From the Grammar Police
Think. Then write!
Bruce Moore
Spell check!
The top issues remain.
Everyday is an adjective describing something that’s ordinary or routine. These should say every day, which means, well, every day. (Also: Don’t capitalize Anniversary.)
This confusing grammatical mess reminds us of, “Let’s eat, Grandma/Let’s eat Grandma.” This restaurant is one of Eliot’s favorites, so we’ll fix this pro bono: “Served with your choice of home fries, oatmeal, or sliced tomato, and a bagel or bread with butter or cream cheese.”
We love our police and military dogs. It’s sentimental. But, well, the dog wasn’t willing to give his life. Was he?
WIthout an explanation in the story, such misleading headlines border on goulish. Missing doesn’t mean “most likely dead.” it means “not accounted for.” Sadly, many who are missing eventually are found dead, or never found. But, in the chaos of a disaster, missing might mean just that someone has not been able to connect with loved ones or authorities. The number often drops dramatically in ensuing days and weeks.
And we go to the video archives! Click for Segment 14: More horror in the boardroom.
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!