Stative and Dynamic Verbs

Grammar Rules and Reasons

In this course, Dr Crayton Walker (University of Birmingham) explores grammar rules and the reasons why we sometimes break them, focusing on a series of well-known adverts. In the first module, we learn about the use of “some” and “any” in positive and negative sentences and in questions, after which we learn about stative and dynamic verbs while analysing the McDonald’s slogan, “i’m lovin’ it”. In the second module, we take a look at the use of adjectives, adverbs and nouns, while analysing the Apple slogan, “Think different.” and the Subway slogan, “eat fresh”. In the third module, we learn about how semantic prosody gives the Nutella slogan, “spread the happy”, a positive association. In the fourth module, we discuss gender neutral language in a Honda advert that uses “their” as a singular pronoun instead of a plural pronoun. In the fifth module, we recap the discussed grammar rules and reasons while thinking about how language evolves and grammar rules are often static or playing catch up.

Stative and Dynamic Verbs

In the first module, we introduce some English grammar rules, focusing in particular on: (i) the use of “some” and “any” in positive and negative sentences and in questions; (ii) key word in context (KWIC) lines, which come from a corpus; (iii) the McDonald’s slogan, “i’m lovin’ it”, which uses a stative verb in the continuous form with an “-ing” ending as if it were a dynamic verb; and (iv) why McDonald’s breaks this grammar rule.