The Adverbs Have It

This time of year, the mantra “Shop Local” is shouted from the rooftops. With the busy Christmas season upon us, our local businesses are hopefully overwhelmed with residents shopping and dining in our community. My family tries to keep our small town thriving by buying gifts in town rather than shopping online.

All that being said, I cringe a little and think back to my eighth grade English teacher when hearing or reading the rallying cry used by locals.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, “local” can be a noun or an adjective and “shop” is most definitely a verb.

My teacher, Mrs. Crow, was the epitome of the typical grammar nazi. Every time I hear “Shop Local” — I think of her.

I remember Mrs. Crow strictly teaching the lost and dying art of diagramming sentences. She would actually bring in the local newspaper and instruct us (her dear students) to find examples of ellipses, clauses, run-on sentences and the dreaded dangling participle. We were then taught to diagram sentences, which I equate to solving a complex math problem using the rules of grammar.

If I were to diagram “Shop Local,” I would not know where to begin. How can an adjective define a verb?

I know advertisers are not necessarily thinking about their eighth grade English teacher when creating catchy slogans, but maybe they proved a point because I am writing about this egregious mistake.

The easiest fix for me would be to just add “-ly” to “local” and the simple adjective becomes an adverb.

Pet grammar peeve fixed. Enjoy your holidays and remember to “Shop Locally.”