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Language is a living, breathing entity. It evolves over time, adapting to the needs and habits of the people who use it. Yet, some grammar rules refuse to die—even when they no longer serve any practical purpose. These so-called zombie grammar rules linger in classrooms, style guides, and the minds of overly strict editors. For writers and editors alike, it’s important to recognize which rules can be safely ignored in favor of more natural and effective communication. Here are some of the most notorious zombie grammar rules and why you don’t need to fear them anymore.
Table of Contents
1. Don’t Split Infinitives
The Rule: Never place an adverb between “to” and the verb it modifies. For example, “to boldly go” should be rewritten as “to go boldly.”
Why It’s a Zombie: This rule originated from an attempt to align English grammar with Latin, where infinitives are a single word and cannot be split. English, however, is not Latin. Splitting infinitives is often the most natural and effective way to communicate. Consider the difference between “to boldly go” and “to go boldly”—the former carries a stronger emphasis and rhythm.
What to Do Instead: Go ahead and split that infinitive if it improves clarity, flow, or emphasis.
2. Never End a Sentence with a Preposition
The Rule: Avoid ending a sentence with a preposition, such as “at,” “in,” or “of.” For example, instead of saying, “What are you thinking about?” you should say, “About what are you thinking?”
Why It’s a Zombie: This rule, like the prohibition of split infinitives, is based on an outdated attempt to make English conform to Latin grammar. In modern English, ending a sentence with a preposition is often more natural and less awkward than trying to rewrite the sentence.
What to Do Instead: If the sentence sounds better and makes sense with a terminal preposition, leave it as is. Forcing a rewrite often leads to unnecessary complexity and can make you sound like a fuddy-duddy. Interestingly, Google Docs spellchecker had squiggly lines under the “About what are you thinking?” sentence, so it must be pretty up to date with its grammar guidelines.
3. Avoid Starting a Sentence with a Conjunction
The Rule: Never start a sentence with “and,” “but,” or “because.”
Why It’s a Zombie: This rule was likely introduced to encourage young children to write full sentences rather than sentence fragments. However, starting a sentence with a conjunction is a perfectly valid way to add emphasis or create a conversational tone. It can be part of the author’s voice. Writers throughout history, including Shakespeare and Dickens, have done so liberally. According to The Chicago Manual of Style, “a substantial percentage (often as many as 10 percent) of the sentences in first-rate writing begin with conjunctions.”
What to Do Instead: Use conjunctions to start sentences when it improves the flow or tone of your writing. Just ensure you don’t overuse this construction.
4. Use “Who” for People and “That” for Things
The Rule: Always use “who” when referring to people and “that” when referring to objects or animals.
Why It’s a Zombie: This rule is a stylistic preference, not a hard-and-fast law. Plenty of respected writers use “that” to refer to people, especially in informal contexts. Except me that is, because I still like to make the distinction. Hey, I never said I was perfect! I’m a recovering prescriptive editor. 🙂
What to Do Instead: Use whichever feels natural for the tone and style of your writing. Both options are grammatically correct. In fact, The Chicago Manual of Style says, “Is it acceptable to use that in reference to people? Is friends that arrive early an acceptable alternative to friends who arrive early? The answer is yes. Person that has long been considered good idiomatic English. Even so, person who is nearly three times as common as person that in edited English.”
Related Posts
That vs. Which: How to Know Which One to Use
Who vs. Whom: What’s the Difference?
5. Avoid the Passive Voice at All Costs
The Rule: Always use active voice because it’s clearer and more direct than passive voice.
Why It’s a Zombie: While active voice is often preferable, passive voice has its place. It’s useful when the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant, or when you want to emphasize the object of the action. For example, “The cake was eaten” shifts focus to the cake rather than the eater.
What to Do Instead: Choose the voice that best serves the purpose of your sentence. Don’t shy away from passive voice when it’s appropriate, but again, try not to overuse it.
6. Never Split a Verb Phrase
The Rule: Keep all parts of a verb phrase together. For example, instead of saying, “She has always been kind,” the rule dictates you should say, “She always has been kind.”
Why It’s a Zombie: This rule is largely ignored in modern English because splitting verb phrases is often more natural and less stilted. Rewriting to avoid splitting can sound awkward and overly formal.
What to Do Instead: Write in a way that feels natural and clear. Splitting a verb phrase is perfectly fine if it improves the readability of your sentence.
7. Avoid Using Contractions in Formal Writing
The Rule: Contractions like “don’t,” “isn’t,” and “we’re” should not appear in formal writing.
Why It’s a Zombie: This rule is rooted in outdated notions of propriety and seriousness. Today, contractions are widely accepted even in formal contexts, as they make writing sound more natural and less stuffy. Can you imagine a whole book with not one contraction in it? I think I would find that hard to read.
What to Do Instead: Use contractions when they fit the tone of your writing. Avoid them only if a specific style guide or client explicitly prohibits them.
8. Avoid Repeating Words in the Same Sentence
The Rule: Never use the same word more than once in a sentence.
Why It’s a Zombie: This rule can lead to overly complicated or awkward sentences as writers strain to find synonyms. In many cases, repetition is clearer and more natural.
What to Do Instead: Don’t fear repetition if it makes your writing more straightforward. Avoid it only when it genuinely becomes distracting. I will only point this out when I’m editing if the word has been used three or four times and it’s starting to sound too repetitive.
9. Never Use “And” or “Or” More Than Once in a List
The Rule: Use “and” or “or” only once in a list. For example, “I bought apples, oranges, and bananas” is correct, but “I bought apples and oranges and bananas” is not.
Why It’s a Zombie: While the single-use rule often makes sense, multiple uses of “and” or “or” can add emphasis or mimic natural speech patterns, especially in creative writing.
What to Do Instead: Use multiple conjunctions when it fits the tone or adds rhythm to your sentence.
10. Avoid “Sentence Fragments”
The Rule: Every sentence must contain a subject and a verb to be complete.
Why It’s a Zombie: While this is essential in formal contexts, sentence fragments can add punch and style in less formal writing. For example, “A total disaster.” conveys a tone that “It was a total disaster.” might not.
What to Do Instead: Use fragments sparingly for effect, particularly in creative or conversational writing.
11. Avoid “Split Subjects”
The Rule: Keep subjects together and avoid separating them with parenthetical information. For example: “My dog, despite his tendency to bark at squirrels and chase the mailman, loves long afternoon naps.”
Why It’s a Zombie: In that example, technically, the subject (“My dog”) has been “split” by the parenthetical interruption, but the sentence is still perfectly clear and even adds a bit of rhythm and character. If you were concerned about clarity though, you could reword it as follows: “Despite his tendency to bark at squirrels and chase the mailman, my dog loves long afternoon naps.”
What to Do Instead: Use parenthetical information where it helps clarify the subject without overcomplicating the sentence or confusing the readers.
12. Never Use “Hopefully” to Mean “I Hope”
The Rule: “Hopefully” should only mean “in a hopeful manner,” not “I hope.”
Why It’s a Zombie: “Hopefully” has been used to mean “I hope” for decades and is widely accepted in modern usage.
What to Do Instead: Use “hopefully” freely to mean “I hope” unless your audience is particularly strict.
13. Avoid “Double Negatives”
The Rule: Never use double negatives, as they cancel each other out and confuse the meaning.
Why It’s a Zombie: While double negatives can confuse, they are also a valid part of many dialects and can add emphasis in informal writing (e.g., “I can’t not do it”).
What to Do Instead: Avoid double negatives in formal writing, but consider their use in dialogue or stylistic contexts.
Conclusion
Zombie grammar rules persist because they’ve been passed down without question. But writing isn’t about following outdated rules—it’s about communicating effectively with your audience. By letting go of these linguistic relics, writers and editors can focus on clarity, tone, and purpose rather than enforcing arbitrary restrictions. Language is alive; your writing should be too. If you want to bring your grammar knowledge up to date, check out the very affordable Grammar Lion course.
