-ly has never been the universal mark of adverbs in English grammar.  Some of the examples that Edmond Wright provides have never of not for a long time taken required –ly to be used as adverbs, including “quick”, “close”, “slow”, “fast”, etc.  The use of “real” as an intensifier has been around for a long time in informal speech but isn’t common in formal speech and writing.

 

In response to Peter Adams’ concern, it is the case that as the language changes it tends to change in informal registers before the change creeps into more formal usage.  Teaching register as a part of teaching grammar is a good way to acquaint students with notions of appropriateness and of change in progress.

 

Herb

 

 

Elizabeth's question about -ly endings on adverbs of manner raises an even broader question: how are we as teachers to decide when some "rule" of grammar is no longer in effect.  Most of us don't want to be in the role of defending archaic rules that no longer describe the living, evolving language, but we also do want to make sure our students learn the conventions that will stigmatize their writing when violated.

Two examples I've wondered about lately:  "try and" has appeared twice in recent weeks in the New York Times.  Should I abandone my efforts to convince my students that "try to" is preferable?  And the apostrophe seems to be disappearing in some constructions: Veterans Administration, for example. 

Many on this list have poked fun at those who cling to archaic rules about splitting infinitives and ending sentences with prepositions, are "try and" and the optional apostrophe approaching the same status?  How will we know when they arrive there?



Peter Adams

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