[HPFGU-OTChatter] A lot/alot (was: Survivor)

[Jen Faulkner]

On Mon, 16 Apr 2001, Joanne Collins wrote:

> >And it's "a lot".  Hardly anyone does that correctly, though.
> 
> But why not? Are teachers not teaching it correctly in schools? This is
> one
> of my hugest grammar bugbears and it's annoying, because it's not one
> word
> at all. It would be like routinely writing at all as atall.

I suspect the reason that people write it as one word is because it's
processed cognitively as one unit, rather than as a separable indefinite
article plus a noun.  I actually had a good deal of trouble learning to
do it properly -- despite being a voracious reader as a child and
generally fairly good at mechanics, it wasn't until sixth grade (when I
was 10 or so) that I finally stopped writing 'alot'.  There's a similar
problem for me, anyway, with 'all right'; I'd be much happier (and
usually do, until I fix it) writing 'alright', like 'already'.  'Atall'
might look weird, but it would make more sense (to me, at least).

I wouldn't blame teachers overmuch.  I was taught correctly, but
*couldn't* seem to learn it until it finally 'sunk in' *why* the rule
was as it was.  In language acquisition in general, correction plays a
negligible rôle.

--jen, who thinks that the Latin system where you can join together or
leave separate, as you like, many of these types of phrases is much more
sensible... :)

(())(())
 (';')      And Happy Easter, to those who celebrate!
(")_(")