![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Dorky grammar nerd is dorky
Dec. 9th, 2009 10:11 pmThese are the sort of things that get caught in my brain:
In the phrase "Give me a couple extra", "couple" has a different grammatical role if you omit "of" after it. You'd have to say "Give me a couple of extra cookies" or whatever you meant to be the direct object. Why is that? When you say "Give me extra," you're using "extra" as an pronoun, like "more," am I right? I say a pronoun because that's what my dictionary tells me "more" is when it functions that way. If you add "couple" before "extra," it doesn't change extra's function, but if you add "couple of" instead, it forces extra to be an adjective. You need a noun after it to act as a direct object. What is it about "of" that accomplishes this feat?
I have the feeling that I should know this, but it's so slippery. Brain go 'splody!
In other news, I was bitten by a strange plotbunny that wants me to write a young adult story about the aftermath of (one wave of) the Saxon invasion of England, from the point of view of a girl whose Saxon father - after invading/razing/pillaging, etc. - sends for his family to come and settle in the southeast. There would also be a girl of native Briton heritage, though possibly partly Germanic so they would have a chance of speaking the same language, for her to have conflict and adventures with.
On that subject, I wanted to ask all of you brilliant people if you know of any books about the history and culture of England in the 400's-700's that would talk about what people's daily lives might've been like. I know I have some books around here somewhere about the history, strictly kings and conquerors and battles, but that doesn't tell me what people wore or ate, or how they made a living. I know there are few contemporary sources for this time period, too, so I'm not sure such a thing exists... but there's so much out there!
Remind me why I didn't get my MA in history again?
Random Holmes and Lestrade icon, BECAUSE I CAN!
In the phrase "Give me a couple extra", "couple" has a different grammatical role if you omit "of" after it. You'd have to say "Give me a couple of extra cookies" or whatever you meant to be the direct object. Why is that? When you say "Give me extra," you're using "extra" as an pronoun, like "more," am I right? I say a pronoun because that's what my dictionary tells me "more" is when it functions that way. If you add "couple" before "extra," it doesn't change extra's function, but if you add "couple of" instead, it forces extra to be an adjective. You need a noun after it to act as a direct object. What is it about "of" that accomplishes this feat?
I have the feeling that I should know this, but it's so slippery. Brain go 'splody!
In other news, I was bitten by a strange plotbunny that wants me to write a young adult story about the aftermath of (one wave of) the Saxon invasion of England, from the point of view of a girl whose Saxon father - after invading/razing/pillaging, etc. - sends for his family to come and settle in the southeast. There would also be a girl of native Briton heritage, though possibly partly Germanic so they would have a chance of speaking the same language, for her to have conflict and adventures with.
On that subject, I wanted to ask all of you brilliant people if you know of any books about the history and culture of England in the 400's-700's that would talk about what people's daily lives might've been like. I know I have some books around here somewhere about the history, strictly kings and conquerors and battles, but that doesn't tell me what people wore or ate, or how they made a living. I know there are few contemporary sources for this time period, too, so I'm not sure such a thing exists... but there's so much out there!
Remind me why I didn't get my MA in history again?
Random Holmes and Lestrade icon, BECAUSE I CAN!
