Amal Fabian (right), author of Q in the Garden of Grammar, in conversation with schoolchildren in Coimbatore on Monday.
| Photo Credit: SIVA SARAVANAN S
:Not surprisingly, the rules of English grammar could go for a toss even in high-profile business meetings. Be it errors in subject-verb concord, or the use of tenses, fluency of the speakers in the spoken language projected by vocabulary and pronunciation, more often, camouflages these mistakes.The errors, according to Amal Fabian, an English teacher and author of ‘Q in the Garden of Grammar’, becomes fossilised when the foundation in grammar is weak, impeding speaking, reading, writing and listening skills.Mr. Fabian strongly believes that the best time to teach grammar is when the learners are young.The faith resonated along desired lines when Mr. Fabian launched ‘Q in the Garden of Grammar’ before a gathering of schoolchildren in Coimbatore on Monday. Through the interaction, he sought to quell the perception that ‘grammar is boring’.With alphabets and usages interspersed as characters, he could infuse the intent into what he described as ‘keenly receptive’ minds of a gathering of school students in their teens.In conversation with Ronald Hadrian, Communicative Trainer, at a programme organised by the Coimbatore Art and Theatrical Society, Mr. Fabian, an IELTS examiner who had earlier taught at British Council, Chennai, and conducted sessions for MNC executives and school and college faculty, has a word of caution for parents.The book reveals how speaking fluent English does not exempt children from committing grammatical errors. The errors could well be rectified if they focus on grammar early on, he emphasised, viewing the effort as an investment for life-long benefit.According to him, entire dependence on Artificial Intelligence for developing English language would stunt the skills of learners. AI, for instance, cannot be relied upon for expressing complex ideas and nuances, he points out.His other book ‘Common Indian Errors in Business English’ covers prepositions, articles, uncountable nouns, vocabulary and Indian English vs. International English. Published - June 30, 2026 08:41 pm IST
