ungrammatical
Breaks language rules
Ungrammatical describes language that violates the rules of grammar—whether the formal rules taught in schools or the intuitive patterns native speakers follow.
The sentence "Him went store" is ungrammatical.
What counts as ungrammatical depends on context: constructions acceptable in casual speech may be ungrammatical in formal writing.
Wrong action or decision
- typoPrinting mistake
- slipMinor error or misstep
- blunderFoolish, costly mistake
- flawImperfection in something
solecism · barbarism · malapropism · inaccuracy · oversight · gaffe · misstep · infelicity
Departing from established norms
- informalRelaxed, not official
- colloquialCasual, everyday language
- dialectalOf regional speech patterns
- vernacularEveryday regional speech
pidgin · broken · substandard · deviant · irregular · prescriptive · descriptive · acceptable
Rules for arranging words
- usageAct of employing something
- rulesPrinciples governing behavior
- instructionGuidance for action
- pedagogyArt of instruction
ESL · drill · exercise · worksheet · lesson · acquisition · proficiency · fluency
Incomplete portion of whole
- run-onSentence lacking proper separation
- misconstructionIncorrect understanding of meaning
mistake
Wrong action or decision
flaw · solecism · barbarism · malapropism · inaccuracy · oversight · gaffe · misstep · infelicity · impropriety
nonstandard
Departing from established norms
- informalRelaxed, not official
- colloquialCasual, everyday language
- dialectalOf regional speech patterns
vernacular · pidgin · broken · substandard · deviant · irregular · prescriptive · descriptive · acceptable · register
syntax
Rules for arranging words
- usageAct of employing something
- rulesPrinciples governing behavior
- instructionGuidance for action
pedagogy · ESL · drill · exercise · worksheet · lesson · acquisition · proficiency · fluency · literacy
fragment
Incomplete portion of whole
- run-onSentence lacking proper separation
- misconstructionIncorrect understanding of meaning
edit
Modify written material
amend · rectify · reword · rewrite · redraft · emend · polish · refine · correct · markup
ungrammaticalidiomatic
Characteristic of natural speech
felicitous · natural · fluent · polished · articulate
ungrammaticalgrammatical
Following language rules
well-formed · correct · proper · standard · rule-following