def wordCount(a_list):
    return_list = []
    counter = 1
    return_list.append(len(a_list))
    start = 1

    while start < len(a_list):
        if a_list[start] == a_list[start-1]:
            counter += 1
            start += 1
        else:
            return_list.append([a_list[start-1], counter])
            start += 1
            counter = 1

    return return_list