Structural ceramics such as $Al_2O_3$, SIC, and $Si_3N_4$ are difficult to grind materials because of their high hardness and brittleness. They are normally ground in brittle mode, but it is possible to be ground in ductile mode depending upon the grinding conditions. In this paper an experimental investigation has been carried out to see the relationship between the grinding energy and grinding mode. It has been found that the ductile mode grinding consumes more grinding energy than the brittle mode grinding. Thus, the grinding conditions of the higher specific grinding energy leads to the plastic deformation in the ground surface of workpiece and results in the better surface finish.