“You are legend” or “You are a legend” Which one is correct or are they both correct?

Question

Which of the above is correct or are they both correct?

You are LEGEND my friend.
You are 'a' LEGEND my friend.

He is legend.
He is 'a' legend.

This older question is slightly more complex and would be ideal in your situation but it has only one answer A hero becomes (a) legend — Mari-Lou A, Nov 18 '18 at 07:33
Thank you for asking. When a question asks for proofreading or rewriting (“how should I write this?”, “is this correct?”, “which is correct?”), that is out of scope for this site and may be removed. See: “What topics can I ask about here? - Help Center”. If there is an unstated specific concern, such as “What does (word) mean in context?” or “How does (grammar or punctuation rule) apply in context?” try asking that question instead. Also check out: “Where can I ask for free proofreading? – Meta”. — MetaEd, Nov 18 '18 at 22:17
@MetaEd the question is closed because it's been asked before but I am confused by the reason stated for closure/put on hold. "Proofreading questions are off-topic unless a specific source of concern in the text is clearly identified." Is not the attention to the use of the indefinite article "a" a clearly identified and the specific source of concern ? — Mari-Lou A, Nov 19 '18 at 11:10

djs · Answer 1 · 2018-11-21T06:16:29.787

2

Both are correct but the two intended meanings are different. The first is a metaphor, the second is a statement of fact. In the last line of Richard Matheson's book Neville is claiming that he has become the stuff of legend, not that he is an example of a legend.

The metaphor follows the same construction as

(There is a grandiloquence in the phrasing that seems to lend itself to B movies. Excepting the Desolation of Smaug of course.)

Note that "I am Legion" is not an example, because legion has become an adjective, although it was probably a metaphor at first.

edited Nov 21 '18 at 06:16

answered Nov 18 '18 at 08:33

djs

450

so is the original statement correct or not? – user324759 Nov 18 '18 at 10:34
1

@user324759 Please read the answer in the question Laurel mentions in her comment above; that has the answer. – Janus Bahs Jacquet Nov 18 '18 at 11:25

“You are legend” or “You are a legend” Which one is correct or are they both correct?

1 Answers1