黄庭坚文名不显，他的文法随之湮没无闻。实际上，他的作文理论对南宋文章学的成立影响深远。伴随着古文运动的发展，黄庭坚从作品典范中抽绎出文章法度，用来指授后学，开时代风气之先。他的文法涵盖双重面向，针对入门的初阶技法与引领自成一家的终端旨趣。基于对科举作为仕进之阶的体认，黄庭坚教导士子通过修习古文法获取时文写作技能，是为南宋借由剖析古文来充当时文教科书的先声。同时，黄庭坚以法则为门径却极力摆脱前人窠臼的尝试，衍化为吕本中的活法理论。以之为媒介，黄庭坚从有定法到无定法的作文旨趣辗转生成南宋文章程式化的救弊之资。

As an uncelebrated prose writer, Huang Tingjian’s prose writing techniques fell into oblivion. However, his theory of prose writing had far reaching impact on the establishment of writing studies in the Southern Song dynasty. Huang Tingjian systematically discussed prose writing methods based on the classic works of the ancients, and applied these methods to the teaching of his apprentices. His instructions on prose writing involved two dimensions: the primary techniques for beginners and the ultimate objective of being unique. In addition, Huang Tingjian taught scholars to study ancient prose to acquire writing techniques useful for the imperial examination, which anticipated the practice of using ancient proses for pedagogy. He introduced the general rules of writing, but also made great attempts to free himself from his predecessors’ conventions,  which later gave rise to Lü Benzhong’s theory of huofa (unfixed method). Huang Tingjian’s compositional purport, mediated by Lü’s theory, developed into resources that could resist the conventionalization of the prose writing methods in the Southern Song Dynasty.