More Easier
This morning I corrected a young
woman who said something was “more easier.” Not so, I said; it was either “easier”
or “more easy.” Used as an adjective, I told her, one could say a task was “easy/easier/easiest.”
(“Easy” can also be an adverb, a noun or even a verb, according to Wiktionary…)
I don’t normally correct people’s
speech, tempted though I am. (I once corrected the grammar on a consent form
before having a root canal.) This woman, however, welcomed the correction and
explanation. She was a native Russian speaker, a refugee who has been in Spokane
for a year and she and I were at the Barton School, a language program at First
Presbyterian Church in Spokane.
I’ve
been volunteering there for about eight months, interacting with students from
around the world. Some are beginners; others, like my student, already have credible
spoken English. Many are refugees; others are in the US for family reasons.
What they have in common, though, is a commitment to improving their English fluency.
The courage, patience and perseverance of these students is humbling. I cannot imagine
waking up one morning in a country whose language was totally alien to me. My
mind often goes back to the summer of 1992, when thanks to a Whitworth
University grant I spent six weeks in Guatemala learning Spanish. I still
recall the frustrations I had learning the grammar, especially a mysterious
thing called the subjunctive, and not pronouncing words correctly. Fortunately,
my well-being didn’t depend on speaking Spanish. The Barton students, though, have
no choice but to try and master our devilishly difficult, illogical,
inconsistent language. (Just think how we pronounce ough in cough, tough,
through, thorough, dough, thought and drought.)
Yes,
English is a difficult language. If only it were more easier.
[300 words]
I share your inclination to correct grammar or spelling, Gordon! Perhaps one of your future columns might draw attention to the number of expensive ads, posters and brochures that are published with glaring errors on them.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was only a South African problem! We must have imported it from the USA. It makes me feel better (or is it more better?) about our standard of English.
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