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.
Marty McFly Returns! The date to which Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd's Doc Brown time-travel in the 1989 film 'Back to the Future II' is upon us. In celebration of Martyâs arrival from 1985, several events are scheduled to mark âBack to the Future Dayâ in the U.S. on Wednesday, October 21.