pronoun
relative pronoun
subjunctive
superlative
transitive verb
verb