Need your grammar help - which is it homies?

[Zeze]

Can you say "I need a grammar nazi" here in 2023?

Which one is correct and why?

1. "I heard few times that many find playing a defense is stressful."
2. "I heard few times that many find playing defense is stressful."
3. "I heard few times that many find playing the defense is stressful."

How about this one?

1. "I heard few times that many find playing a goalie is stressful."
2. "I heard few times that many find playing goalie is stressful."
3. "I heard few times that many find playing goalies is stressful."
4. "I heard few times that many find playing the goalie is stressful."

I'd wager more than one answer can be correct based on context. But I want to know which are straight up grammatically wrong?

 

[IronWing]

They mean different things.

 

[Zeze]

They mean different things.

So all are correct grammatically?

 

[IronWing]

They are all grammatically correct. I am still curious about the intended meaning though.

 

[Zeze]

They are all grammatically correct. I am still curious about the intended meaning though.

1. "I heard few times that many find playing a goalie is stressful."
   • Goalie as a noun - correct
2. "I heard few times that many find playing goalie is stressful."
   • How is this correct? I guess 'goalie' is more of a concept, but isn't it still a noun thus you gotta put an indefinite article? ('a goalie')
3. "I heard few times that many find playing goalies is stressful."
   • This is correct because you're talking about goalies in general. So you don't need an indefinite article. By this logic, then #2 has to be incorrect.​
4. "I heard few times that many find playing the goalie is stressful."
   • Correct - especially when talking about a specific goalie in the specific matchup.

 

[IronWing]

Number two is correct as "playing goalie" is like "playing guitar" in a band. It identifies a role.

I play guitar. => I hold the position of guitar player, or I play a guitar. Ambiguous.
I play first violin. => I hold the position of first violin in an orchestra.
I play goalie. => I hold the position of goalie on a team.
vs
I play a guitar. Correct but no context provided.
I play a violin. Correct but no context provided.
I play a goalie. Correct but ambiguous. Could mean the speaker plays the role of a goalie or it could mean the speaker plays against a goalie.

 

[Zeze]

I get it but,

I play guitar = what is the word 'guitar' here? It's a noun. Noun needs the a/an.

 

[SKORPI0]

I heard a few times that many athletes find playing defense is stressful.

Added the bolded words, you have to specify whom you've heard it from. In this case an athlete playing defense in a sport like football, basketball, etc.

 

[IronWing]

I heard a few times that many athletes find playing defense is stressful.

Added the bolded words, you have to specify whom you've heard it from. In this case an athlete playing defense in a sport like football, basketball, etc.

That changes the meaning though. This is why I asked what the meaning is supposed to be.

I heard few times => speaker has heard this rarely
I heard a few times=> speaker has heard this a few times

 

[hardhat]

"Rarely have I heard that playing goalie is stressful"
"I have heard a few times that playing goalie is stressful"

That is how I would express the sentiments above. I don't know which particular sentiment applies in your case, however.

 

[Fenixgoon]

These are all wordly badly, and you should feel bad /zoidberg

 

[pmv]

Can you say "I need a grammar nazi" here in 2023?

Which one is correct and why?

1. "I heard few times that many find playing a defense is stressful."
2. "I heard few times that many find playing defense is stressful."
3. "I heard few times that many find playing the defense is stressful."

How about this one?

1. "I heard few times that many find playing a goalie is stressful."
2. "I heard few times that many find playing goalie is stressful."
3. "I heard few times that many find playing goalies is stressful."
4. "I heard few times that many find playing the goalie is stressful."

I'd wager more than one answer can be correct based on context. But I want to know which are straight up grammatically wrong?

Seems as if you need a sports expert as much as a grammar one.

I'd have said "...playing as a goalie". Also "heard a few times".

Though now the more times I say it the more weird the word "goalie" sounds to me. I guess it's correct but goal-keeper sounds less stupid to me.