linguisticsgirl.com: ... In my mind, grammatical *form**(what a word looks like) is clearly separate from grammatical function (what a word does). From ODO: 2.1. Any of the ways in which a word may be spelled, pronounced, or inflected 4.2. [count noun] A set order of words; a formula:
When Michael J. Fox played 'Johnny B. Goode' as Marty McFly in 'Back to the Future' in 1985, he was just aping Chuck Berry's classic fretwork for the camera. (Along with some Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Pete Townsend guitar moves thrown in for good measure.) Today, Fox can really play the song.
Story highlights. Film and television actor Ernest Borgnine, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of a lovelorn butcher in 1955's Marty, has died at age 95, his manager said Sunday. The thick-set, gap-toothed Borgnine built a reputation for playing heavies in early films like From Here to Eternity and Bad Day at Black Rock..