This page outlines the duties of the Grammarian.

Summary of the Grammarian role:

• Chooses a word or phrase for members to incorporate into speeches.
• Comments on speakers’ use of grammar and good wood usage.
• Reports on over-use of filler words like ‘um’, ‘ah’ and ‘so’.

Before the meeting

• Choose a word or phrase for members to use in the meeting.
• The chosen word or phrase should stretch members vocabulary.

During the meeting

• Explain the Grammarian’s role.
• Introduce the word or phrase and outline what you will be listening for.
• Write the word or phrase on the whiteboard.
• Make notes on what you hear. Your write-up should include:
  • notes on how members used the word or phrase.
  • any interesting figures of speech, pronunciations and word usage.

At the end of the meeting

• Summarise your notes in the commendation/recommendation/commendation format.
• Give a brief speech on your observations.

Figures of speech
The following are figures of speech to look for:

• ALLITERATION
  Repetition of initial letters e.g. dealing destructions devastating doom.
• EUPHEMISM
  Using a gentle expression instead of a harsher one e.g. income shift for tax or gender realignment for sex change.
• GOBBLEDEGOOK
  e.g. ‘optimum group dynamics’.
• HYPERBOLE
  Exaggeration for effect e.g. That music is so loud it can be heard across the sea.
• INNUENDO.
  Where something is hinted at and not directly stated.
• IRONY
  Where one thing is said but the opposite is intended e.g. Your friend turns up in ripped jeans. With a smirk, you say, ‘I see you have put on your best clothes!’.
• MALAPROPISM
  An amusing inaccuracy in word usage e.g. hydrostatics for hysterics.
• MEIOSIS
  Deliberate understatement for effect.
• ONOMATOPOEIA
  Words which echo the sound that they suggest e.g cuckoo, murmur, tingle.
• OXYMORON
  Combining contradictory words e.g. honest lawyer, green science, accurate horoscope.
• SIMILE
  Comparison using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’ e.g. Her eyes were like emeralds.