WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Grammar Minute: Do you ever get anything "for free?"

Episode Date: January 31, 2024

Economists say no. Grammarians say no, too - at least, some of them do. Learn more about this wonky phrase on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we're saving the English language 60 seconds at a time. I'm Lauren Smith, and this episode was requested by a grammar fan from Florida. This episode, by the way, as you may have noticed, is free. You're getting it for free. Or are you? The economist in me wants to say that it's not free. It's zero cost, so there's one problem. But the other problem, which is more relevant to grammar, is that free isn't a noun.

It's an adjective, meaning that it describes a noun. and four is a preposition which must proceed a noun. So, for free is wrong because it's a preposition and not a noun. This runs into all kinds of problems. You want to say that you're listening to this episode for free, so are you listening to this episode free or freely, and does that even mean the same thing? For Free is broadly accepted in modern English

and is even included in the Collins English Dictionary. Personally, I think the distinction is interesting, but I don't mind this expression at all. That's your Grammar Minute.