Which English grammar should be followed when writing for a global audience?
In relation to my question on Usage of 'z' in the word serialized in English?, it seems I was mistaken in assuming there is a generally accepted correct variant of English.
The question Which variant of English should I use when my target audience is the world? addresses the issue of what to be aware of when writing for a global audience, and the answers focuses mostly on which kind of words and expressions to use (and not use).
I am interested in which grammar to follow when writing for a global audience?
Specifically which rulebook on grammar and which dictionary should I follow?
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Native speakers of English tend on the whole to write in the "written standard" of their native variety of English.
Speakers of different varieties, or at least those who are "well read", are generally used to reading material in other varieties, and the difference between the written
So I would suggest just picking the variety you're most familiar with and aiming towards the written standard of native speakers in that variety. If you need it, try and find a comprehensive reference grammar that deals with your chosen variety. (If you're already proficient in English, I would also suggest just getting a well-educated native speaker to proofread the first draft of your writing, and using tools such as Google searches, Google N-grams: a "grammar book" often isn't these days the most efficient means of resolving uncertainties.)
There are still some issues that are just preferences. For example, in UK English, whether you use "-ise" or "-ize" is essentially an editorial preference: both are perfectly acceptable and readers are used to seeing both, and you or your publisher just needs to decide one way or the other.
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Most often, you write according to your background. If you are American, you write using American English and if you are British, you use Brit. This is usually applicable for novels and other long material. This was the method used by old writers like Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. If you book is really popular your publisher may make conversions to make it more readable in a particular area.
If you are writing for a magazine or similar source which would be marketed in a particular area say the US, then it would make sense to target the English spoken in the target area.
Hope it helps.
This post was sourced from https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/3656. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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Seconding Kate's suggestion of the Chicago Manual of Style, and I'd also add Strunk & White's Elements of Style as another indispensable reference.
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