# What makes something "grammatically incorrect"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-something-grammatically-incorrect/712064>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 7, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-something-grammatically-incorrect/712064 "2015-02-07T19:44:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-something-grammatically-incorrect/712064/21 "2015-02-11T00:15:33Z")

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> [@jepflast](#):
>
> If instead the question is, “I have an error. Is it grammatical or something else?”, well, that’s a different question. Then we get into the definition of grammar and perhaps a discussion of other types of errors. I don’t think that was the OP’s intent. (But no doubt it would make for a good discussion.)

Yes, good point–I don’t think that was the OP’s intent, either. There is a difference between “grammatically incorrect” and _ungrammatical_.

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**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-something-grammatically-incorrect/712064/22 "2015-02-11T00:28:39Z")

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> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#):
>
> I say “context is everything” a lot, and I get to say it again here. . .  
> So I disagree with guizot. We are discussing written language in this thread, and written language is a thing unto itself, a context that is distinct from spoken language even if they at times overlap.

I think I might say “context is everything” even more than you, albeit in a roundabout way, and I don’t think anything I said contradicts what you said.

But I think the context for “I’m doing well/good” is probably speech much more often than writing–at least in a context where people are going to be judging correctness of grammar.

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