My Idle Ramblings

I started a new Great Courses lecture series, English Grammar Boot Camp presented by Anne Curzan, Professor of English at the University of Michigan (GO BLUE!). She also has faculty appointments in the Department of Linguistics and the School of Education. I thought I’d get a refresher of the grammar rules, but it’s so much more than what I expected. For a word nerd like me, who pays far too much attention to word choice and usage, it’s enriching, and in some cases, mind-bending. 

First, Professor Curzan asked what grammar means to us. I knew my answer right away – written language is different than verbal speech. In other words, we don’t speak like we write. Imagine my delight when the Professor stated that a theme throughout the course is the difference between speech and writing.

Another major score was her reference to Schoolhouse Rock, the short educational films, about nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in her lecture. I love the use of music to teach children such fundamentals. It’s easier to remember lessons when they are in the form of a song. The most remembered ditty is Conjunction Junction.

I’ll never look at a grocery store checkout sign “15 items or less” the same ever again. You see, there is a different between “less” and “fewer.” Less means quantity and is used with uncountable nouns such as water, sand, beer, etc. Measure words like drops, grains, and bottles are used to denote their quantity. On the other hand, fewer is associated with numbers and countable nouns including grocery items. The items on your cart are countable (and yes, some of us count them before jumping in this checkout line). Based on this distinction, the checkout sign should read “15 items or fewer.” Though opponents of this prescriptive usage point out that the use of “less” is more fluid nowadays. For example, we are more accustomed to hearing “less than $100” than “fewer than $100.

Another great exploration is the use of “that” and “which.” It is one that I’m quite mindful about in my writing. Are you?

Until next time, happy word playing.