English comes in countless varieties, each of them no more “right” than the other. However, some variants will undoubtedly be more appropriate depending on your audience and purpose.
When people talk about Standard English, they usually refer to one specific type of application of the language. That is the form commonly associated with educated users of the language, as it’s the implementation taught in schools and universities that has evolved over a very long time.
Standard English is the form of English you will have to learn to use in most writing environments. Whether you’re composing essays for college, creating documents at work or writing for a trade publication, this is the form of the language everyone’s expecting to see.
While Standard English is more often employed in written form (you will rarely hear people speak the way they write), it is not the same as formal English. In Standard English, you can break the rules of formality, even going so far as to use slang and colloquial phrases.
So what are the rules of Standard English? Pick up any writing guide and the rules written there are likely it. While style books and writing instruction may differ, those traits they share in common usually form the backbone of Standard English. Or better yet, pick up any English writing program and have it check how well your writing conform to Standard English conventions.
