Grammar

[grammafreddy]

Lots of grammar mistakes. Everyone on castanet who read it got angrier and angrier as they read through the ad because of the grammar and spelling problems. By the end the 57.6% of Castanutters that are self-professed grammar Nazis were on the husband's side. Sad but true.

Are there two April Fool's Days this month?

[Bsuds]

Are there two April Fool's Days this month?

Maybe not but there are lots of fools.

[Lady tehMa]

Maybe not but there are lots of fools.

Amen to that! One has only to read the egregious spelling and grammar errors to be aware. I find it interesting that those with good grammar and spelling seem to share more ideals, and those with poor grammar/spelling (or simple lack of care) also seem to group together. Not completely, but enough to make one wonder about underlying philosophies and their effect on behaviour.

[WTTG]

Please, even without the further information I requested from Glacier, here's my take on the, “Wanted: Looking for my unfaithful husband,” ad above.

http://forums.castanet.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=55307&start=90#p1640694



Kudos to the ad’s author for structure. On its own that may help to deliver the product. The headline captures attention, the body sells a call to action, and readers who buy in may want to pursue delivering the product.

I wonder if the author simply wrote it out of frustration, or wrote it on the spur of the moment as the grammar, the spelling, and the punctuation may indicate a brainstorm. For instance, any first draft composition might have its misplaced modifiers, semantics hiccups, and skipped periods. And in this case it seems to me if you have two kids at home it could be more important to get your main thoughts down fast and hope to polish things up later.

Does KiJiJi have our forum’s luxurious edit feature? (Try to keep your hands off that, WTTG.)

Anyhow, I think an empathetic rework of the writing might help. For example: "Wanted, looking for my badassed husband. Do you recognize this man? His name is . . .. If you do and you're his girlfriend then it's not you're fault, and it's not fair to you. Or maybe you know him? Please show everybody his picture. We have two kids. Please email me if you have any information . . .."

But as it stands now, I think the ad communicates adequately to critically minded readers, and in the end it may help to achieve the writer’s desired results.

Want ads may succeed through structure alone. A supplier may need only basic information from a customer as a means towards satisfying a demand.

So warts and all, this ad still works for me, and it makes me wish I could help the author out.

Thanks.

[twofingers]

More about pronunciation than grammar....
This little habit seems to be something that must be taught in broadcasting school...replacing "a" (pronounced "ah") with "a" (pronounced 'eh').
There is a certain newscaster on Global Okanagan - weekends - that uses it so much that it becomes annoying.
"There was eh car that was travelling down eh road when eh horse jumped out and put eh big dent in the fender'>
I swear to God that I actually heard said newscaster say "Ehnother" instead of another.
I do unterstand that, technically it's okay to use either pronunciation, but to me it sounds unnatural.
Anyone agree?

[matai]

either: E-dewr or I-dewr?

[WTTG]

[matai]

Something funny is pineapple. In Canada we say ann-nah-na, in france they say ann-nan-ass lol

[WTTG]

You might not want to get your Buenas Noches mixed up with your Buenas Nachas in Mexico either.



Well, maybe it depends . . ..

[WTTG]

More about pronunciation than grammar....
This little habit seems to be something that must be taught in broadcasting school...replacing "a" (pronounced "ah") with "a" (pronounced 'eh').
There is a certain newscaster on Global Okanagan - weekends - that uses it so much that it becomes annoying.
"There was eh car that was travelling down eh road when eh horse jumped out and put eh big dent in the fender'>
I swear to God that I actually heard said newscaster say "Ehnother" instead of another.
I do unterstand that, technically it's okay to use either pronunciation, but to me it sounds unnatural.
Anyone agree?

Sure, but we used to call it enunciation.
I hear 'fur' for for all the time now. And sometimes I wonder who is writing the copy these days and what training they have.
Back when I took my radio arts diploma at community college, we had to write as well as read our own words. English was a required course. Also, our 'broadcasts' were monitored by the instructor and heaven help us if we didn't do a good job. The terse reminder in the feedback headset was usually how our mother might be listening, not to mention our future employer. The penalty for sloppiness: "The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain." Like writing lines on the blackboard. But it didn't necessarily cramp your hand.

[Liquidnails]

Amidst the mists and coldest frosts,
With stoutest wrists and loudest boasts,
He thrusts his fists against the posts
And still insists he sees the ghosts

[LoneWolf_53]

And apparently the Castanet news gurus don't know the difference between "aerial" and "ariel" since they've posted an "Ariel view" of the slide in Enderby.

*insert shoulder shrug emoticon*

[Fancy]

I am tempted to work for free.

[Lady tehMa]

I am tempted to work for free.

Do it! I have been :s

Has anyone noticed the new little link under the stories on Castanet . . . "Report a Typo"

[Dizzy1]

And apparently the Castanet news gurus don't know the difference between "aerial" and "ariel" since they've posted an "Ariel view" of the slide in Enderby.

*insert shoulder shrug emoticon*

Now I want to watch The Little Mermaid LOL ;)