The English language is a mixture of other languages' influence. Considered a Germanic language, English is spoken in other countries with different dialects, yet they all follow the same basic structure. America's and England's form of English still follow the same organization of words. With different economic classes and influences, however, the enforcement of what is considered proper English grammar began being encouraged in the 1920s and 1930s by Edward Sapir and Leonard Bloomfield.
English grammar is composed of the varying usage of verb tenses, punctuation and syntax. People depend on the proper usage in order to convey the finer details of a message. If you misuse your verb tense, someone may be likely to think you are sick today rather than you were sick yesterday. Likewise, the wrong punctuation could separate the wrong verb from its subject, which can change the entire meaning of a sentence.
Structuring a sentence can alter the affect your manner of speaking or writing has on others. The structure of a sentence can alter greatly depending on whether it contains more than one clause. Complex, compound or complex-compound sentences all consist of more than one clause in a sentence. The simplest structure of a sentence--subject then verb--can be used by anyone. However, knowing how to use the more intricate sentences shows your expertise in the English language.
It is said that the English language is known as one of the most difficult languages to learn. Most likely, this has to do with the influences of other languages, which have added foreign words into our own English language; however, this assumption is not necessarily true since other languages, like German and Russian, are said to have more difficult punctuation systems. Yet, the English language can still be difficult to learn for those with a similar language root because of English's irregular verbs and inconsistency with word pronunciation.
The rules of proper English grammar and structure are often broken by creative writers. These writers do not always write complete sentences because they are trying to convey a natural flow of speech, which is not always representative of what is considered the proper structure of English. Using proper English is what helps people avoid misunderstandings. In fiction, writers do not need to worry about being misinterpreted because their work is open to various forms of interpretation.