Author Topic: Grammar that makes you cringe (Read 856686 times)

Tewdric · « **Reply #1850 on:** 19 December, 2011, 11:20:55 am »

Quote from: Ian H on 19 December, 2011, 10:40:52 am

It's rather like that game where you randomly re-order the words in a sentence and see if anyone can still make sense of it.

Ah, you mean speaking German!

citoyen · « **Reply #1851 on:** 19 December, 2011, 12:09:16 pm »

You may scoff but German is actually much stricter when it comes to word order than English. Nothing random about it.

Only trouble is you sometimes have to start at the end of the sentence and work backwards to decipher its meaning.

d.

Gareth Rees · « **Reply #1852 on:** 19 December, 2011, 01:33:28 pm »

Quote

Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne are aware how toxic the issue of providing funds to help the eurozone is when Britain is not a member of the euro could be.

This looks like a straightforward editing error to me: I make this kind of error quite often, so I recognize the process involved. I reckon the writer started with a straightforward sentence like this:

Quote

Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne are aware how toxic the issue of providing funds to help the eurozone is.

and then decided that a bit more explanation was needed:

Quote

Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne are aware how toxic the issue of providing funds to help the eurozone is when Britain is not a member of the euro.

A comma after "is" would have helped here, but the sentence is still grammatical at this point. I expect the writer then decided that this claim was a bit stark and needed softening from "is" to "could be", but forgot to remove the "is".

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #1853 on:** 19 December, 2011, 08:48:19 pm »

Yes, that's what I reckoned too. That's why it made me shudder! Easy to make such a mistake, I'm sure, but it should have been caught.

mattc · « **Reply #1854 on:** 21 December, 2011, 06:58:05 pm »

Another ambiguous phrasing example (it's actually a really sweet story):

Quote

Mr Vann, from Evesham, Worcestershire, began the project after his wife Mary died in September last year so he could drive in a cancer charity run.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2075047/Great-granddad-transforms-mobility-scooter-Lady-Penelopes-Roller-Thunderbirds.html#ixzz1hCGFNYHe

Jaded · « **Reply #1855 on:** 24 December, 2011, 09:46:59 am »

bus's and coach's

Wowbagger · « **Reply #1856 on:** 24 December, 2011, 11:27:25 am »

In a perverse kind of way, those apostrophes are correct as a letter has been missed out.

Peter · « **Reply #1857 on:** 27 December, 2011, 02:00:05 pm »

"and all the trimmings"....aaaghhhh!

Kim · « **Reply #1858 on:** 28 December, 2011, 02:00:41 pm »

I'm sat in the middle of an outbreak of Wiki disease!

It's not difficult: A wiki is a user-editable website. Wikipedia is a website that uses a wiki to build a community-sourced encyclopaedia.

You wouldn't say "According to book...." would you?

This is particularly irritating in contexts where a topic-specific wiki exists.

clarion · « **Reply #1859 on:** 28 December, 2011, 02:07:28 pm »

Oh my life, it's been verbified!

hellymedic · « **Reply #1860 on:** 28 December, 2011, 02:13:19 pm »

David received a letter inviting him for a health check, from our GP's surgery today.

'The checks should take 20-30 minutes. It will include questions on age, sex and family history.'

'There will also be checks on weight a blood test on chlesterol (sic) glucose etc'

'Following the check, you will receive free personal advise (sic) from GP/Nurse about what you can do to stay healthy.'

'If there are any warning signs, then together we can do something about it.'

clarion · « **Reply #1861 on:** 28 December, 2011, 02:14:08 pm »

Probably a cut & paste template from the PCT/BSU

mattc · « **Reply #1862 on:** 28 December, 2011, 02:20:01 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 28 December, 2011, 02:00:41 pm

I'm sat in the middle of an outbreak of Wiki disease!

It's not difficult: A wiki is a user-editable website. Wikipedia is a website that uses a wiki to build a community-sourced encyclopaedia.

You wouldn't say "According to book...." would you?

You would if you'd only ever read one book, and didn't know any others existed.

Kim · « **Reply #1863 on:** 28 December, 2011, 02:22:39 pm »

Quote from: mattc on 28 December, 2011, 02:20:01 pm

You would if you'd only ever read one book, and didn't know any others existed.

Tragic point, well made.

clarion · « **Reply #1864 on:** 28 December, 2011, 02:45:16 pm »

On the nail, matt!

citoyen · « **Reply #1865 on:** 28 December, 2011, 05:44:26 pm »

Wikipedia? Hmm.

https://twitter.com/#!/juliasegal/status/142098268787183616/photo/1

mike · « **Reply #1866 on:** 29 December, 2011, 09:42:10 am »

someone please tell them they've missed the apostrophe out of "Contact u's" in their menu bar?

(they've got them everywhere else..)

http://bdihomefinders.co.uk/

Jaded · « **Reply #1867 on:** 29 December, 2011, 09:53:33 am »

Crikey, that photograph is dreadful.

Auntie Helen · « **Reply #1868 on:** 01 January, 2012, 08:25:43 am »

An advert that appeared whilst I was looking at Facebook:

JonBuoy · « **Reply #1869 on:** 01 January, 2012, 09:15:04 am »

From 'Santander UK plc':

Quote

There was a notice of too many unsuccessful attempts to access your account from different
computer server. We at Santander was left with no option than to block access pending
confirmation of your identity

Pickled Onion · « **Reply #1870 on:** 01 January, 2012, 09:29:00 am »

Cut them a bit of slack - they are Spanish after all

delthebike · « **Reply #1871 on:** 01 January, 2012, 09:34:35 am »

Quote from: JonBuoy on 01 January, 2012, 09:15:04 am

From 'Santander UK plc':

Quote
There was a notice of too many unsuccessful attempts to access your account from different
computer server. We at Santander was left with no option than to block access pending
confirmation of your identity

Looks like a phising expedition to me!

If scammers used more better grammar would more people fall for it?

why1040 · « **Reply #1872 on:** 01 January, 2012, 12:47:52 pm »

My local Budgens sells firewood.

On a sign they announce that "if you buy in bulk, they will delivery it"

rower40 · « **Reply #1873 on:** 02 January, 2012, 09:49:52 am »

On Sherlock last night, he used "I" where the strict Roolz of grammar required him to use "me".

(Sorry, I can't remember the context, but it really made me jump, as he's normally so precise.)

Peter · « **Reply #1874 on:** 02 January, 2012, 10:01:54 am »

Quote from: rower40 on 02 January, 2012, 09:49:52 am

On Sherlock last night, he used "I" where the strict Roolz of grammar required him to use "me".

(Sorry, I can't remember the context, but it really made me jump, as he's normally so precise.)

That's because Benedict went to Harrow. It's Eton for "me, me, me!".