Quotes for the Day 9

This morning, at school:

Kenneth (accompanied by Jared): Is it “It came out loud” or “It came out loudly?”
Me: Well . . .
Jared: Would it help if we told you which of us is on which side?
Me: No. That would complicate it.
Kenneth: I’ve gotta go to music. Tell me what you decide.
Me: . . . it depends on whether or not “came out” is used as a linking verb. If it is, then it needs an adjective: loud. If it’s an action verb it calls for an adverb: loudly. Let’s check the dictionary.
Jared: In the sentence, I think “came out” could be replaced by “was,” so I think it probably could be a linking verb. It makes more sense to me for it to modify “it.”
Me: . . . Here it says “came out” can mean the same as “became” and that’s definitely a linking verb. I think I’d go with “loud.” What were you guys talking about?
Jared: Kenneth was telling this story about a burp gone bad, and he said “It came out loudly” and I told him it should be “It came out loud.”
Me: Yeah. It’s really not so much about the manner of its coming as the impression after it arrived.
Jared: (Smiling) I’ll tell Kenneth.
Me: Be sure to explain our rationale.
Jared: I’ll do my best.

P. S. I got the giggles after Jared left. All that serious discussion over a burp gone bad. Teaching moments happen under the strangest circumstances. . . .


Sentences from composition class demonstrating the “terrible threes” of overused and pompous written expressions. All of them can simply be omitted, or the words can be slightly shifted without changing the meaning.

1. Type, type of:

Zachary: I have the type of father who is very interesting.

Jared: I am the type person who likes females.

2. Manner and nature:

Jared: He is rather obese in nature.

3. -wise suffix (adding it onto the end of all kinds of words–This was the most fun to mangle.)

Jared: He was a large person, belly-wise.

Kevin: I got a lot of rest sleep-wise.

Kenneth: He was unprepared, quiz-wise.

Sheila: He is getting nothing done, work-wise.