Proper English?

Question

My friend and I are having a debate.

She states that "free willingly" isn't proper english and i would like to know why, despite the fact that it is often used.

Also what are some other commonly used phrases that are considered improper.

How it came up is that i was saying "if i were to take it free willingly" that would mean that you gave it to me, and i was telling her that she didn't give it to me, she let me have it, P.S. According to her when i said she let me have it, she stated that i was using slang, which to me i was just using a different meaning but still using the same words.

Answer 1

It is proper English-it just sounds redundant.
Many people use "literally" when they mean "figuratively". For instance, is someone made you mad, and you say your head literally exploded, there would really be a mess.

Answer 2

Are you possibly talking about "free-wheelingly", as in having a good time, going with the flow, etc.? Because otherwise I would think that you were talking about doing something with your free will, that is, choosing to do it because you want to.

If it's "free-wheelingly", I'm all for your sentence.

If it's free will, I'd say something like "I'd choose that with my free will." or "I'd do that willingly." And the reason for this is that willing is an adjective, so if modified, it should be modified with an adverb. And "free" is not an adverb.

By the way, proper English is often in the eye of the beholder. Many people, including grammarians who write grammar books, disagree on what's proper and what's not to some extent. My guess is that your friend understood what you meant just fine, so to me as long as understanding is happening it can hardly be called improper.

Answer 3

"If I were to take it free willingly": This would mean that the person was not forcing you to take it, but you wanted to take it. Although, I don't know that the sentence makes much sense with the word "free" included. I have of course heard of "free will," but never taking something "free willingly." Yet, you could take something upon your own free will. Does this help?

If you meant to say that the person gave something to you upon their free will, then say just that.

Answer 4

It depends on how its used in a sentence."She is free willingly" is proper, but only in the present tense. Past or future you must add to free or after it between the words."She was freed willingly" She will be freed willingly.
I Don't know nothing. I ain't no liar.

Answer 5

I've never heard that phrase before, and I'm an English professor, so perhaps you misspelled it or misheard it?

There are many phrases being misused these days. One I hear a lot is "I wanted to touch bases with you," when it is really "touch base." Another one is "It's a doggie dog world," when it is really "dog eat dog world." Many people get plurals of words wrong, and another big area that people have trouble with is where to put apostrophes.