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I don't scare so easy. Context: I think Zeke is trying to scare us, Hi's trying to make us think there's a real Phantom in the school. I smiled at Brian. "But I don't scare so easy!" I declared. Question: I don't scare easy sounds wrong in this context. I would have thought that it's a mistake if I didn't know that the grammar in books ought to be impeccable, so there's obviously something I'm missing. My assumption would be that it should have been something like 'I don't get scared that easy'.
Feb 24, 2017 3:34 PM
Answers · 4
1
It's correct. "I don't scare easy." As you can see here, when it's used without an object, "scare" means "to become frightened." http://www.dictionary.com/browse/scare?s=t So it does mean "I don't get scared easily."
February 24, 2017
It's a mistake in the sense that it's not grammatically correct; it's using an adjective where an adverb belongs (it should be "I don't scare so easily", and your assumption should be "I don't get scared that easily"), but it's not a mistake in the sense that it was done deliberately in the sure and certain knowledge that people speak like this all the time and so it'll be understood. There's a vast gulf between what the books say, and how people actually speak. And there's plenty of space within that gulf for a bunch of interesting stuff with respect to talking about language. I think that any question or answer about language is incomplete unless it covers all three axes of correctness, comprehensibility, and natural-ness. By sheer word-count, the vast majority of language generated is technically incorrect, but at the same time it's understood and natural-sounding. :)
February 24, 2017
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