We are thrilled to share that the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand premiere of the documentary Rebel with a clause is happening at the IPEd Conference!
The perfect way to wrap up 3 days of professional development, we’ll screen the documentary on Friday afternoon. This will be followed by an extended Q&A with the star of the documentary and internationally acclaimed grammar and language expert, Ellen Jovin, and filmmaker, Brandt Johnson.
But before the conference, dive into this quick chat with Ellen all about grammar surprises and the most unusual places she has set up her grammar table.
What motivated you to start the “Grammar Table” project?
My whole life has been spent in language pursuits – teaching, writing, serially studying languages for fun, accumulating style guides – so grammar has always been a big thing for me. In 2018, though, I found I was spending too much time online, and it was making me grumpy. I needed more light and air. So I ordered a table and moved my language activities to the streets!
You travelled across America, visiting all 50 states. What was the most surprising moment for you?
I see that superlative and I am going to avoid it! I find surprise in most moments, and interest in most moments. I think that’s why the Grammar Table is so much fun for me. I can be asked about apostrophes 5,000 times yet still find something new and unexpected in the 5,001st time. It’s as much about the people as it is about the grammar.
What was the most unexpected location where you had a grammar conversation?
I’ve had multiple grammar conversations in bathrooms. That’s what happens when you run around wearing grammar T-shirts. I do prefer to have my grammar conversations outside bathrooms, however. I also had some grammar conversations on the side of a mountain in Alaska.
Was there a question or conversation or grammar misconception that came up again and again?
Yes, Americans are obsessed with the Oxford comma, or serial comma – that is, the comma before the “and” in a list. Nothing is of greater interest to the American punctuation imagination than the Oxford comma. Occasionally couples who come up to the Grammar Table leave shocked that they are not compatible on this punctuation point. I hope they get past it.
Did your own understanding of grammar evolve during the process? How?
I have learned that I cannot reliably pick grammar geeks out of a crowd. If there were a game show called Guess the grammar geek, I would lose.
What do you hope viewers take away from the documentary?
Well, I am in the documentary, and I conjugated a lot of verbs in it, but I didn’t make it. My husband, Brandt Johnson, made it. I think it’s best if I let viewers enjoy the film in whatever way suits them. There is no homework at the Grammar Table!