From the Grammar Police
Use your head!
This goof, possibly the result of a too-young writer employing AI, is a gut punch for those of us of a certain age who still own Hall and Oates albums.
The fiancé is in grief. He gets some slack. But Mister Reporter: You know better. Find another quote. Please.
Oh No, Another Comma Splice, Won’t People Ever Learn, Please Use Periods, Thank You,
Does this mean people sneaking across? By definition, they would be NOT caught! So how do authorities know? The story should say “arrests are down” or “seizures are down” or “officials say arrests and seizures suggest traffic is down.”
A brutal cliché! From where does hell break loose? What does that look like? What happens after that? Can some hell break loose?
Those pesky units!
Republicans offer an ultimatum. A group of Republicans offers.
Senators call for an investigation. A group of senators calls for one.
Tariffs start at midnight. A wave of tariffs starts at midnight.
Tariffs plunge markets. The shock of tariffs plunges them.
While some would argue the point, the Packers and the Green Bay area are two different things. So they land the draft. And while you can say the Orlando police chief inks an agreement, Orlando police ink an agreement
We’re confused. Something used to relieve depression can cause depression. To the point of suicide. Huh? There likely is an explanation for this. Shouldn’t the ad say? Readers?
And we go to the video archives for Segment 87: Modifiers More Misplaced.
Readers: "Something Went Horribly Wrong" features samples of bad writing we see nearly every day. You can participate! Be our duly deputized “grammar police.” Your motto: “To protect and correct.” Send in your photos of store signs, street signs, menus, TV news graphics, newspaper headlines, tweets, and so on. It doesn’t have to be a grammatical error. It can be just what we call “cowardly writing.” Include your name and home town so we can credit you properly. You're free to add a comment, although we reserve the right to edit or omit. Now get out there! Send to Eliot@eliotkleinberg.com
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NOTE: Eliot and Lou Ann are available for speaking engagements, and can travel. Reach us through the comments section. Just think of all of your employees getting back to work on a Monday, their heads filled with all the ways we’ve shown them to be better communicators!