Headshake

What happens in language is generally what happens in people's attitudes toward life.  Here's a great example using English.  A noun is a person, place, object, or idea.  We learn that definition in elementary school.  A noun functions in two places, first as subjects of to a verb and second as an object of various constructions such as, object in a verb phrase, object in a prepositional phrase, and object in a verbal phrase.  It also answers the question "Who?" or "What?" in all of its functions.  Easy enough, right?

It's easy to cite an example for each sentence above.

Subject - The volcano erupted.   (What erupted?)
Object of verb - The tourist saw the monuments.   (Tourists saw what?)
Object of preposition - All of us talked for an hour.   (for an what?)
Object of a verbal - The principal called a meeting to give us our assignments.   (to give what?)

Still easy enough.  It's simple application and recognition.  Then a grammarian steps in.  "What about the following?" they say.  "The secretary is right.  What is right?"

I reply, "Easy. The secretary is 'what?'  Right.  Right is a noun."

"Oh, no," the grammarian says.  "The verb is isn't a normal verb.  It's a verb that shows existence or state, not action.  It's different.  So all the rules change for what follows it."

"What?" I say.  "The secretary is 'what,' doesn't make sense to you?"

"Not in this case," the grammarian answers.  "Because is shows a state, then the word right tells that the secretary exists in a condition of being right.  So, right is an adjective.  Right also answers the question 'What kind of,' which is an adjective question.  What kind of secretary? A right secretary."

"Wow," I say.  "I suppose you are going to tell me that in the sentence, 'The toast tastes good,' that the word good also tells a state for the toast, so it also is an adjective?"

"Exactly.  Now you have it!" the grammarian exclaims.

"But the toast tastes what?  Good!" I retort.  By way of concession, and to confuse the issue, I add, "Maybe the toast tastes 'how,' but certainly the toast doesn't taste 'what kind of.'"

The grammarian never misses a beat.  "No, the verbs for the senses like feel, taste, look, smell, and so on, function as verbs of being like is.  So adjectives follow them.  Good in this case is an adjective.  It asks, 'What kind of toast?'"

Seriously?!!!  I don't know what planet grammarians get their training on, but it's not on the planet I live on.  This is exactly the kind of conversation you would have with them if you ever engaged them in matters of grammar.  And it's the kind of rationalization that people use when they solve problems for themselves in real life.  People say, "The rules are this.  And it may look like I'm breaking the rules but really I'm doing it for the right reason, so the rules don't apply."

Rules by the government or corporations are just as bad.  If a company checks your credit score, it will receive one, but tomorrow when you check your credit score for yourself, the score is lower because the company checked it the day before.  What?  Or the IRS has a standard deduction for each person - unless you're married.  Then, the deduction is different.  What?  People make money for their time all the same, whether time in McDonalds or time in Goldman Sachs.  But, the tax tables say the McDonalds employee is taxed at one rate and the Goldman Sachs employee is taxed at a different rate.  What?  I work hard to increase my value for a rate of service and the government says its value also increases commensurately with mine?  What?????

I'm telling you - Watch out for life's little magic tricks.  They're everywhere from the language you speak to the money you owe to the score that buys you a car.  Are you just shaking your head like me?