A Word, Please: Hearing out readers’ pet peeves

“For Joe and I,” “I am well” and “so fun” are topping readers’ peeve lists this month. Plus, it’s a minor tragedy because people who say “for Joe and I” usually choose “I” because they’re trying to be grammatically correct — and failing. Sherry wrote to ask about people who use “so fun” instead of “so much fun.” “Isn’t that grammatically incorrect to leave out the word ‘much’?” she asked. Reader Katie doesn’t like when people who’ve been asked “How are you?” respond with “I am well.” “It’s grammatically incorrect,” she writes. Most people I’ve spoken to believe the opposite: that it’s wrong to say, “I’m good,” and grammatical to say, “I’m well.” But almost everyone with an opinion on this subject misunderstands the grammar.