'Awhile’ is an adverb, but I’ve noticed it’s becoming common
to confuse it with the article and noun (a while.) Hence:
I rested awhile.
Fine.
It’s been awhile since
I’ve seen you. Irksome.
I’m wondering whether commonality of usage in American
English has reached a point where it’s become ‘officially’ acceptable, and I’d
be interested to know what American schools teach on the matter.
And whether or not it matters is, I suppose, a matter of
opinion.
4 comments:
I've always thought it was
I rested a while and Its been a while since i've seen you.
Another word that people use so often that it has become acceptable is irregardless. I didn't even get a red line under the word typed here.
I'm not trying to keep going with the subject of word verifications, but my first word here is Medusa and i just have to mention it.
I checked it with the OED to see whether I've always used it 'correctly.' Seems I have. The OED says that 'awhile' is strictly an adverb, and should be 'a while' when used any other way, so the following would be correct:
Stay awhile; rest awhile' I rested awhile.
but...
I rested for a while; I haven't seen you for a while.
But that's accepted UK idiom. It might be different in America, and I've noticed that Americans almost invariably use 'awhile' in all forms.
My favourite double negative is 'anti-fungicide.'
I wasn't questioning you, i was saying that i'd had it wrong all these years and didn't know. I guess i should have made that more clear.
Anti-fungicide is funny! I've never heard that before. I'm a bit slow... i had to think about it for a bit before getting it, lol.
I didn't think you were questioning me. I was just elaborating.
Post a Comment