Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and this episode was requested by a grammar fan from Florida. This episode, by the way, as you may have noticed, is free. You’re getting it—for free. Or … are you?
The economist in me—‘cause no, I’m not an English major—wants to say that it’s not free; it’s zero-cost. So there’s one problem. But the other problem, which is relevant to grammar, is that “free” isn’t a noun. It’s an adjective, meaning that it describes a noun. And “for” is a preposition, which must precede a noun. So: “For free” is wrong because it’s a preposition and a not-noun.
This runs into all kinds of problems. You want to say you’re listening to this episode “for free.” Are you listening to this episode—free? Or are you listening freely—and does that even mean the same thing? Are you listening to this free episode—and does that mean the same thing?
“For free” is broadly accepted in modern English and is even included in the Collins English Dictionary. Personally, though I think the distinction is interesting, I don’t mind this expression at all.
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